June Quote and Verse 2009

Lord, I ask You to be in charge of my future. I don't want to dream dreams if You are not in them. I don't want to make plans that you will not bless. (Stormie Omartian)

A Man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
Proverbs 16:9

Update on Mom #4 (Foot Sugery!)

Okay so today was the day! Everything is all fixed up and put back together to the best of the doctors abilities I am sure! :) The surgery went well, they did not put a cast on her foot because they where a little concerned at how the holes in her foot where looking! So they will be keeping a close eye on that and making sure there in no infection in the foot or the bones. Dr. Ferry did a great job and is a really nice lady. Mom is able to move her foot already and that is a good sign. They will continue to watch the leg for at least 48 hours and then they will put her in a hard boot. :( Which I am kind of sad about because I wanted her to get a hot pink cast so that I could sign it! :) As of right now I am not sure about what physical therapy looks like for her but I am sure I will know more details within the next few days.
Angie my mom's (# 1 -4) best friend is here which has been great! She has been a great support and words can not express how thankful I am!
Please continue to pray....
1. That there is no infections
2. That it is a quick recovery
3. That physical therapy does it's job
4. Sleep and peace of mind for me, mom, and Matt
5. God's hand and will be done with the legal end of things
6. That we can find a great christian metal/rehab for her to go to
7. Strength and wisdom for Me

Thank you all so much for all your prayers and support it means so much! :)

My Passion!

Words can not express to you my love and devotion to children! I have had a heart for kids since I was a child myself. It is a love that I can not explain and a passion that can not be blown out. As I write this tears fill my eyes because of the love that I have for these kids.

Many people ask me how can you love a child so much that is not even your own. To which I reply because even though they are not my own they are God's child and God has placed a love in my heart for them that goes beyond any words.

As a teacher and also as a "children's pastor" I met many different kids. Some who come from great families who love God and who treat their children like precious jewels and others who don't love God and who treat their children like extra work.

Many times when you look into a child's eyes you can see what is going on in their hearts. Children just want to be loved, they want to be accepted and they want to know that someone cares.

Because I myself am not a mom I have not been able to experience many things with a child that a mom does. However I am blessed and honored that I have been called to love on these kids as God loves us. Even if it is just as simple as a morning hug, children know when you truly love them. They yearn for your approval and attention.

My heart for your child is that they would know the love of their Savior. That they would be so bold as to say at the age of 7 I am going to take my Bible to school for show and tell. And even when they are discouraged from getting to share it they invite their friends to read it with them while they are outside at recess.

The Bible says to come before Him like children! What does that tell you?

We look at our children's ministry programs as just a place for kids to go while the adults go to service. This is so wrong. We are training your children to be followers of Christ. To love Him and to know Him as their friend.

If you would just come and see these children's faces light up as you tell them that Jesus loves them. That he died on the cross for their sins and that He wants us to be with Him forever. They get it. We as adults have all these "what if's" while our kids are say "it is." They have the faith that it takes to enter into the kingdom of God. We should be learning from them!

When you ask a child what their favorite Bible story is and they know storied like "Jesus Raising from the Dead", and Jesus Walks on Water they get.They understand who Jesus is and how much Jesus loves them! It blows my mind sometimes how much these kids truly understand!

I want you all to know how thankful I am that God gave me a heart for children. They are such a blessing in my life! Thank you Heavenly Daddy for children! :) I am so excited to be a mommy one day! Children are an amazing blessing for God the Father!

Update on Mom #3

Okay so now it just makes me giggle every time to talk about all my different mom's! I told my mom today what you said Jill and she laughed and said I should do one about the mom I wish I had and one about the mom I do have and let people vote on which one I should take lol! She was being a little silly! This being said I have a funny story to tell about her that happened today while I was visiting with her! :)

So Robin (a friend of mine) and I went to have lunch with my mom at Four Corners today after she had gotten back from a Cat scan at the hospital! As we sat down my mom's nurse came in to clean out her holes in her leg and foot, two in her leg and one on each side of her foot! Since she had just gotten back from the cat scan it was not wrapped up or anything and it was super nasty! I could see all the scabs growing all around the holes! I had to make her cover them just so I could eat and keep my food down.

Okay sorry onto the funny story so when the nurse came in my mom asked if they could wait to clean it out until we where all done eating and they said it was fine! So we finished eating and the nurse came in to clean it all out! At first I was like I am not watching, that is way to gross but I got over it and it was actually kind of interesting. :) So what they do is take the hydrogen peroxided and poor it into the holes and then once all the scabs are all soft they take goze and rub all around the bars and the inside of the holes to make sure it is all cleaned out.

So the nurse forgot to bring in the goza so she left the room for a minute to go and grab it. In the mean while my mom decided she was going to continue pouring the peroxided into the holes so that when the nurse got back they could just get it done and over with. Well I started talking to Robin and telling her a story when I looked over and saw my mom starting to poor not the peroxided into the holes but DIET COKE! Yes you read me right DIET COKE. I of course started saying mom, mom, mom but she was not listening so I SCREAMED MOOOOMMMMM! And thankfully she stopped right then and I was able to tell her that she was about to poor diet coke into the holes instead of peroxided!
After we where done laughing till I almost peed my pants, I told her that this was totally a blogging moment and that I had to tell you all! So I hope you all get a little giggle out of my mom's diet coke story! :)

By the way the surgery is set for 1 pm on Monday, the 29th! So please keep her, the doctor, and the nurses in your prayers! :)

Update on Mom #2

Hey Guys,

So here is what is going on in the lives of the "Durango MacDonald's"!

1. Mom was moved to Four Corners Nursing Home yesterday and is doing well there. The staff is great and there is an older man who wheels his wheelchair up and down the hall singing all through out the day! Which means mom has a concert all day every day! :)

2. The doctor came by last night to look at mom's foot and said that the healing is going well! Although the nurse's at the nursing home are not cleaning out the holes in her foot right everything is looks good. The doctor did come in and clean them out how they are suppose to and my mom just balled! He took some cleaning fabric and rubbed all inside the holes on both side of her foot to get all the scabs out so that there would not be infection in there. Man does that sound gross! I hope you are not eating while you read this and if you are I am sorry! :)

3. Mom is now in real clothes instead of a hospital gown and she is feeling much better! She had very high spirits today and is doing as well as can be expected.

(I know I know it just made me giggle so I had to put it on here)

4. As of right now her foot surgery is set to happen this coming Monday! I am not sure what time but as soon as I know I will let everyone know! Her and I both will be so happy when that surgery is done! Please pray that it will only have to be one surgery instead of two or three.

5. As for me I am continuing to take it day by day! I am trying to see the things that I can be thankful for in this storm instead of being so down in the dumps! It is easier said then done, however I am thankful that every day is a new day and that God is in control!
Thank you all so much for your prayers and support! It is awesome to know that there are people all over the world reading this and praying for my mom as well as myself! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Thankful/Grateful Thursday!

This week I am thankful/grateful for many things! Some silly and some not to silly but all the same! :)

I am thankful/grateful for the color green! It is my favorite color and every time I see something that is green it makes me smile! :)I am thankful/grateful for amazing friends. Words can not express how thankful I truly am!I am thankful/grateful for showers and fresh water! I love taking a shower and how good you smell after taking one!

I am thankful/grateful for my bed! It is not the best bed in the world but it is better then the floor! :)

I am thankful/grateful for the Pine Valley Church family who have stepped up and really supported my mom and I through this hard time.

I am thankful/grateful for dogs, who love to cuddle and be your side kick.

I am thankful/grateful for kids, their smiles, hugs, and kisses just make my day.

I am thankful/grateful for lotion, smelly lotion to be exact! :)

I am thankful/grateful for planners, can I just tell you how excited I get when I get to make something off my to do list.
Which also makes me grateful/thankful for pens and highlighters which allow me to write to do lists and mark, I mean highlight them out! :)

I am thankful/grateful for rainy days that make the outsides smell so good! :)

WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR THIS THURSDAY?

God's Word is True Part 2

"Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; and you are mine.
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
Others where given in exchange for you.
I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me.
You are honored, and I love you.

Isaiah 43: 1b-4

This is God's love song over my life right now! That no matter how difficult life might get or how mad I maybe be at Him or the situation He is there to protect me. He is MY Lord, MY Savior, and MY God. He loves me just as much as He loves anyone else. He loves me no matter what I look like or what I am going through.

He has a huge plan and a purpose for MY life. I am PRECIOUS to Him and He LOVES ME. He wants to walk with me through life's toughest moments and life's joyest moments. He wants to hold my hand, carry me, or cuddle me which ever one I need He is there to comfort me.

He is my heavenly daddy and He loves me even more then my earthly daddy did. Man how amazing is that??? At times it is hard to even imagine but when I think of it that way it brings tears to my eyes.

MY GOD loves ME! This is not something easy for me to understand. His love is never changing NO MATTER WHAT! This is something that is going to take a while to set into my head. But how grateful I am that MY GOD loves ME!

Dear Heavenly Daddy,
Thank you for you love and forgiveness! Thank you for walking with me through this storm and for comforting me! Help me to truly understand how much you love me! In your name I pray, AMEN