[Tweet “You cannot lose what God lovingly treasures in the palm of His hand.”] To continue….. Yes- it feels like you’ve “lost” your loved one. You have in one sense. But have you truly “lost” something if you know where to find it? Perhaps “hidden” is a better word. Your loved one’s true essence […]
Alzheimers, eternity, fallen world, God's love, grandchildren, Grandma, living between the trees, Marilyn, old age, overcoming, perseverence, treasure
I saw a tweet by Rick Warren the other day that zapped me! 
[Tweet “”It’s not that you don’t love God enough- the problem is you don’t realize how much He loves you!””] Did you know the average number of thoughts human brains think during their awake time: 52,000! (I think that’s a […]
Today was a “gray day” Not outside, the sun was shining, but inside our home & hearts, a storm was brewing. It was the kind of day, you’re glad you’ve been “storing up” lots of inspirational words & absorbing the the tangible love of family and friends; because, just like we should store up money […]
Bethany, Christian family, downs syndrome, God of Grace, joyful journey, special needs parenting
(Hey there- I am your guest blogger for the day Lucky you lol… My mom had asked me to write for the blog this Easter week and so, here ya’ go! Blessings~ Sarah) http://surprisingtreasures.com/about/sarah-finley-and-cohen/ As a little girl, naïve and a helpless romantic, all I desired was to marry someone who loved […]
This video is a must see! Pastor Rick Warren teams up with Nick Vujicic, shares with Oprah the “Wild Card of Life” that can change everything! Our choices & attitude & our faith toward God! We can’t control our environment, our genetics, our chemistry, our 1st relationships, our circumstances, or what we’ve been […]
disabilities, encouragement, fallen world, inspiration, Jesus will meet you there, limitations, living between the trees, losing hand, Nick Vujicic, Oprah, overcoming, overcoming by faith, perseverence, Rick Warren, saying no to suicide, thankfulness, transformation, treasure hunter, Winning hand
Saige has $3732.50 Woohoo! and THANK YOU! THANK YOU! (and of course if you’d like to help round that up to $4000.00 Keep making donations at Saige- Reece’s Rainbow I just had to share my granddaughter, Finley’s, solution to the problem of orphans. Don’t you just love the faith of children?! Perhaps, if […]
Have you ever been bamboozled by trash? We face a weekly challenge! Our town has allotted a specific trash can we must use- available in small, medium, and large. (we have the largest available lol) Everything- I mean e v e r y t h i n g must fit in it for the week- […]
abortion, Catuera Paraguay, Gods hidden treasures, treasure hunter
Jeff & I were raised in a small town (750 people ) a beautiful Methodist church, rich with tradition and filled with saints I still admire. It’s glory was the fantastic stained glass windows. I always imagined I was the little lamb Jesus was carrying! [Tweet “Jesus is the Good #Shepherd. He #carries us […]
The Bethany Paradox There is no paradox in loving her- only in understanding……….. I love her so much it hurts- Embracing her vulnerable weakness Dismayed her DNA is destructively damaged. I cry, I laugh with joy, I worry & fret, I ache with longing, yet rejoice in who she is Her spirit- so […]
Bethany, celebrate, disabilities, downs syndrome, eternity, identity, inspiration, labels, life, limitations, living between the trees, paradox, treasure, treasure hunter
Three years ago this month, we said our “final” goodby to Grandma Marilyn, my dad’s second wife. I say “final” because we had many goodbyes along the way. We lost her memory by memory before she died. She had Alzheimers. Previously, I had firmly believed CANCER was the most devilish enemy; after watching my mom, […]
Alzheimer, Alzheimers, Chuck, death, eternity, fallen world, Grandparents, living between the trees, loneliness, Mariyn, perspective, prayer, treasure hunter
If there is one thing I’ve learned in 53 years of living….. I can’t do life alone. I need Jesus! I need Him every hour! I need Him every decision! I need Him to cope, to love more fully, to see more clearly, to be my filter of this polluted world. I need His fire […]
2013, eternity, fallen world, Fear Not, inspiration, living between the trees, New Year, overcoming, prayer, refresh, renew, treasure
I’ve shared many stories of Bethany; lifting my cell phone to call a sibling, regularly texting everyone to see what they’re doing and when they’re coming over to see her, how she has everyone’s phone number memorized and has no problem navigating any phone she happens to find. So it made sense (in my limited […]
Bethany, Christmas, connection, encouragement, face time, God, inspiration, ipod touch, Jesus will meet you there, perseverence, prayer, treasure hunter
If you’ve been following the * “Saige Saga” you know, the quest began simply enough. Like most people, we try to make giving intrinsic to our life- even though it may be small and meager; besides tithing, we like saving all our spare change at Christmas time because Bethany has to give to […]
adopt, adoption, Bethany, China, Christmas, eternity, family, find a family, inspiration, mom dad, perspective, Saige, treasure
Silent Stars by Edy T. Johnson- copyright 2009- reprinted with permission . It wasn’t Christmas, but the view out the small window made me think it could be. Above, stars—scattered like snowflakes across the navy sky—looked down on their reflection below, the twinkling lights of home. In contrast to the storm inside me, the sight […]
Amy Grant, angel, Christmas, Edy Johnson, fallen world, Gift of God, I Need a Silent Night, inspiration, living between the trees, O Little Town of Bethlehem, orphans, overcoming, Silent Night, Silent Stars, transformation, treasure, war
Children are the heartbeat of Christmas ~ To see with wonder…. to know the joy of His presence. “For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself.” Charles Dickens Sharing Precious Moments We have 7 different nativities- they’re child friendly and […]
Bethany, celebrate, Christmas, downs syndrome, family, Finley, grandchildren, Mataya, orphan, Saige, Silas, treasure