The Power of Prayer

Terrific testimonial Tell-All Tuesday! My tell all. . . I'm shrinking! I am on my second stretch of working out for 9 days straight. Only 6 more to go including tonight. Last night I had to kick my own rear to get going but a girl will do what she has to right!?! I am stronger, I have further reach and amazingly my back is getting better! All that have been praying for me regarding my immense back pain, Thank you!! Yesterday I dropped a pencil, it rolled under the couch, and without thinking about it, I actually dropped to my knees, reached under the couch, grabbing the pencil and then I sat back up with tears in my eyes. This would have been impossible for me to do just a month ago! Praise Jesus. Today's encouraging word reminded me of times gone by and gave me comfort knowing it's truth. I hope it helps you feel better about whatever you may be facing in your own life  

See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you.

~ Exodus 23:20, NLT

That was my facebook post on my fan page today. Here is the link so that if you are on facebook, you can like my page and always be able to find me! I try to post something positive every day. https://www.facebook.com/YouAreWorthyToo

So, life without Mike is interesting to say the least. Even when your mate is not putting Christ first or even being somewhat supportive, trust me when I say you will notice their absence in many various ways. Allow me to cover just a few ways I have been reminded of the things Mike did take care of for me:

1. When leaving my baptism Thursday night, September 19th, I was shown that an oil spot looked fresh and was advised to check my oil. (This would normally be a Mike job)

2. Sunday, September 21, I realized I had a low tire in need of some air. I found a place with air and after dropping $1.00 into the machine, added the air needed. I, of course, had to check the pressure on my good tire to know what the other tire was supposed to be!

3. I forgot to check my oil for over a week! I kept popping the hood but then would forget to check it after   the car had cooled down. When I finally did, I was indeed 2 quarts low! Yikes!! When I went to the auto store to purchase the oil, I realized I had no idea what my car required!

I would be the world's biggest liar if I said I didn't miss Mike with all my heart. The twins just turned 9 this last Sunday. Not having him here was noticed by the girls for sure. I took them out to an awesome play / concert as my gift to them. It was truly a girl's night out. My oldest son stepped up to the plate and watched two of his younger brothers for me so that I could pull the night off. Here are some pictures from the event put on by my all time favorite Christian radio station.

As you can see I still have not figured out how to put pictures into this blog system. As soon as I try to move a pic they all fly everywhere. This is the best I can do for now. The girls had a great time. They all came home with the pink crazy hair in lights, a CD from the feature band and a DVD from a previous show. I love moody radio and the events that they put on for families. God is front and center as He should be. 

So as it seems to happen more and more lately, it is taking me more than one day to write a blog post! Today's encouraging word by k-love made my heart swell. You know I have to share it: 

O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety.

~ Psalm 61:1-3, NLT

As I shared on Facebook today, I have recently been on my knees praying in such a desperate manner. This summer has for sure been one for change. I still don't know God's plan for me but that is okay. What I do know is that I greet each day with a thank you to God for all the blessings in my life. They are plenty. I am sure many would look at me and my situation and find pity for me. I on the other hand see nothing but how blessed I am. It all depends on where your focus is. I willfully chose to keep my focus on my savior, Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth and the life. 

Today I pray that no matter where you are today that you take the time to say thank you for your life and all the good things in it. When you begin giving thanks and showing gratitude for even the smallest things it begins to change not only your view but also your mindset. Words of wisdom say it all starts with the renewing of your mind. What are you putting into your mind? What you put in will find a way to come out. Remember that when thinking how you would like to spend your time! Go about your day being a blessing to others. It is more rewarding than I could ever explain.

Father, thank you for my life. Thank you for my beautiful children. Thank you for shelter and a full tummy. Thank you for healing me. I love getting smaller and being able to carry my children. Just being able to walk without immense pain is an absolute blessing. All glory for my wellness is credited to you. I am so blessed to have had so many praying for me. Thank you also father for your work where Mike is concerned. While I know he has more growing and stretching to come I thank you for taking the time. I thank you for how you move me. Recently I prayed in the spirit for a very special friend's parent. I am humbled by the news shared recently of his newly founded devotion as well as his improved health. You amaze me Lord. I am crying tears of gratitude as the reality of the power of prayer and how you move hits me square in the face in such an undeniable way. Thank you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Wendy, walks with God

Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

Wonderful Wild Wacky Weds . . . just a few thoughts

Wow! It is wild wacky wonderful Wednesday already! So much has happened since I last wrote. Where does one begin? I guess by warming up. Allow me to share the encouraging word by K-Love for the day:

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him ~ 1 John 4:9, NLT

That is some serious love! How do we allow the evil one to trick us into believing we are so unlovable. I mean when you study the Holy Bible, you realize that all along God planned to do just what he did. Time and time again we read about Jesus years before he appeared here on Earth. What a loving Father, what an incredible loving son. 

I must admit I loved it when I read in the bible that Jesus said, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father." I mean we all wonder who is this God of Wrath. What is He like? When I was growing up all I seemed to learn about was Hell, Fire and Damnation! Step out of line and that was it, prepare for the wrath of God. If you have read my story here on blogger that is broken into many posts, you know that I thought the reason I was molested was because I had planned to outwit God as a young girl. I thought He was showing me He would have His way one way or another. Such a foolish child I was! Honestly, to this day, I often think of myself as a foolish girl. If you'd like to know more about this story of mine, all of this can be read about in some of my first few blog posts, these are the titles for that portion of my story:

1. The Boy and My Plan to Outwit God

2. Face to Face with an Angel

3. Grounded for Losing My Virginity

4. Too Angry to Process the Assault with Love

5. Taking Control of My Destiny

The closest real life example we have to what God is like is via His son, Jesus. So, if you want to truly know how God feels about you, my suggestion would be to learn about His Son. After all as it says in 1 John 4:9, God loved us so much He sent His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life. 

That whole 'might' gives us another picture of God. He allows us Free Will. He sent his son to save us but does not demand that we accept the life saver He has thrown us. I would like you to put yourself into those shoes. How many times have you done a big favor for someone and in return ended up with results that were not what you expected. How many of us have you thought to yourself, "What an ingrate?" Money and Time are one thing, but to give up your own child to save others, that is one heck of a sacrifice! Then to go one step further and say, "If you believe you are saved but if you don't, well that is your free will. Should you change your mind, I am always here. Keeping watch. Waiting for you to knock." To me that is such Love. 

I have so much yet to blog about. I need to be more disciplined in my time to write. Many that know me laugh when I say I need to step it up. I have a home full of children without a father in the home currently, They all arrive here at my full time place of employment and are here for the last hour and a half of my work day, I dedicate time to hang out with fellow believers to keep me encouraged on both Thursday and Sunday, as of 10 days ago, I began adding a full hour of exercise to my schedule and somehow in the mix of that, I write to encourage others with my own tales, sob stories and moments of triumph! 

I have started going to counseling twice a month. She suggested I get into the habit of trying to write something every day. So, here I am thinking I had nothing to write, writing. I am going to employ her tactic. At some point during the day before my day closes, I am going to write. It may just be in my journal but I intend to get better with my blog. I look forward to sharing much more about my journey with you for some of the coolest things that have happened to me, or what some one call "Only God Could Make that Happen" stories, I have not even gotten to yet. 

I had heard a great song on the radio the other day, but for the life of me I cannot find it with my feeble google skills. However, while searching, I did find a good song that I love. I end here leaving you with the video of the one I think my speak to those who need to know, Jesus came to spread the good news to those caught in the bondage of sin. You are loved. You are wanted back home!

Father, today I thank you for your never ending Love. I cannot begin to figure out everything and how you put it together but I know that you do weave a master piece in all your children. May I be willing to become all you intended me to be. Help me stay focused in all the areas of my life Father, starting with my focus on you. I am so grateful for what you are doing in my life as well as in Mike's. It seems that in leaving all of us behind the conviction process has begun. I thank you for speaking to him through the spirit. I never thought I would hear him say he was selfish. I knew then that he must finally be hurting enough to listen to the voice of righteousness. I thank you for never giving up on your children Lord. You know I was a mess a time or two myself. Continue to speak truth to us Father. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Wendy, walks with God, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

God is Always Good!

Good morning my friends! Today is marvelously magnificent miraculous Monday. What do you consider to be a miracle? For me just this day and the way I can laugh is a miracle. For you see, a small part of me would prefer to be curled up in a corner crying my eyes out. However, I know that that is what the evil one wants for me. His only purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. His desire is to keep me in bondage in the dark buried in misery. Pardon the pun, but I say "Hell no!" to that!! My God came so I could LIVE life and live that life abundantly! He sent his only son to share with us the message of His NEVER ENDING LOVE and GRACE. His only begotten son, doing no wrong, died on the cross and proclaimed, "It is finished." Who am I to say otherwise. I say to you who are down for whatever reason, recognize misery and worry for what they are: Satan's sad attempt to steal your joy, kill your dreams and destroy your purpose.

God is always good. He gave us free will. Satan uses that knowledge against us. He whispers things to us and tricks us into focusing on things of this world. It is miraculous what happens in your life when you change that focus onto God and His kingdom. All of a sudden what is meant to destroy us, loses it's power. Let me see if I can show some examples here from my own life. God knows I've been through one hell of a thirty day storm. Let me recap it all for those of you who have not been following my blog:

July 31, 2013:  My children and mother were having what seemed at the time a battle of wills. She had made a bad decision and in the process my children were removed from her custody by a sheriff and whisked off to the hospital to be examined thoroughly. LONG STORY!

August 2, 2013:  Mike headed off to Florida as his grandfather was on his death bed and Mike, while not close to his grandfather, felt his mother needed him. He had stated, "I've never heard her cry so hard."

August 4, 2013:  By 5:00 pm, Mike had not been heard from anyone. He was driving to Florida on his motorcycle. The last time I had heard from him, he informed me his tire was showing the metal mesh and he was looking for a tire shop. While he was missing in action, I received a call from the sheriff's office. My heart lurched and my mind immediately thought the call was about Mike. However, it was in regards to my 14 year old. ANOTHER long story!

August 5, 2013: While at court with my 14 year old and her father, my phone rang and I was informed that another report had been filed with the department of children. In the process of trying to put all the pieces of this crazy puzzle together, I discovered a great betrayal committed against me by both my mother and my oldest child. Yelp, you know it, yet another long story!!

August 6, 2013: Mike's grandfather was buried. I removed my children from my mother's care permanently. Mike decided he should be back at home and had me wire him money to get back earlier than he had originally planned on.

August 8, 2013: I took the two children in question regarding the 2nd report filed with the department of children for their criminal forensic interview. We were there for three very long hours. I was informed my mother was going to be arrested when all was said and done. I was also informed that the case worker needed to come visit my home and have a safety meeting there with the children, Mike and I. It was scheduled for August 12th, 2013. I left that meeting there leaning on the strength of God.

August 9, 2013: Mike made it back home VERY early in the morning. However, it was quite obvious he would have rather been back in Florida. I enrolled Michael, Marissa, Marie and Delilah into school. My mother was officially arrested and in the process signed a statement saying I knew everything that she had been doing concerning the punishment of my children. I learned about this via a voice mail left on my phone letting me know the investigation was still ongoing and now I was also being focused on for neglect of my dependents.


August 11, 2013: After getting the house in order for the safety inspection, we headed off to Ohio to participate in Faith Day with the Cincinnati Reds and Mercy Me. We had an extra ticket due to Tia still being incarcerated so I brought along a sister in Christ, who witnessed first hand the old Mike. It crushed my heart to witness it myself. I recognized the complete change of heart in him even before she commented on it herself. Not many have seen this Mike in action and those that have always look at me in amazement. Like I said, I have wanted to be loved for so long, I show a ton of grace just to prove what I read about me wrong. (Much of this is in the blog post 'Better off With God')

August 12, 2013: My caseworker called and rescheduled the appointment to August 19, 2013 due to her own illness.

August 14, 2013: The Fantastic Four headed off for their first day of school and I returned to work with my 3 year old at my side. He works with me every day now.

August 18, 2013: I shared at church what I was going through and requested prayers for myself and my family.

August 19, 2013: The caseworker came to my house to interview my children. She was there for an hour and a half. I learned even more about things that had happened under my mothers care. In the end the caseworker said she was not going to substantiate charges against me for neglect but due to the severity of my case, she would have to have that decision confirmed by her superior and the district superior. Five minutes after our meeting ended, it was verified that Tia was being released from custody.

August 23, 2013: The school children rode the bus to school for the first time this year. Because of our late enrollment a bus stop had not been created for them. I praised God for the timing. Mike had scheduled the family car  to be dropped off for a new front control arm and wheel bearing on the driver side. It was supposed to be finished before the end of the day. This did not happen. Imagine a weekend with more children than will fit in one car. Let's just say Sunday morning we drove the house and the jeep to church

August 26, 2013: I injured myself playing with Jeffrey Thomas. I had picked him up and he managed somehow to shove off of me pulling my shoulder out of place.

August 27, 2013: I awoke to not only arm pain, but neck pain. I scheduled an emergency chiropractor appointment and went in to get my shoulder put back in place and realized just what a mess I was. My neck had muscle spasms galore. He managed to make a little headway. I was still in pain.

August 28, 2013: It was becoming undeniable Mike's heart was in Florida. I awoke to pain. It felt like my neck bone was bruised and my arm was on fire like my muscles had been torn.

August 29, 2013: I had come home to find Mike in a mood after bible study and I had had it. In a fit of righteous anger, I got on my knees and prayed, "Dear Lord, either Convict Mike or Remove him from my life. In Jesus name I pray. Amen."

August 30, 2013: I found my Great Banquet Cross Necklace in the process of helping Mike find a sweater. I also had an add for an apartment complex flip on my desk and decided to take it as a sign. I called and reserved myself a 3 bedroom apartment. They thought one would open up in either December or January.  Department of children called to say they were filing their official report and only needed to hear from Mike before they signed off. He of course had left his phone at home but when he got in he called. No one was answering the phones so he left a voice mail saying in a gist, I was told to call, this is my call. As far as I know they never called him again. By nightfall I was in a lot of pain. Typing had not helped my back / shoulder / neck muscles. Mike told me I needed to tighten up.

August 31, 2013: I took the children to play McDonalds and then to the water park. Mike took his defensive driving course. I was waiting for him to finish thinking he'd call me and we'd go have an early dinner together and then I would do laundry. Instead, he sent me a text and took himself out to Broadripple to eat lunch by himself. I was miffed to say the least. The children and I went out to eat alone. Mike called while we were out and informed me he was finally on his way home. The plan was for me to drop off the children and go do laundry by myself. I ended up doing laundry with all the children. I was in immense pain by the time I got home. Mike had promised me a massage when I sent him a text letting him know I was on my way, but ended up yelling at me over some essential oils and the fact that I was not interested in experimenting with them until I took my class with the friend that had introduced the company to me. After that I shared with Mike exactly where I stood.

September 1, 2013: Mike was in one of his moods and decided he was not going to go to church with us. We went without him and then went to the annual cookout with a very good friend of mine. Mike checked on us once around 6pm. I'm sure his only reason for calling was just to get a feel for when I might be home. Amazingly enough my neck began to feel better as the day progressed. The day before it hurt just to hold my head up!

September 2, 2013: The big blow up happened. I left Mike. I was homeless and without transportation due to a broken down car that was running fine just prior to the blow up. This is again another long story and all in my blog.

September 3, 2013: I had my car towed into the mechanic and received the news of what was wrong. (Long story and yes, in the blog.)

September 4, 2013: Mike decided he was going to leave the house with me and move to Florida on Friday. My car was fixed at an amazing low low price. (I also blogged on these blessings)

September 6, 2013: Mike said goodbye when he collected his last paycheck and packed up his Jeep, hooked up his trailer and loaded up his jet ski. He went out to where the rest of our stuff was to finish loading the rest of his belongings, including his motorcycle.

September 7, 2013: Mike went to the Chicago Cubs game with his mother.

September 8, 2013: Somehow Mike had discovered we were at the hotel and he along with his mother showed up after midnight at the hotel I was staying at for the night and surprised everyone at breakfast. He gave me $150 to cover child support for the week. He promised to send me a letter with money every week. He informed me he'd be back in January to ask me to marry him and we parted ways. Me, off to church and him off to Florida. After church I took the children to the store and we bought a wading pool with a slide, a slippy slide that ended in another wading pool, a little air compressor and a 75' foot no kink hose like the one that had burned in the fire pit four years prior. Who'd think a simple hose could cause so many emotions! I think greater understanding regarding why a hose could cause one to cry can be found in the blog "Saved by an Army of Angels". After we set up the pools, I went inside the house and rearranged the furniture and closets.

September 9, 2013: My first day at work knowing I will not be seeing Mike walk through my door anytime soon. I am filled with peace and great sadness all at the same time.

I am here to tell you, this last month would have left someone without belief in shambles. Destroyed. It is my shield of faith, my helmet of salvation, and very much so, prayer that kept me standing. If you don't recognize these articles of clothing, I highly recommend you check out the book of Ephesians!

So, I was looking at my phone the other day, and I was going to delete all my texts back and forth with Mike. I cracked up when I read the oldest text I had sent him. This one from August 4th. I had sent it to him in hopes that he would give me a call. If you have read my blog post 'Suckerpunched' you know about much of this, but I neglected to share the text I had sent him in hopes of getting him to call me before the one I sent asking if he was going to call soon as I was getting ready for bed. I sent it with this picture of the children. I laughed so hard because it happened to be in a somewhat of a poetic form. Cracks me up to see myself in the rear view mirror. Turns out, with Jesus as my guide, I'm turning out to be pretty funny! Here is the picture and text I sent him:

School starts weds.

They got new doos

and new shoes 

and an outfit our two.

Would have gotten a little more

but the police called me while I was in the store. . . 

You could say it's been a fun day

all but you missing and Tia hauled away. 

Seems she ran away from her dad. 

He called the cops on her ... yelp pretty bad.

My point here is simply this. Life happens. Some of it is awesome but a lot of it is filled with the chaos of this world. God does not long for you to focus on all of that junk. He wants you to focus on Him. Read His word. It is full of advice and warnings. Arm yourself. You are in a spiritual battle. Good and evil exist. Within yourself, if you are a believer, you will hear the voice of righteousness guiding you and convicting you when you drift from the narrow road. If you are not a believer, I pray you are simply lost or misinformed, my prayer for you is that you find your way home. To all believers who are being fed the lie that you are no longer worthy of grace or mercy, those of you who believe you have gone to far to ever come back home, read my story. I highly doubt you could be any worse of a sinner than I was. Sin is sin. Today I am a holy redeemed saint. I am a light of hope for others. I am doing my Father's will. He called me to share my life, my story with all who care to read it. I am inspired by much of what I have written and I lived it all! Please, if you are down and depressed or filled with worry, I encourage you to go back to my first post and read my story. I add to it monthly. I think perhaps with less chaos in my life, I will begin to add to it more and more often. There is still so much left to share. May God bless you.

Father, today I come to you with such joy. How clever you are. How blessed I am. Never in a million years could I have put together all you have sown in my life. Thank you for loving me so. In the midst of this brutal storm I felt you by my side. Thank you so much for the artists that sing your praises for the lyrics helped to encourage me through my tears. Songs like, "Whom Shall I Fear" and "Overcomer" just to name two of them! Thank you also for allowing me to see an angel as a child. Thank you for her message. I have clung to that truth more times than you know. Ha as if you don't know! Silly me. I love you Father. Please use me however you like. I am forever your loving daughter, your humble servant. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Here is the song I was led to share with this post. Pretty awesome. I am a lyric girl so of course they are included with this video! Enjoy!

Wendy, walks with God, mom of many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

Suckerpunched!

Here it is Simple Sincere Seeking Sunday. When I went to church this morning as always, the floor was opened for sharing what was going on in our lives as well as the opportunity for prayer requests. I don't usually say anything but this week I did. I explained that I was struggling with my feelings and keeping my focus where it needed to be. I shared that this week was scary and I was attempting to keep my focus on Jesus but I was overwhelmed with my own emotions and my feelings of betrayal. If you have not read my previous post titled 'Have You Ever Been Pancaked', I would highly recommend you do for this blog is a continuation of that story. So I ended that post with explaining that I had chosen the title and then had run out of time to write anything and I had headed off to the courthouse. When I got there I was not sure where I needed to go so I stopped at the information desk. She pointed me to the second floor and from there I was told what room the hearing would be held in. Of course it was being held in a side room and they had not marked the door with the number they had assigned it yet. I asked a man who worked in the court house to help me and that was when I stumbled upon Mark, Tia and the Sheriff that was her escort.

They informed me that Tia was still not being compliant and that we were going to be seen in front of the judge next. Mark began berating Tia. Asking her if she understood how much worry she had caused him and most likely me. I looked at him and said, "You need to keep my name out of this. I am not into berating my children. As a matter of fact I didn't have as much time to worry because you never even bothered to pick up the phone and let me know she was missing. You never called me when you called the police and you didn't call me when she was arrested. I got to learn about all of this from a sheriff." He looked at me and said, "Can we please not argue in front of our child." I turned and looked at him. I promise if my eyes were laser beams I would have sliced him in half. I said as calmly as I could, "Look, don't talk to me and we'll be just fine. I am hanging onto one strand of Grace and I swear if you talk to me again, I'll lose it." I turned back to look at Tia who informed me I had an epic fail where grace was concerned. She was right. I smiled at her. Right then my phone rang. I looked at the number and thought it was my mother's new home number since it started with a 765 area code. I answered it quickly, fearful of what was happening as she knew I was supposed to be in court. When I swiped it to grab the call, I said, "Make it quick, I've got exactly two minutes."

"Is this Wendy Glidden?" a female voice I did not recognize inquired. "Yes." I answered wondering who I was talking to. "This is Rachel with the Morgan County department of children services. Are you aware of an incident involving your children Michael and Marie?" I was puzzled as to why she only named two of the five children but I answered, "Yes. I am aware of it. I was there at the hospital. I met Mary. We put a safety plan in place." She said, "Oh. Yes. I know about that incident too. I am calling about another incident involving just two of your children." I could barely breath. 'What now?' I silently screamed in my head. She continued, "Do you recognize the names Cheyenne or Ciarra?" My head was spinning. "Yes." I stammered. "Do you know how old they are?" I could barely think. I answered, "Cheyenne is 4 and Ciarra is 3." She then asked me how they were related to Marie and Michael. "They are cousins I answered." Honestly they are their nieces but they are more like cousins and again I was so freaking confused as to where this was heading. She then informed me that Michael and Marie had been reported for sexually assaulting their cousins. I began weeping uncontrollably. She next informed me there would need to be a forensic criminal investigation performed and wondered when I would be able to bring the children in for that. She also said we would need to have another safety meeting with Mary, her, my mother and I and asked when that could take place. I replied, "Schedule it, I'll make it work." She said okay. I need to make a couple of phone calls. How long is your meeting going to take. I asked the sheriff if she knew how long we'd be. She answered about an hour. I then told Rachel I would call her in approximately one hour and I hung up. Tia looked at me and all I could do was cry. As if my day wasn't already hard enough. I know it is purely on the strength of God I was able to stand on my feet. Almost immediately we were ushered into the court room. I could not talk. I sat there with tears streaming continually down my face. I listened while the judge informed me that Tia's father had requested both a psychological evaluation and a drug screen. The judge thought both of those requests were reasonable and was going to grant them. He assigned Tia a lawyer and sentenced her to continue residing in the shelter until her next court hearing which would be somewhere between 10 and 27 days from today, Monday, August 5th, 2013. We, the parents were instructed to wait out in the hall to meet with Tia's probation officer. The room was spinning for me. I got up, followed Tia out of the courtroom and down the hall way. She looked at me and said, "I'm going to fail." which totally caught me off guard. Again, the room spun. I stepped into the elevator with her and somehow managed to say, "Must have been some party, hugh?" She said, "Yelp. It was." When we stepped out of the elevator I remembered I was supposed to be waiting upstairs and I got back in the elevator and headed back up to the 3rd floor. When I arrived Mark was talking with the probation officer. I apologized for following Tia and he said, "That's okay." I was still crying and I don't know what he thought I was crying about but he said, "I've seen kids like her before. She is tough today but she will go back and be in that room and reality will sink in. You'll see, she will soften up." Someone else came out and handed Mark and I both a sticky note with a name and phone number on it. As I walked away with the number in hand and headed toward the steps. Mark followed behind me. Through my tears I gandered at the sticky note realizing I had no idea who this person was. I stopped half way down the flight of stairs and looked at Mark as I held up my sticky note and said, "I only want to know who this is. That's it. Just who is this?" He said, "That's the lawyer for Tia. She's really good." I shook my head and continued down the steps. He called out from behind me, "This is hard for me to you know." I spun around and stated, "You know Mark, when Travis comes to visit and acts up and threatens to run off, I pick up the phone and I call your mother and ask her to let you know what is up. You know what that is called? It's called common courtesy, something you did not give me. You didn't talk to me then I don't care to talk to you now." and I headed quickly and angrily toward the center spinning door. Just as I stepped in and began to push the door forward, I heard him say again, "This is just as hard for me as it is for you. You know she was my baby from day one." That was the straw that broke the camel's back. That was the straw that broke my last stand of grace. I pushed that door in front of me so hard, I am positive the force caused Mark to come out behind me a little quicker than he should of. As he tumbled out onto the concrete I shouted angrily, "You were drunk our entire marriage. You beat me every chance you had. Exactly WHEN was she YOUR baby girl? You may live in some fantasy world but I live in reality." He took off in the opposite direction. Who knew he could move so fast!

When I got in my car, I called Rachel. She apologized for telling me the way she had. She actually said, "Had I not known you were not aware of the situation, I wouldn't have told you the way I did." I was having trouble following her and why she would have thought I should have already known and then I thought, she must have called my mother first and mom didn't call me because she knew I was in court. I told Rachel I did not know how this could have happened and wondered if there was any truth to it but promised I would not interfere with the investigation. I told her I was ready to quit my job and stay at home with my children. She told me not to make any crazy decisions. She reiterated that we had a safety plan in place and told me to remain calm. When I got back to my office, I called my mom to inquire if she knew anything and she said she had just been informed herself that day. I asked when and she hemmed around and said, "I don't know around 11." I was shocked. I asked, "Why didn't you call me?" She claimed it was because she thought I was at court. I said, "I told you I had to be there at one. I got the call from this lady two minutes before I entered the court room." My mom said, "Oh I'm so sorry." I excused her and then began discussing how I didn't know where this horrible accusation had come from. I was sure it must have stemmed from my complaint to the sheriff or perhaps the hospital. It was so appalling. My mother allowed me to go on. I told her somehow we would make it through this. I called my sister who insisted something was fishy and we were missing a piece of the puzzle. I called a friend and shared my awful news. You could say I was a mess beyond a shadow of a doubt. Later that night I rang my oldest daughter to inform her that she was most likely going to be getting a call regarding this accusation and in talking with her, she let the cat out of the bag. She had called in the report. As if that wasn't hard enough to swallow she chimed in with the news that my mother had also called in and reported it herself as Cassy had advised her to do to protect herself. I could barely breath. The conversation turned VERY ugly and I informed Cassy I was not going to listen to her talk to me like that and I said, "I am ending this conversation." Next I called my father who could not believe what I was saying. He advised me to calm down and not make any rash moves. As calmly as I could I rang my mother and informed her I knew she had been dishonest with me. I asked her how she would feel had her mother conspired against her in such a way. She answered that she would have felt betrayed. I said, "Yes. Exactly." I then told her that she and Cassandra should be thankful that I kept my nose in the bible and my focus on Jesus because that was the only thing allowing me to have any Grace at all. I informed her she was lucky my children had school the next day because I wanted to drive out to her house right then and grab my children from her. I said,"It is only because I want help for my children if this has indeed taken place and I don't want to freak them out by snatching them in the middle of the night nor do I want to do things out of anger that I am going to sleep on this tonight. I feel like I just got sucker punched and honestly I am reeling right now." She started to say something and I said, "Mom. Don't. I can't listen to you right now. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

My night has come to an end and I must get ready for bed. Tomorrow is another big day. Rachel is coming to my home to talk to me, the children and to do a safety inspection on my home. There is so much more left to this story and the betrayal isn't over. Stay tuned. I will update as this storm continues. Please keep me in your prayers.

Father, today I thank you for the fellowship I am able to enjoy every Sunday with the church you brought into my life three years ago. How much I have grown over the last three years. I am so blessed to have been introduced to Leavener and all the wonderful people who attend fellowship there. Thank you for Rusty and his constant teaching about where to keep my focus. Where would I be without you? Where would I be without your strength. I shudder to think. I am so blessed Father. Even in the midst of this awful storm I feel your love for me and I am hanging onto your promises. The evil one has come after me through all of my children. I have been betrayed by those I trusted and my feelings are hurt. I am going to do as Rusty suggested though. I am going to keep my focus where it belongs. All of this outside stuff, that is the work of the evil one and I refuse to fear him. He is nothing more than air. You are bigger and you love me. I know you have me. Thank you for your protection Father. I know you are leading me somewhere. I don't know where that is but I am trusting in you. For you are always faithful. You have always been good to me. Thank you for loving me so much. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

Have You Ever Been 'Pancaked' ?

It is hard to believe it has been over two weeks since I last wrote. Who knew the evil one could knock the wind out of a person repeatedly? Who knew when I was praying for those held captive or in bondage to be released I was praying for my own children?

Prayers are answered my friends. If you have read my previous blogs, you will realize quickly they are not always answered in the ways you expect! The first time I prayed for those held captive, I was doing laundry and I was in the midst of reading an awesome book entitled "Intercessory Prayer" By Dutch Sheets. I am still only half way through the book. Regardless, I prayed for the chains of bondage to be broken over those held captive. The next day to my complete surprise I listened to the breaking news about 3 girls who had been held captive for almost 10 years. It was such an astounding story and I wondered, did my prayer help in their escape?

As I have continued to blog I have added this to my prayer at the end here and there. Never hurts to pray for those who are held captive. So, I had just published the blog, "So Let Me Ask You, Do you Have Hope?" late Sunday night. It was all I could do to finish it as my life was quickly spinning out of control. It had taken me 3 days to finish it and publishing it late Sunday night was my feeble attempt at keeping my focus where it needed to be. I was about to write my next blog which I titled the above title 'Have You Ever Been 'Pancaked' as that was how I was feeling on Monday, August 5th, 2013 around 10 am. Ironically, my assault from the evil one had just barely gotten started. Little did I realize what was about to hit me like a mac truck.

I have struggled with whether or not to share this, but that is what the evil one wants me to do, hide in seclusion. I cannot and will not do that. As I have learned from various readers, while what I have lived through in the last two weeks has been awful and traumatic in itself, many others are dealing with their own nightmares. It is my intention to share everything about my life and how I sail through the storms so that you too may discover the truth about life and death and the valley we often walk through. With that being said, here we go back in time to the last day of July for that is when the storm first began to brew.

I had just left work and was literally 10 minutes away from my office when my phone rang. It was my mother calling. I answered knowing the news would not be good. She hem hawed as she always does when delivering bad news and then she blurted, "You need to come to St. Francis Hospital in Monrovia. I am following your children who were placed in an ambulance by the sheriff who informed me he couldn't wait to take me to jail." I felt like the air had been knocked out of me. I stammered, "What?!?" She then explained my oldest three that she watched during the week had decided they wanted to walk home and she had allowed them to try. A neighbor had seen and called the police and because they weren't wearing any shoes and their clothes were dirty they were being taken to the hospital to be checked out. I was astounded, angry and completely at a loss for words. I had no idea where this hospital was and she couldn't tell me anything other than it was the hospital my Aunt had passed away in. I managed to write down the name of it and turned around to go back to my office to map it. I tried to reach Mike to let him know what was going on When I arrived at the hospital, I found my mother also without shoes. It was my belief at the time that my children had stormed off from her so quickly she had been forced to dash to her van with my youngest two in tow. After feeling looked down upon by the hospital nurses on staff, I was called into the back room with my mother to talk to a Child Protection Services Representative. It was her opinion that perhaps my mother was a little overwhelmed by my children but that none of them had said that grandma was mean, just that they were bored. During the interview she questioned my mother about a lock on the door and inquired if she had ever locked the children in their room. My mother stated that she had never done that. She insisted the lock had been put on the door a long time ago and it was only used to keep the children out of the room when she didn't want them playing in there. She did mention that my youngest had shut and locked the door a couple of times himself when the older children were playing in there but promised that was the only time anyone was locked in the room. Our representatives name was Mary and she was approximately the same age as my mother. They discussed how in their day and age when a child wanted to run away the parents would pack a little bag and wish them well. She then explained we lived in a different world today and that is not acceptable any longer. My mother explained she knew that and that was why she was right there with them following them in her van. Mary held up her hand and smiled kindly letting my mother know that was not acceptable either. She then explained she needed to go to the home and do a safety inspection and we would need to put a safety plan in place. By the time all of this was completed it was after 11 pm.

In my heart I felt the sheriff had over-reacted and I called to file a formal complaint. I informed the deputy sheriff that I was not happy that I was not contacted by the sheriff on the scene himself. He stated perhaps he did not have my number. I informed him that he did have it as he had insisted my mother give it to him. He kind of said it wasn't absolute protocol that they contact me because they had contacted the department of children services and that was the only thing they needed to do. This shocked me but there was no arguing the point as the deputy sheriff dismissed this as a no biggie. I was honestly insulted by the his demeanor. After I also complained about the way his officer had spoken to my mother and insisted no matter what crime had been committed by any person I did not believe it was mature for an officer to tell a person he couldn't wait to take them to jail. I insisted his officer needed a class on mercy and grace. He chuckled and said he had never had a complaint such as that on this officer but he would talk to him about it. He then stated he was sure that my children had been removed from my mother and when I informed him that was not the case, he questioned what kind of parent I was to have my mother watching my children. I told him I believed in the traditional family of days gone by. Grandparents helped raise the children and the parents supported everyone financially. I inquired how I was to get a copy of this report and he asked if I had a case number. I reiterated that I had nothing of the sort as his officer never had the courtesy to call or speak to me at the hospital. The deputy sheriff then loudly asked if I had a pen when I stated I did, he rattled off my case number and informed me I could get a copy of the report the following Tuesday.

When I arrived at home Mike was waiting up for me. I filled him in on everything. He informed me that he had gotten awful news from his mother as well. His only remaining grandfather was on his death bed and it didn't look like he'd make it through the weekend. He told me he had never heard his mother cry so hard and he felt he needed to take the trip to Florida to go be with her. The next day he was approved to take a weeks vacation and he was going to head to Florida on his motorcycle after work on Friday. When he was about to head out, I received a panicked call from my mother informing me that Mike had been talking behind her back and that he had told my oldest son he was going to grab our children and run to Florida without me. I asked my mother who had told her such ludicrous things and she informed me of the source. I told her while Mike may have said things that were not the kindest about the incident, that what had happened on Wednesday did not make him happy. I promised to talk to him about his mouth and assured her that he was not planning on running off with our children.

Tia my 14 year old was spending this particular weekend with her father and she was supposed to go to church with me on Sunday but had sent me a text on Saturday letting me know she was not going to make it to church after all.  I spent the weekend with only my youngest five children and we had a good time. I braided the girl's hair on Saturday so that they could have curly hair for church on Sunday. We awoke early enough to undo the braids and then I braided princess rings around the tops of their heads and used butterfly clips to fasten them in the back. They looked adorable. After church I took them out to get their first official haircuts for the new school year. They all chose some form of a bob cut. Next we headed over to play at the park for an hour before we had to head to the store for school shopping. Everyone was getting new shoes and a few new outfits to celebrate the beginning of school. I was trying my best at this point not to worry about Mike. The last time I had heard from him was Saturday afternoon. He called to let me know he was almost to the Florida State line and he had realized his back tire had the wire showing. He was keeping his eye out for a tire shop and he had promised to call me when he made it safely there. 24 hours had passed without a word. I did not want the children to worry so I waited until they were off playing at the park to call Mike's mother. When she answered I asked if Mike had arrived yet and she informed me the last time she had heard from him was Friday night to let her know he was going to be heading her way. Now I was almost sick to my stomach with worry but Mike's mom promised she would check with the state police and the hospitals to inquire if he had been in an accident and she assured me she would call as soon as she knew something.

Trying to keep a smile on my face for the sake of the children, we loaded back into the car and headed to the store for our shopping trip. Delilah was in the midst of trying on clothes when my phone rang. I was not familiar with the number but quickly answered it. "Is this Wendy Glidden?" a male voice I did not recognize inquired. I managed to say yes as my stomach turned. "This is the Hamilton County Sheriff mam. I am calling to let you know we have your daughter Tia in custody. She was reported as a runaway by her father last night. It was all I could do to keep standing. He went on to inform me I was expected to be at the courthouse on Monday at 1 pm. In the meantime he requested that I stop in at the juvenile center and drop off some clothes for her. I thanked him for the information and hung up the phone. Right then I realized the most awful smell was permeating the dressing room. To my horror one of the youngest had had an accident and with nothing to clean up the mess I shoved her panties into my coat pocket and we dashed to the bathroom. I felt like my entire world was spinning out of control. I could barely think. I never even knew Tia was missing. Her father had never picked up the phone and clued me in. I was angry, upset and about to lose it. I managed to get my daughter cleaned up and somehow continued shopping for the rest of the school items we needed. I called my mother when we got settled in the car and let her know what was up. I informed her I needed to cut my evening short with the rest of the crew so I could take the requested items up to Tia. I also told her about Mike and how he was still missing in action. I thanked her for being there to save the day for me. Normally on Sunday I take the children to Golden Coral and we have our family dinner there. It is their favorite place to eat. This particular Sunday we ended up going through a drive through and they ate in the car on the way out to my mothers.

On the way to her home my phone rang again. I looked at the caller ID screen to see it was Mike's mom calling. Holding my breath and praying for good news, I answered the phone. She informed me they had just heard from Mike and he was just outside of Naples. I said, "Thank God. I am having the worst day ever. Could you please have him call me as soon as he gets there?" She promised to have him call me as soon as he arrived.

Three hours later after I had dropped off the items for Tia, my phone rang. It was Mike on the caller ID this time. I answered the phone. Before I could say a word he said, "Hey babe! I just got baptized. My phone is dead. I'm charging it now. I'll call you a little later." It sounded like a party in the background. I barely got out the word "okay" before he hung up on me. Another three hours passed. I had just published my blog and checked my stats and it was 11pm. I shot a text off to Mike asking if he was going to call soon as I had had an awful day and was wanting to go to bed soon. He texted me back telling me to go to bed he'd talk to me the next day. I was so hurt and angry I fired off another text asking are you serious? You aren't going to call me? My phone rang and I answered. I began telling him my feelings were hurt because I had been waiting for a call and he had never called and his mom actually got on the phone to inform me that he had only had time to call her earlier and that he had been busy since and I said, "Are you freaking kidding me? You have me on speaker?" and I hung up on the both of them. Mike accused me of playing games which just heightened my fury. I informed him I was tired, emotional and had simply wanted to talk to him and that I was not playing any games. I told him before I said things I couldn't take back I was ending our conversation and I'd talk to him the next day. He did call me the next morning to wish me a good day. While my feelings were still hurt, I filled him in on the news of Tia. I hung up and headed to work. I managed to get my morning tasks done and felt the need to try to write a blog before I headed to court. Of course I never managed to plug in more than the title which was the way I was already feeling when time got away from me and I found myself having to head off to court.

This story is just beginning and what happens next is so overwhelming I need to end this particular blog here. I promise to finish the rest of this story . . . at least up to where it currently is for this storm is still rumbling. I am holding onto my Faith, hanging onto my hope and trusting in the Love my heavenly father feels for me. I know He has me as He always has me. Until the next chapter, I leave you with this final thought that I posted on Weds of this week on my Facebook page:

Today is Wild Wacky Wonderful Wednesday. I am still super raw and capable of bursting into tears at the drop of a hat. I feel as if I have run a marathon through hell, literally, and I still have miles to go until I reach the finish line. 

Today's encouraging word from K-love is the first one I have read in days. I find it ironically fitting for the first part hits the nail on the head as to the source of trouble . . . the second part . . . well, it too is true . . . however I am in turmoil when it come to forgiving the people responsible for the acts of hatred . . . that will require another verse and much praying. Stay focused on Jesus my friends. Had my foe's had him in their sights, none of what has come to pass would have ever formed.

Wednesday 8/14/2013

Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.

~ Proverbs 10:12, NLT

To all my readers, I promise to get back to blogging as I know in my heart the evil one loves the fact that I have been unable to write lately. I am praying for strength among other things . . . for those who never have read anything I have written, if you are wondering about God, Angels, Miracles and other such things, I invite you to take a peek into my closet. I have traveled many roads. I have been through hell and back and while I seem to be on another journey through the valley of death, I still shall fear no evil. Please come check out my story. If you find it helpful, all I ever ask is that you share it with someone you think could use a little, Faith, Hope & Love! Pick a title that captures your interest! There are currently over 80 posts.

Today it is Fantastically Fun-Filled Family Friday. I am currently at work with my 5 youngest children! Try working with your children under your feet. Talk about a challenge! Thank God the oldest are in school for the majority of my work day. I am blessed to have made it through another day. I find it funny that on Weds I mentioned I would need some time to work on forgiving my foes. The last two days, the encouraging word from K-Love has been about Love. I find it fitting to list both Thursday and Friday's encouraging word:

Thursday 8/15/2013

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

~ 1 Peter 4:8, NLT

Friday 8/16/2013

This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

~ 1 John 4:10,  NLT

I know God is telling me to keep my focus where it belongs. On Him. On His Son, Jesus. On Love. I am still licking my wounds. I am only human. I am in the process of healing. I am still in the storm and don't even know what is to come next. I will have a better idea of how long things will be brewing come next week. Stay tuned, I promise to share it all with you. What I hope you get from this is that it is only by the Grace of God, by His strength alone that I have not fainted by all that has transpired. I am trusting in the Lord with all my heart and I am not leaning on my own understanding for my understanding is nothing more than confusion of all that has transpired. 

Father I come before you today thanking you that my children are safe. While my life is an absolute upheaval I know you have this. I felt you moving me before all this took place. I have no idea where you are leading me but I absolutely trust you. I know you are faithful and I am trusting in that. I ask that you wrap your arms around all those that are hurting for whatever reason today. Let them feel your loving embrace. Speak to them Father. Give them a sign to let them know you love them as you love all of us, even the wicked. Help me Father to forgive my foes. I know they are not aware of all the ways of sin. How the evil one works against us. Help me to let go of my hurt and anger Father for I know it does me no good. I again pray for all those held in captivity to have the chains holding them hostage broken. May they fall useless to the floor never to be able to be used again. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

Walking By The Spirit

Hello everyone! I hope the day has found with with a smile on your face and a song in your heart! Today I find God's love for me miraculous. His desire for me to live overwhelms me some days. In the realm of it all I am here but a moment just like you, yet He sent his son to save us all. What a gift. What a blessing.

I have these flash cards that my church printed up and I flip through them sometimes when I am trying to get in the mood to write. I found these three fitting for the mindset I am in this afternoon. This next weekend is the Women's Cross Roads Great Banquet #45. I attended #44 back in February. My small group is going to attend the send off this week.

Going to the Great Banquet helped me completely get the concept of Forgiveness, Grace and Agape. It is an experience I will never forget. In the simplest form, attending the Great Banquet was Life Changing.

It was while in reflection upon that weekend I found myself reading these flash cards. These 3 spoke to me and I have decided I must share all 3 of them with you.

Beginning with Galatians, Chapter 2, verse 20:

verse 20: I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Next we go to Ephesians, Chapter 4, verse 22 - 24:

verse 22: that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,

verse 23: and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 

verse 24:  and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. 

And we end with 2 Corinthians, Chapter 5, verse 17:

verse 17: Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.

It is my opinion that if you are not seeking God with all your heart, you are not reading His word. It is by reading His word that you begin to understand exactly what walking in the spirit feels and looks like.

I think many people believe that once a person accepts Christ for their savior they should no longer sin. It is also my belief that Satan planted that lie to cause confusion within the church as well as separation among believers. After all if you are saved and then you stumble how well does that represent God working in your life?

Satan convinced us to hide our shames and failures from one another. My sisters and brothers, we are flesh. We wake up day after day and go immediately into a spiritual battle. As soon as you spread gossip, as soon as you say something with a sarcastic tone, as soon as you react in anger, you have sinned. I don't know about you, but on occasion these fleshly characteristics have a way of making an appearance in my life.

These actions never leave me with a good taste in my mouth these days. My righteousness convicts me of this behavior. It is not what I desire to be and it does not sit well with me upon reflection.

Walking in the spirit means I try to resemble Christ in all ways. Satan knows this. He also knows my faults as well as my weakness in all areas. I am convinced the more one tries to walk in the spirit the harder the evil one attacks in all forms.  Last Sunday one of our members made mention of how he envisioned Satan checking his database for the best way to attack us. I know he is a smooth operator and quite capable of seeing through the cracks in my armor at any given moment. This alone is why it is so important to dress daily for battle.

My life belongs to Christ. I begin my days with preparation. Some mornings I read out of a devotional first thing. Every morning I listen to Christian radio. Singing praises and laughing will always put you in a more joyous, hopeful mood. Each day I have devotionals I read, I go through my flash cards, I check out my alphabet picture with Bible verses on it, I carry my Bible with me and I pray.

It is my goal to walk by the Spirit always. Jesus is my focus. With that being said, there are days when I stumble. Today I no longer convict myself of being unworthy of God's love. I know that is another lie from hell. Now, I get on my knees and pray for more strength, wisdom and understanding. I thank God for sending Jesus who died Once for All sin, including mine. I know I don't need to pray for forgiveness when I have occasion to stumble for I am already forgiven of all my sins for all time. The evil one wants me to focus on my sin and my fear of my sin being too big to be forgiven. God wants us to focus on our righteousness, understanding forgiveness because in doing so, we will actually improve our walk!
I find it ironic that the perfect song just came on the radio to tie up this post. I have been interrupted countless times and it has taken all day to put these thoughts down on paper. I hope they are an encouragement to you.

Father, today I pray more of my fellow brothers and sisters wake up and begin seeking you. I pray they do not allow the evil one to convince them they are not worthy of your love. I pray they discover what your grace is. I pray they come to realize how special they are to you. I pray more and more of my fellow brothers and sisters begin seeking you in greater more devoted ways. I pray together, strengthened by You, we as the body of Christ become bolder. I pray we begin to move as a body moves when agile and healthy. Father I thank you for the strength and understanding you have blessed me with over my lifetime. I thank you for all I have lived through for living through such trials and tribulations has taught me to find the silver lining that always exists in the midst of all storms. I pray that all my brothers and sisters come to realize there is nothing more special about anyone of us when it comes to you and your love for us all. I pray they realize the difference in the relationship between you and all your children merely lies in whether they are seeking you or not as well as how often they seek you. I pray they come to know in their hearts that You are Faithful. You have provided us with a handbook for survival. Today I pray that more and more and more of us begin to get into Your word Father. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Wendy, Mom of Many

© Wendy Glidden 2013

Super Silly Sing Song Saturday! Are you Smiling?

K-Loves Encouraging word on Saturday 7/20/2013

Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live.

~ Psalm 119:144, NLT 

Good afternoon everyone! I usually don't do much with my blog or my facebook groups on Saturday. I made a promise to my children that the weekends are for family not business. We do the needed mundane daily chores of course, but we focus mainly on God and enjoying our time together as during the week we don't get quality time. 

Many of you have seen various posts about Fantastically Fun-Filled Family Friday, but I have yet to title a blog titled Super Silly Sing Song Saturday! Today that changes! 

My 5 year old starts school this year and I was looking for her birth certificate when I ran across the school box. You know, that box that you put really rememberable things from your child's school years in. I had forgotten about the poem and creative writing folder I had created for Travis when he began the second grade a few years ago. It was the first time as a parent I had been assigned with homework when receiving my child's information packet for the next school year. 

In the sealed packet that Travis brought home was a letter from his  2nd grade teacher. Inside was a request for a decorated binder for creative writing. The instructions asked for us to create it in a way that would inspire our child with ideas they could write short stories about. 

It was my desire to have Travis remember all the fun things we did together as a family. It seemed back then he focused more on what he had not been able to do rather than reflect on the good times. This just made me try to get him to lighten up even more! When he used to get mad at me, I would sing this song to him:

Travis, it's a travesty.
Why are you so Mad At me?
I don't know what I did
You're just a little kid
Travis, it's a travesty.

Sometimes the song worked, other times it did not. The funniest Travis moment for me was when he was in kindergarten. He went in the morning and in the afternoon he ran calls with me. One day we ran home between school and my first estimate that afternoon only to discover Mike and the other children were not home and they had left the play room in shambles. I stopped short and exclaimed, "Travis! It's a travesty." He looked up at me as serious as a kid can and as he shook his head he said, "Oh no it's not!" He exclaimed, "It's a Marrisaty, a Marieity or a Michaelty but it is NOOOOOO travesty."  I laughed so hard I was on the floor in absolute stitches over it. You know what they say about "Out of the mouths of babes"!

When it came to this assignment, I thought long and hard about what might inspire Travis to find the silver lining in situations. I was drumming up ideas to help him find laughter in life. I wanted to provide him with a way to remember all the fun we had had that summer. I began with going through the pictures I had taken over the last year. Then, as I sometimes am, I was inspired to include a poem for him. Travis loves to build and create things and I thought if I gave him an idea of what he could do with pictures and words he might really enjoy learning how to express himself this way. 

So here I am 4 years later looking for Delilah's Birth certificate and I stumbled upon this: 

Reading, writing and arithmetic.

School is fun when you're not sick.

I won the award for going home first.

But being sick is the worst!

This summer I did a lot of stuff.

I still told my mom it was not enough!

I went camping and swimming and to the fair!

I had my mom shave off my hair!

I made a toolbox and rode a train!

I played outside in the rain!

I learned how to swim on my own!

Over the summer how I've grown!

I went down a water slide at Forest Pool

And jumped off the diving board ~ Very Cool

My grandma took me to the Zoo!

There was still so much I wanted to do!

I rode on a jet ski and got lost on the lake!

A map sure would have been wise to take!

Everywhere I went I would meet a new friend!

I wish that the summer was not at the end!

But the seasons they come and they go.

With each passing month I continue to grow.

With determination, I will learn something each day.

And with the spirit of childhood I will continue to play!

Good Luck in the 2nd Grade, Love Mom

2009-2010

There is a reason I renamed the weekends as well as the days of the week. I am sure I am not alone as the only parent who realizes being a parent is hard. You deal with little personalities and trust me many trials and tribulations over the years. I find focusing on Jesus not only helps me be a better person, it helps me be a better parent. It was in the process of me trying to renew my mind daily that I renamed the days of the week.

On Saturday I am reminded that singing praises helps my attitude when the house is falling apart. I try to remember to smile and remain calm through the chaos and to pray for help with what to say. I still find myself calling for order at times in a manner that is louder than I would care to admit, but I'm flesh. I'm human. The difference is I hear the holy spirit convicting me of my righteousness and I am reminded of who I am in Christ. I am sure I will be better at staying calm and getting order faster as well as softer over the next year. I know this will happen for daily I renew my mind with God's word. 

Today I encourage you to take the time to enjoy your family, your parents, your children, your friends and your loved ones. Live life abundantly. Enjoy the good times and be there for each other always. One of the best sounds in the world is laughter. 

Have a Super Silly Sing Song Saturday Everyone! On a side note here is the link to some children stories I wrote back when my oldest two were my only two! http://storiesiwrote4mychildren.blogspot.com/

If you find one you like, share it with others you think might enjoy them too. Have a blessed day everyone!

Father, today I pray that parents strive to pay attention to the wisdom you have shared through your word. I pray more parents share you with their children. I know helping my children build their relationship with you is the best gift I can provide them with. I pray I get better at parenting and encouraging. I am off to enjoy the day you have blessed me with. May the world take the time to smell the flowers, bask in your Love and learn more about You and Your promises so that they share the good news with their children as well as all they know. May we all enjoy more laughter.  In Jesus name I pray! Amen.

Wendy, Mom of many.

© Wendy Glidden 2013