tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59257664010442478942024-02-19T05:33:45.707-06:00Mama's Maze: Navigating the Twists and Turns of Godly MotherhoodBeing a mother is like wandering through a maze-- there are so many twists and turns that we often lose our way. As a young mom raising three energetic boys (one with Autism Spectrum Disorder and another with Tourette Syndrome), I can attest to feeling puzzled, helpless, and exhausted. Mama’s Maze is intended to encourage and uplift Christian mothers as we walk together in the ministry of motherhood. Let’s journey together!LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-63429627962036158672020-05-23T12:56:00.000-05:002020-05-23T12:56:36.197-05:00Promises Over Pandemics<br />
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A global
pandemic…who would have ever thought we would experience something like this in
our lifetimes. To see the world basically come to an almost complete
standstill, is unprecedented. Our lives seemingly changed overnight and our
daily routines are quite possibly forever changed. As I walked into the post
office the other day for the first time in a while, (wearing a rather lovely
face mask I might add) I couldn't help but be taken aback by the safety
precautions that had been put into place. It was a glaring reminder that things
have changed. </div>
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I will be the first
to admit that I am not good with change..especially major change. It usually
takes me quite a while to find my footing again. Depression sometimes creeps in
and I begin complaining and doubting God more. My attitude might even be a little
"unpleasant". It even affects how I interact with my husband and
kids. But how do we keep from letting our present circumstances overtake us? We
align ourselves with God's promises.</div>
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Remembering what God
has promised us produces peace. Three things happen when we dwell on his
promises:</div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;" value="1"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">We are
reminded of who God is.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"> Who does God say he is? What do we know to be true of
Him? </span></li>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Well we know that he is our creator. Everything and everyone was created for his divine purpose.
Therefore, he knows every detail of our lives-- the good, bad, and downright ugly. He is all-knowing and ever-present. I think David articulated it best in Psalm 139:1-16. God knows everything about us and we can't escape His presence.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We also know Him to be a
provider. Philippians 4:19 says "But my God shall supply all your
needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (KJV).” His provision for our lives is witnessed daily.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">God is also faithful. He keeps his promises. He doesn't go back on his Word. Unlike man, we can completely depend on Him. Psalms 33:4 says, “</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "calibri";">For the
word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in
all he does (NIV).” </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: calibri;"> There are so many more attributes of God, that I can't fully cover them all in this post. </span></div>
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<li style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;" value="2"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">We are reminded of God’s perfect timing.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"> I am so grateful that God doesn’t view time the way we do. We are creatures who want what we want, when we want it. So much so that we often doubt the power of the almighty God, and try and take matters into our own hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His timing goes beyond what our limited minds can even conceive. 2 Peter 3:8 tells us, "</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "calibri"; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one
day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day
(ESV).”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So don't you think the One who orchestrates time, knows </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">when to show up in our situation? He knew you would be in this place, at this moment, and He knows exactly what the outcome will be.</span></li>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;" value="3"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">We are
reminded to immerse ourselves in His word. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2 Timothy
3:16 tells us, "All Scripture is inspired by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in
righteousness (NASB).”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His word is
our guide to daily living and it is where we receive spiritual nourishment
to help us grow in our faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Through His word, we can trust his plans and be reassured that he
is committed to fulfilling his promises. </span></li>
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A couple of days
ago, I sat with my middle son as he cried in my lap. It was the official last
day of school and the reality of the Covid-19 pandemic had really set in. He
missed his friends, his teacher, and his school. The anxiety of it all came
crashing down on him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that moment, I
chose to share God's promises with him. As mothers, not only do we have to
remind ourselves of what God says, we have to encourage our children as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever situation you and your family face,
God is there. He promised he would never leave us, nor forsake us. (Deuteronomy
31:8).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make the choice to grab hold of
His peace today.<br />
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<br />LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-66026199675906458562020-01-15T23:04:00.000-06:002020-01-15T23:04:04.103-06:006 Ways To Maximize Your Devotional Time<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Daily
devotion and prayer time is essential to your growth in Christ. It is a time to
get to know Him in a personal way. It can be a struggle at times to be
consistent, especially if you are a busy mom like me. However, making it a
priority in your life will be one of the best decisions you will ever make.
Whether it lasts for a few minutes or an hour, here are six ways you can
maximize your devotional time.</span></div>
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<br />LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-31338451790276788692020-01-06T22:54:00.000-06:002020-01-06T22:54:23.727-06:00First Things First<br />
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It's 2020, y'all! Happy New Year! You have survived motherhood in 2019! Whoohoo! As a kid, 2020
seemed so far away. It was totally in my plan to be driving around in a flying
car by now. But unfortunately, that’s not the case. I can thank the Jetsons and
Back to the Future for setting that failed expectation. I can't imagine that I
am the only one who was looking forward to this, right?</div>
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Well, with the new
year comes resolutions, goals, promises, etc. No matter what you choose to call
them, most people want this year to be better than the previous one. And for
that to happen, we believe we must change something. It may be changes to our physical
appearances (the gyms are making a killing around this time of year), our
attitudes, our relationships, or even our business plans. There is nothing
wrong with any of that. And if achieved, most of these things can bring some
joy and fulfillment to our lives. But if you are like me, most of those go out
of the window within the first few months of the year. And if I am honest with
myself, the reason things go south so quickly; is usually because I have tried
to make these changes and set expectations without the guidance of the Holy
Spirit.</div>
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So this year, change
is happening but from a different perspective. First things first...I desire
to seek God first and foremost for my 2020 goals. As I have written many times
before, my favorite scripture, Jeremiah 29:11 says: </div>
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<b><i>"For I know the plans
I have for you", declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm
you, plans to give you hope and a future."</i></b></div>
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Hope and a future. I
don't know about you ladies, but that sounds mighty good to me. What better way
to have that than to trust your life with the One who already has the plans.
You wouldn’t build a structure without the plans of the architect, would you? I
would hope not.</div>
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Over the next few
weeks, I hope to encourage you to evaluate your priorities and plans this year.
Make sure time with Jesus and seeking his direction for your life is the
priority. If God read your list of goals and ambitions for the year, would he
find himself on that list? And, if He is there, is He the priority or has He
just been penciled in like an unexpected appointment. As moms, it's imperative
that we spend time with the Father every day. That moment will be the
difference-maker in your day, I assure you.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Some friends and I got together and created our vision boards for 2020.</span></td></tr>
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<br />LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-33208440280386749202019-08-24T22:24:00.001-05:002019-08-24T22:24:06.561-05:00Count It All Joy?<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Suffering...Struggling...Pain...Grief...Despair. These are not very comforting words. I would
imagine, when you read these words, a smile did not appear on your face. They
are words that describe feelings and emotions that we would rather not feel or
deal with. Yet, they are a part of life. It's a part of living in a fallen
world. All of us, regardless of our religious beliefs, cultures, and finances,
will have a moment in our lives where we will be faced with these emotions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A couple years ago, my middle son began having tics. The tics started (or at least that's when we noticed) in February of 2017. They
started out as motor tics with his head and shoulder. Almost always, the tics
would manifest when he was sick or about to become sick. For the first year, we
sought help from our pediatrician and two different neurologists in Nashville. We had various tests ran on him to rule out seizures and another condition
called Pandas. We would always leave the appointments with no real answers
or clear direction. As the months progressed, the tics began to exhibit
themselves in other ways. Vocal tics had now come into play. We would hear lots
of grunts and throat clearing. Motor tics were increasing in number and
intensity. Then we would have months where the tics slowed down or we didn’t
see them at all. Needless to say, it was an emotional roller coaster (probably
more so for me than my son).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">While</span> all of this was
happening, we were <span style="background-color: white;">also </span>in constant communication with his Kindergarten and first-grade teachers about behaviors he was exhibiting at school. They were not
disciplinary issues, but more like troubles with behaviors that support
learning-- lack of focus, forgetfulness, disorganization, and staring off into
space just to name a few. Both teachers had the same concerns, and we were
also seeing some of the same things at home. At this point, we began to consider the
possibility of him having ADHD or something like it, but we never pursued
outside help at the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fast forward to now. We were referred to a third neurologist. This time we would need to go to
Birmingham. We went to visit this doctor about two weeks ago, and I am so glad
we did! She listened to our concerns and was able to finally give us a diagnosis for his tics.
On that day, my son was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome (TS). <i>I literally just
took a deep breath after typing that last statement. It's still a lot to take
in</i>. We were relieved to finally have an answer. Yet it still wasn’t something
I wanted for my child. The day after the diagnosis, I was in a state of grief. The reality was that I now have another child who has a challenge to battle
through.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">During our visit,
the doctor was very encouraging. There is a high possibility that he may grow
out of it. The tics tend to peak around age 12 and then slowly go away. She
also told us about a behavior therapy program that would teach my son how to
manage his tics. There are only a few in the nation, and one just happens to be
right there in Birmingham. My husband and I immediately jumped on the chance to
get him in that program. His first visit was a couple of days ago, and I think
it is going to be great for him. We are also having him tested for ADHD in the
coming weeks. Many times children with TS also have ADHD or other underlying
struggles that cause them to tic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So here we are...another challenge to this journey. I have run into another wall in "Mama's
Maze" and now I have to change direction. I am armed with lots of reading
material and educational videos, but the most important weapon I have in this fight is the Word of God. Without it, I could not and would not be able to maintain
joy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">James 1:2-4 (ESV)
says:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">Count it all joy, my brothers,</span><span style="background: white; font-style: italic;"> when you meet trials of various kinds, </span><span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">for you know that the testing of your
faith produces steadfastness. </span><span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">And
let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and
complete, lacking in nothing.</span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I like what this
passage says in the Message translation also. And yes, I know there are many
people who do not prefer this particular translation. However, I think this one is
very helpful. It says:</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background: white;">2-4 </span>Consider it a sheer gift, friends,
when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under
pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So
don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become
mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.</span></i></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Count it all joy? Consider it a gift? What do you mean by that? How on Earth can I have joy, and
my world is crumbling around me? How can I have joy when the pain or grief
is so unbearable? How can I have joy when my children are struggling?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It seems
unimaginable that one could have joy in the midst of struggle. Having joy
during a test doesn’t mean that there won't be any tears or moments of wavering
faith. Joy is being secure in the fact that you are in relationship with Jesus
and no matter the trial or test, He knows what's best for you and you are safe
in Him. This kind of joy can only come from Jesus. I have joy because,
although this situation is hard, I get to go through it with Jesus. I don’t
have to go through it alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get to
fellowship with him on this journey. I get to know him and what his plans are
for me. And when it's all said and done, The One who has already defeated Satan
is going to carry me over the finish line. So, yes, as much as I would want all
of this to go away, I can trust that God gets the victory. Because I am His
child, I am victorious too!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNhIO1HkuwHZ1-Af_Qu6lS2VkB9EG39NnHqGOYvjPCZcdTVhOCt9_vX8APICVBe_6d0qHNWRkw4sZKEcP-3cSmmnhVc6-EHIAqbuUifMLSw4rUMNqkscrNxBUUtdudWb95C0OH-N9Yyo/s1600/TSreadingmaterial.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1002" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNhIO1HkuwHZ1-Af_Qu6lS2VkB9EG39NnHqGOYvjPCZcdTVhOCt9_vX8APICVBe_6d0qHNWRkw4sZKEcP-3cSmmnhVc6-EHIAqbuUifMLSw4rUMNqkscrNxBUUtdudWb95C0OH-N9Yyo/s400/TSreadingmaterial.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>My reading material for the next few days.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGJRwFS4cvtox8HAkCScw2iPxJRVKNd318x2Adj8NujWfKEr1nxfJx6r6epLRd6MJVwKo-b2V4JAad2d0kzDL8g2iHFBAJsOjERUbuEVhZ4-9OxReo_cthSNLXy_vNzfOph21sy5XJFI/s1600/TSreadingmaterial2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="943" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGJRwFS4cvtox8HAkCScw2iPxJRVKNd318x2Adj8NujWfKEr1nxfJx6r6epLRd6MJVwKo-b2V4JAad2d0kzDL8g2iHFBAJsOjERUbuEVhZ4-9OxReo_cthSNLXy_vNzfOph21sy5XJFI/s640/TSreadingmaterial2.jpg" width="376" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>I like this illustration on TS and the underlying issues that could also be going on.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">**If you would like
more information on Tourette Syndrome, please visit the Tourette Association
of America at </span><a href="http://www.tourette.org/" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">www.tourette.org</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<br />LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-40906031745487646422019-07-29T22:59:00.001-05:002019-07-29T23:07:34.853-05:00A Buffet of Craziness!<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">The other day as I
was driving back from Mississippi, I began thinking about all of the many, many
things I need and have to do. I was already exhausted before I started thinking
and immediately became depleted after I was finished thinking. The word “overwhelmed”
does not even come close to describing how I felt at that moment.</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; margin: 0in;">
School is about to
start next week and I know what’s coming down the pike. Needless to say, last
year was rough and I am still not sure I have fully recovered. Third grade was
a big challenge for us last year. Add autism, a mischievous two year old, a few hundred
doses of anxiety, a dash of soccer practice, a seminary student trying to
graduate, and a couple gallons of exhaustion. Mix, stir, and you end up with a
buffet of craziness. There was so much to do, that I couldn’t decide what to
handle first. I can’t tell you how many times I threatened to drop out of third
grade.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; margin: 0in;">
But as I was
driving, God spoke to me about giving my schedule and my to-do lists to Him. He
reminded me to pray over my schedule. I think sometimes we forget that when we
try to control everything, it generally does not end well. We forget to give
EVERYTHING to God, including all the things that we think aren’t important to
Him. And for me, being the control freak that I am, this has always been a
struggle. <br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; margin: 0in;">
So this morning,
that’s what I did. I prayed and gave my schedule over to God. And I would like
to encourage you to do the same. Make it a habit.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Pray with me:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Father, I come before you in awe of who you are. You
are almighty and all powerful. You are the creator of all things and master of
the universe. I am constantly in awe of how much you love and care about us and
the things that concern us. God, forgive us for not allowing you to be in full
control of our daily lives. Lord, today we want to lay our schedules, our to-do
lists, our work tasks, and our time at your feet. Please help us be good
stewards of our time and energy. Help us to seek you on how to balance our
lives. Help us make YOU a priority. Let us be able to say “yes” when a yes is
needed and “no” when a no is necessary. And Lord, when life gets overwhelming,
teach us to come to you for relief and for peace and not to seek it in other
people or things.<b> Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me all who labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest.” </b>Lord, we want to rest in you. Thank you for
all that you have done and will do. We love you and honor you. In Jesus’ name,
Amen.</span></div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5f6cLWtvD5FRtr_t6BGulFqFcdDroWVjUHs1gAkXfGkJc2taVjS9MCE2WEBCb7fRJ6uZxlZ4_JSb7SQ_JlXVekJAPwIoBocBYctj39Q44n1-bknc0HjlpIEGNL1j_5zLYj0uRMoNPjR8/s1600/Day+Planner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5f6cLWtvD5FRtr_t6BGulFqFcdDroWVjUHs1gAkXfGkJc2taVjS9MCE2WEBCb7fRJ6uZxlZ4_JSb7SQ_JlXVekJAPwIoBocBYctj39Q44n1-bknc0HjlpIEGNL1j_5zLYj0uRMoNPjR8/s320/Day+Planner.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My daily planner: a source of comfort and anxiety all in one!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span id="goog_1332638648"></span></div>
<br />LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-89231340042658411082019-06-03T13:26:00.000-05:002019-06-03T13:26:56.599-05:00Making Time with God Priority<br />
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
Yesterday, our
pastor's wife, shared a wonderful testimony on how much of a blessing her time
alone with God has been for her. Her encouragement to make that time priority
was also conviction for me. I haven't been making that time a priority lately
and it shows. It shows in how the fruits of the spirit are displayed in my
life. It shows in my interactions with my family and others. It shows in how I
handle circumstances in my life. So for me, to hear her talk about this
particular subject, was God's way of giving me a kick in the pants.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
That brings me to
this morning. My chance to start afresh! By the way, I have started over many,
many, times in my life. I can't count how many times I have tried to have a
consistent study life, only for it to fall by the wayside after a few days.
Honestly, I am not even sure how this fresh start will go. But I am going to go
for it anyway. Even if I don't necessarily want to or feel like doing it. Time
with God is a MUST! No matter how many times I fail, God still wants to have
those moments with me.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
In preparation for
my study this morning, I grabbed my study bible, a journal, colored pencils and
some coffee. I had the essentials. This should be easy right? Wrong! Within a
few short minutes, anxiety had set in. I was lost as to what to study and where
to start. I wrote in my journal: </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.375in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.375in; text-align: left;">
"I
don't know what to study…". </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
After minutes of
sitting there, it finally came to me on what to study. I had tried
unsuccessfully to study Romans previously and I felt led to try again. I
continued writing in my journal:</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.375in; text-align: left;">
"OK,
so I think I will go back to Romans. I really wish I had someone to go through
this book with. I am too nervous to ask someone. Accountability seems scary! It
seems like a lot of pressure. But it's important and it's needed. I am a really shy person
so it's very hard to reach out and ask. Like, I am really fearful at this
moment-- to the point of tears. So that probably means I need to just reach
out."</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.375in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
It was at this point
that I just broke down in tears. I called my husband downstairs to share with
him what I was feeling. He gave me some encouragement and practical advice and
prayed for me. (I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have a spouse that is
willing to cover you in prayer!)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
Fear was setting in.
I was fearful of failing again. Fearful of not doing it right. Fearful of
reaching out to others. Fear of being alone in this walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I decided I was not going to let fear get
in the way of my time with God. <span style="font-weight: bold;">My desire to
know God is greater than fear!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
So I prayed and
began to read Romans. And God began speaking to me through His word. Reading
the scriptures stirred up so many emotions in me. So much so, that I drew a
chart of emojis describing the whole emotional process lol.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIOv_g1dgkpr4Ap5j6sYUGWcyFB1JS48XwtPaRmzocx6-dqqjCowBp6pUmwhFdNoxxZkNgHeo3kt9dHCIhB3a6_3VGXvX74Yv7p5oA6rWcpcbek3xStw0IPHDuq4v0dHFMVvOna4boDO8/s1600/IMG_6026%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIOv_g1dgkpr4Ap5j6sYUGWcyFB1JS48XwtPaRmzocx6-dqqjCowBp6pUmwhFdNoxxZkNgHeo3kt9dHCIhB3a6_3VGXvX74Yv7p5oA6rWcpcbek3xStw0IPHDuq4v0dHFMVvOna4boDO8/s400/IMG_6026%25281%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I am no artist by any means. I just love emojis. 😄</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
The bottom line is this. Personal time in God's word is <b>NECESSARY</b> on your journey with Christ. It's how
we get to know Him and His character. It’s how we discover our identity in Him.
It is a time where we can share our heart with God. It's where we can be reminded of his
promises. Let's make Him a priority!</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-17690082010225502032019-02-24T14:05:00.001-06:002019-02-24T14:05:48.911-06:00The Life and Death of Elmo<br />
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
Well, Elmo is dead.
Gone to Toys R Us heaven. We have had Elmo since my firstborn was just a few
months old. It was probably one of the most annoying toys, but its matted,
dingy red fur brought joy to all three of our boys. Well last weekend, he met
his maker at the hands of our baby boy Joshua (or as we like
to call him, Baby Hulk). Elmo was drowned in either sink or toilet water. We
have no idea which one. His once loud, vibrant voice has now been silenced for
all of eternity.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
Joshua is quickly approaching the
"troublesome threes" and seems to want to exit his "terrible
twos" in grand fashion. He has been into EVERYTHING! I have gone through
this twice before and I didn’t think he could do anything to top his brothers.
But (as he so often does) he proved me wrong. </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
Raising toddlers can
sometimes feel like the equivalent of a scene from the movie Gremlins. They
start off cute and cuddly like Gizmo and the next thing you know there is chaos
and mayhem all around. (Well at least at my house, it's like this!) You have to
keep your attention on them because once they are out of sight, you can be sure
trouble is near. I spend most of my time saying "Joshua, put that down!
Joshua, don't lick that! Or Joshua, get out of the pantry!" In just the
last few weeks, he has had a dislocated elbow, played in toilet water, flushed
a block down the toilet, and threw his toys into the washing machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to mention, he has literally turned my
walls into his personal canvas. Now add to all this, the fact that he doesn't
sleep completely through the night. Let's just say, I find myself calling on
Jesus many, many times during the day. (Gee, I hope the Lord doesn't roll his eyes
every time I call him, like I do when my boys' call me.)</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
By the end of the
day, I am tired and worn out. I often feel like throwing in the towel. (Hey,
why not? There's a whole basket of towels that I neglected to wash that day
anyway. What's one more?) Somewhere, within all of this exhaustion, I am
looking for any glimpse of affirmation of my parenting skills. <span style="font-style: italic;">Just maybe, I didn’t screw up my kids today.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
But then, I am
reminded that even in my weakness, God is strong. He continues to show me grace
each and everyday. He is patient with me. He loves me. And in that same way, I
need to show some grace, patience, and love to my lively and curious toddler. </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
So thanks, Elmo.
Your time here was not in vain.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8Pe2U-kZCyWLSZVAofMk_KIrXHqQGn2czj64XuFyFSnr1mMffD0gtm1YIq9ZBBTkUJck1smvCRi79g_aW5Vpx5Dkddik48e2lj_K9JhCzWvcWOSQ7DcRcmapn-b23BbgK0CsKs_h60Q/s1600/ElmoDead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8Pe2U-kZCyWLSZVAofMk_KIrXHqQGn2czj64XuFyFSnr1mMffD0gtm1YIq9ZBBTkUJck1smvCRi79g_aW5Vpx5Dkddik48e2lj_K9JhCzWvcWOSQ7DcRcmapn-b23BbgK0CsKs_h60Q/s320/ElmoDead.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Elmo Crowe 2010-2019</b><b><br />Elmo survived 8 1/2 years with not even one battery change. But he could<br />not survive an uncontrollable force named Joshua.<br />He never saw it coming.</b></td></tr>
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<br /></div>
<br />LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-18994383989784106942019-01-03T00:31:00.001-06:002019-01-03T00:31:35.442-06:00Motive<br />
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
Several months ago,
I awoke to the sounds of two bickering boys. Jay and Trent were accusing each
other of being mean to the other. Then, as expected, one of the boys approached
our bedroom door ready to present his allegation of why the other one was being
mean. Well, since I was still in a fog from having just woke up, I didn’t fully
address it at that moment. Frankly, I am not a morning person and it was too
early to be an adult. I managed somehow, to get them all (including the 2 year
old) to calm down enough to go downstairs for breakfast. The bickering and side
remarks were still going on. At some point, it became too much for me and I
talked to them about how they were treating each other. I went on to explain
how this is not how brothers should treat each other and asked them if they
thought this pleased God. Of course, I get a resounding "No". </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
A few minutes pass
by and I notice Jay is nowhere to be found. Lately, when he is upset about
something he has been going upstairs and getting into his bed to think about
what is making him sad and upset. So I was pretty sure that’s where he was.
After a while, he comes downstairs with a note in his hand. In the note, he is
apologizing to me and explaining that he was sad because he had been mean to
Trent. It was a sweet little letter. I thanked him for it and reminded him to
apologize to his brother as well. So he did. Well, not long after that, Jay
comes over to me with one of his hourly hugs and I love you's (yes, hourly).
Then, he says, in so many words, that he apologized because he really wants God
to get him "that Nintendo Switch for Christmas".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there it was, the real motive behind this
"heart change" toward his brother.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Motive</span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">—</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">the force behind why we do what we do. Why are we
kind to some people and cruel to others? Why do we go or not go to church? Why
do we give to some and not others? Whether we acknowledge it or not, there is
always a reason behind our actions and/or inaction. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
Let's consider the
royal administrators of King Darius in Daniel 6. They did not like Daniel one
bit. He had what they wanted and they needed a way to rid themselves of him.
When they could find no wrong doing in regards to how Daniel conducted
government affairs, they came up with an idea to trick King Darius. They
pretended to honor him so that he would issue a decree that said anyone who
prays to any god or human other than him within the next 30 days should be
thrown in the lion's den. But when Daniel heard about this decree, he prayed
three times a day just as he had done before. When the royal administrators saw
this, they spoke to the King and reminded him of his decree. They told him
about Daniel praying and King Darius had to put Daniel in the lion's den. But
God, being who He is, saw to it that the lions did not touch Daniel. God proved
Daniel's innocence. And because of their false accusation, the royal
administrators and their families were thrown into the lion's den and were no
more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although, the administrators tried
to disguise their wickedness with kind words, their hearts were eventually
exposed and the consequence was dire. Daniel's motive, however, was to please
God. This resulted in glory being given to God and a prosperous life for Daniel
during the reigns of King Darius and King Cyrus.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
We should always be
in a habit of asking ourselves what our motive is regarding anything that we
do, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. As parents, we must
instruct our kids on the importance of doing things from a place of
authenticity. Let's teach them that it's not enough to honor God with our
mouths. We must honor him with our hearts above all else.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0EnTpD9Ik0wqHsCZkok2a6-PdDNwa6YFpsZz7Wr0BBpOoUH09avzZoKokQvBCvWnEJGOB8Ikw4RRpfnwjBx_1-COgM-d9oZJXYeclZMlHzC6ACyflRJ8ESe7KoVYWxcYh6MtRawT8Fs/s1600/IMG_3553.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1199" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0EnTpD9Ik0wqHsCZkok2a6-PdDNwa6YFpsZz7Wr0BBpOoUH09avzZoKokQvBCvWnEJGOB8Ikw4RRpfnwjBx_1-COgM-d9oZJXYeclZMlHzC6ACyflRJ8ESe7KoVYWxcYh6MtRawT8Fs/s320/IMG_3553.HEIC" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They have made up several times since this story.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-12202128049630155592018-05-13T17:57:00.002-05:002018-05-13T17:58:19.485-05:00My dearest Jason<br />
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
My dearest Jason,</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Today we are
celebrating your 8th birthday as well as Mother's Day. I am so thankful that
God has allowed me to be your mother. Your arrival into this
world changed the course of my life and I am forever grateful.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Jason, ever since
you were born you have brought joy to the lives of the many people you have
come into contact with. You light up the room with your smile. You are a very
loving individual and it shows through your interactions with your peers and
your family. You are full of surprises. Your dad and I are constantly amazed by the many gifts and talents that are working
inside of you and we cannot wait to see them exhibited throughout your life.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I often reflect on
the day you were born and how we were so nervous and excited. Our first child,
the one we had been praying for, was finally ready to make his debut. I
remember crying when I heard your first little cry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was crying because God was fulfilling a
promise he had made to us. You, my son, were an answered prayer. </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Although you look EXACTLY like your dad, you are a lot like me in attitude. That's probably why we bump
heads a LOT. You have taught me so much in these 8 years about being a mother
and you don’t even realize it. I am thankful for the lessons.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I want to encourage
you to continue to learn as much about Jesus as you can. Let the Word of God be a guide for you throughout your life. Trust God with your life and let him direct
your steps. Also, please continue to be the loving and caring person that you
are. Be that ray of sunshine for someone when they are having a rough day. Make a
vow to love others as God loves us. And don't let anyone or anything get in the
way of the calling that God has placed on your life.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
We know you will do well. We believe in you. We love you! Happy birthday!</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJoFlMQjKnnmFO5JLaJruu7CSGCOEIEG_HUTXHdPv_Qebw1hl6UGO9ue-DDA-7K6-TGb0UKRJqwQJSIEHqNOwWJre7gbFZiRnaCeJr2NbCBc8z5iPhYqRlJRqhrYMSL86BJnftOqBVsuo/s1600/IMG_1859.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJoFlMQjKnnmFO5JLaJruu7CSGCOEIEG_HUTXHdPv_Qebw1hl6UGO9ue-DDA-7K6-TGb0UKRJqwQJSIEHqNOwWJre7gbFZiRnaCeJr2NbCBc8z5iPhYqRlJRqhrYMSL86BJnftOqBVsuo/s320/IMG_1859.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first born</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-89998371376987785342018-03-15T17:50:00.001-05:002018-03-15T17:50:23.436-05:00My Dearest Trent<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
My dearest Trent,</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Today is your 6th
birthday and I am so grateful that we are able to share it with you. You are a
very special little boy and I thank God for blessing us with you. I wanted to
write a letter just to show you how much you are loved.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Trent, I am sure it
can be hard being the middle child sometimes. But please understand that God's
timing for your entrance into this world was just right. I remember when I
found out you were on the way. It was quite a surprise even though we had
prayed to have another child someday. The look on your dad's face was
priceless. (I have video footage if you ever want to see it!) A few months
later, you made your debut in dramatic fashion. That day was a day that your
dad and I will never forget. It was the
day that we weren't sure if I was going to make it through your birth. You had
decided to come early with no warning at all. I was in a LOT of pain! I can
remember laying on that table screaming and crying because something wasn’t
right. But somewhere in all of that chaos, I found time to pray and I asked God
(because I was pretty sure that I was dying) to just let me see you once before
he took me to heaven. And I saw your little face, and my heart melted. I smiled
because you were adorable and breathing.
I cried because I loved you and I did not know what was about to happen
to me. But God, in his grace and mercy, allowed me to survive. Even though
there were complications after the fact that landed me in the hospital again
and separated me from you for a few days, God was faithful. So when I look at you, Trent, I am reminded
of God's faithfulness, his unfailing love for our family, and his miraculous
power.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Trent, I want you to
know how proud we are to be your parents. You amaze me every day. The way you
soak up the biblical instruction that we try to teach you and your brothers is
awesome. You have a knack for dropping little nuggets of wisdom here and there
(and immediately returning back to your silly nature). "Mr.
Entertainment" is what you should be called. Your ability to bring joy to
people and make them smile is a gift….a gift I hope one day you can use in the
kingdom of God.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Son, I am thankful
that you love God. I encourage you to walk closely with him and listen for his
voice. I pray that you desire to have a relationship with Jesus and share him
with others. There is so much potential I see working inside of you, that it literally
gives me goosebumps to think of what you can become. We can't wait to see what
great things are in store for you, Trent-- and there are many!</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I love you
sweetheart! Happy birthday!!</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Love,<br />
<br />
Mom</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJOIwDUEsqa4cW8Cwa2z6K55tB6Z6dFtPe-wbKPAv4NNt35HbCIivKhGR9d8MMOHcsCTnBsPFFj3hrbxy8VjAoMOr1u2E4iB00rGs7_yoBtNCo9towDCYIv9Zga5L-YTRww3LtIaCpG8/s1600/IMG_7053-edit-jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJOIwDUEsqa4cW8Cwa2z6K55tB6Z6dFtPe-wbKPAv4NNt35HbCIivKhGR9d8MMOHcsCTnBsPFFj3hrbxy8VjAoMOr1u2E4iB00rGs7_yoBtNCo9towDCYIv9Zga5L-YTRww3LtIaCpG8/s320/IMG_7053-edit-jpg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My middle man!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
</div>
LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-29053637315732579682018-03-05T23:46:00.001-06:002018-03-05T23:50:36.554-06:00Sister to Sister<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I can remember
growing up wishing that I had a sister. Yes, I had my brother, but there
was only so much he could understand as a male. And with us being 7 1/2 years
apart, we didn’t have a whole lot in common. When I was really small, I was so
desperate to have a sister, I would pretend that Janet Jackson was my sister!
Ha! Although I was young, I longed for someone to talk to that could understand
me and just be my friend. Well, unfortunately mom and
dad never had any more kids, so that was it. No sisters for me--at least not
biologically.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
However, over the
years, I have come to realize that God had a different plan for me. He brought
several sisters into my life at various points to fill that empty spot in my
heart. Some were only in my life for a season and others are still very much a
part of my life today. And as time has gone on, I have come to appreciate what
real sisterhood looks like.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
As women and as
mothers we often need those "sister" relationships. These are the
kind of relationships that are priceless.
They are essential as we journey through motherhood. We need to have
someone that we can talk to, that gets us, that listens and encourages us. We
need someone that can empathize as well as knock some sense into us when we get
a little crazy. We need someone we can be real with. </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
There are several
ladies who fulfill that role for me today and I am grateful for each and every
one of them. One of those ladies is my college roommate and best friend,
Crystal. Even though we haven't physically seen each other in years we still
are connected as sisters in Christ.
There have been times where I would be so down in the dumps and I just
couldn’t seem to get out of the mood I was in. Then out of nowhere, I would get
a call or a text and from Crystal. She would often say that God put me on her
heart and she felt like she needed to call. And let me tell you, her calls are
ALWAYS on time. Even with our busy
schedules, we have tried to keep in touch and make time to talk and pray with
each other. Our prayer times are amazing and a true blessing!! I cherish those moments so much. </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I can't say enough
about how valuable it is to have another lady you can talk to and just be free
to share your heart with. I encourage you to pray for a relationship like that
if you don't already have one. Also, pray that you can have the opportunity to
be that "sister friend" for someone else. You never know the impact
you could have on a person's life. </div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i> <b>As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.</b></i></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i><b>Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)</b></i></div>
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<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
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</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><i>Me and Crystal</i></b></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><i>with some major academic "bling"!! </i></b></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbl2JJzrY6gxGGaBSeTMhm0mA_cTIjwZ4XWc08vmQwWuXKMLuPO5M2o2RQ0PmMCF4CtlERfD4IkLjzuHD-1ahQVvN0a_qfc7_Yn1A5-ZtgB1GDkfI1cHlgSA1Ml8UprHjlBW7eeQAcO4/s1600/IMG_6319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbl2JJzrY6gxGGaBSeTMhm0mA_cTIjwZ4XWc08vmQwWuXKMLuPO5M2o2RQ0PmMCF4CtlERfD4IkLjzuHD-1ahQVvN0a_qfc7_Yn1A5-ZtgB1GDkfI1cHlgSA1Ml8UprHjlBW7eeQAcO4/s200/IMG_6319.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CKT4Y6sD3wIdYXh7F6wGSTe2g1WVRtTOPLsVkUdf835G3EonmUqYnWJX6ssaF-rOxJZL6BjnBmYJ6GBVpJoP5ibPIFjauLXLfGllKPJjHQj5oxciahzOIWjigt8unufLiOqDu6-G5cY/s1600/IMG_5417+%255B150864%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CKT4Y6sD3wIdYXh7F6wGSTe2g1WVRtTOPLsVkUdf835G3EonmUqYnWJX6ssaF-rOxJZL6BjnBmYJ6GBVpJoP5ibPIFjauLXLfGllKPJjHQj5oxciahzOIWjigt8unufLiOqDu6-G5cY/s200/IMG_5417+%255B150864%255D.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><i>More of my sister friends!! 💓💓</i></b></div>
LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-4683731822351593162018-03-04T21:34:00.002-06:002018-03-04T21:34:24.265-06:00My Dearest Joshua<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">My dearest Joshua,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Today, we celebrate
your second birthday. I thought it would be a good idea to write you a letter.
I know you won't remember much about this day, but this is a really special day
and I want you to always know that on this day we honored you. </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Over the last few
days, as we anticipated this day, many thoughts crossed my mind. It was on my
heart to share with you just how special you are and how grateful we are for
your presence. I think back to when I first found out we were expecting you. I
was shocked needless to say. You were a total surprise…a pleasant one. I was a
bit overwhelmed at first because I wasn’t sure how we would handle three kids.
I was scared because I had such a traumatic experience during and after the
birth of your brother Trent. I was worried because your brother Jason had
challenges and I did not want that for your life. But after filtering through
all of those feelings, I found myself back in a place of hope. I became hopeful
because I knew who created you. I knew the one who knew you before you were
even formed in my womb. And I knew that EVERYTHING he does, is for a reason.
Son, that person is Jesus and I pray that one day you will come to know him and
have a personal relationship with him. I have prayed for that day ever since I
knew you were coming. And I will never stop praying for that. I promise he will
be the best friend you could ever have.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Joshua, I want you
to know that I love being your mother. I am grateful that God has allowed me to
be your mom. In the two years you have been on this Earth, you have brought
amazing joy to our family. Your smile brightens up a room and your laugh is infectious.
I love your fighting spirit and that you don’t back down quickly. That quality
is going to become quite handy for the kingdom of God I am sure. </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Tonight, as I was
rocking you to sleep and singing to you (Lord help your ears!), I thought about
how fast you are growing up and how we can never get these moments back. I just
really want to cherish all of the time I have with you and your brothers. I want
to make these moments count--even if that means getting on your nerves for the
rest of your life. 😁</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Son, as you continue
to grow into a man, I encourage you to cling close to God. Make him priority in
your life and watch how he blesses you. Please know that even when we, as your
parents, can't be with you, God will ALWAYS be there. He said he would never
leave you nor forsake you. That’s a promise that your dad and I hold onto when
things get tough. And believe me when I say, you will have tough times in life.
But use that fighting spirit and determination that you have to push through
every situation. Don't let anything or anyone keep you down. </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I also encourage you
to let your gifts shine. Use your gifts and talents to point people to Christ.
Use your gifts to help lift others up. Serve others with love and compassion.
And should God bless you to have a family of your own one day, lead them to always
seek first the kingdom of God. Exhibit for them what a godly husband and father
looks like. (Your dad is a wonderful example, if you ever forget.)</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Joshua, I know you
are going to do well in life. I love you and look forward to watching you grow!</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Love,</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Mama</div>
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Happy 2nd birthday!!!</div>
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LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-23394350261460401042017-12-31T20:00:00.000-06:002017-12-31T20:49:25.648-06:00Farewell 2017!!!<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Well here we are.
The final hours of 2017. As I reflect on
this year, I am reminded of the ups, downs, victories, defeats, joys and
sorrows that we have encountered. But through it all, God has remained faithful
to my family and I would not change a thing. I am a firm believer that
everything, good and bad, happens for a reason. I am grateful for the people I
have met and those that I have reconnected with this year. If I have learned
anything this year, it's that we should always seek to be better neighbors,
better spouses, better parents and better friends. I hope that I have done just
that for someone this year.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
One of the biggest
things I am grateful for this year is my family. The move from Knoxville to
Huntsville was not the easiest. There were many moments when I questioned if
this was where we needed to be. But God always reminded us of how he
orchestrated our transition here. So there is no doubt we are where we need to
be at this time. God has provided for us in many ways here and I am forever
thankful. </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I pray that 2018 is
a blessed year for everyone. To all the mommies out there, I pray you worry
less and pray more. I pray your love for Christ deepens as well as your love
for your family. I pray that you keep pushing forward and continue to seek
God's will for your life. Remember, the same God who sits on the throne in 2017
will still be on the throne in 2018.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Happy New Year,
mamas!!</div>
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LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-65430251937092652772017-05-14T17:46:00.001-05:002017-05-14T21:32:36.344-05:00A Portrait of Godly Motherhood, Part 1<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well its finally here. Mother's Day. The one day a
year where moms everywhere are supposed to feel loved, appreciated, and adored.
For me it’s a day of relaxation or a day to just do some of the things that I want to do. It is one of the days that I look forward to each year.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As the day approached this year, I started to think
about what motherhood should look like as it relates to Christians. It's our
ministry. It's our calling. While
thinking about this, I was reminded of a message I shared a few years ago with
a church in Tennessee for their Mother's Day Luncheon. So I would like to share
some brief thoughts from that message with you over the next couple of blog
posts.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">******************************************************************************</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Are you striving to
be a "good" mother or a godly mother? When God first spoke this
question to me, it immediately struck my heart because for so long I was
worried about being a good mother and concerned with what others would think of
my ability to parent my children. I
often times weighed my capability based on people rather than the Word of God.
The world seeks to emphasize the good things and not necessarily the godly
things. The world sees raising your
children as providing their basic needs, attending every sporting event and PTA
meeting, or getting them out of high school and college. There is nothing wrong
with any of that. However, God
emphasizes training your children. The real ministry of motherhood can be
summed up in Proverbs 22:6 <b style="font-style: italic;">Train up a child in the way he should go, even when
he is old he will not depart from it.</b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-style: italic;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When we start
looking at motherhood from God's perspective, our attitudes about our role in
life will change and we will realize that raising our children is not
necessarily the same thing as training our children.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Proverbs 31
woman is a good example of qualities that we show, not only as women but also
as mothers. I will briefly give you four over the next couple of posts.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">A godly
mother sets out to be an example to her children</span>. Prov. 31:25 says <span style="font-style: italic;"><b>Strength
and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future.</b> </span>Just like what you wear is
visible to those who look upon you, your children should be able to look
at your life and see godly characteristics. In order to put on this new clothing we
must take off the old clothing. Colossians 3:5 says<b> </b><span style="font-style: italic;"><b>Therefore,
put to death what belongs to your worldly nature: sexual immorality,
impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry</b>.</span> Being an example means we have to put aside fleshly
desires in order for our families to see God clearly working in us.
Galatians 5:16, 17 say:<b> </b><span style="font-style: italic;"><b>I say then, walk by the
Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against
the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are
opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.</b></span> To wear and fit into our new clothing,
our daily diet should consist of the fruit of the spirit: love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control. We should be models of integrity, living the life that we
teach our children about. Proverbs 10:9 (NASB) says, <span style="background: white; font-style: italic;"><b>He who walks in integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will be found out.</b></span><span style="background: white;">
Walking in integrity is a daily thing, not just another Sunday outfit.</span> The godly mother is the same
way Sunday as she is Monday through Saturday. She should never have the
mentality of “Do as I say, not as I do”. Her talk and her walk should line
up. Children need to see what a godly parent looks like, so they will have
someone to imitate when they become parents themselves. I recall years ago, when I would take
my oldest son to his various therapy sessions, one of the things they
would always tell me is to model for him what I wanted him to do or say. I
could not expect him to learn the things I wanted him to learn if it had
never been shown to him in the first place. We can’t expect our kids to show godly
love and respect if they have never seen it in action in their own
home. If the godly mother is making the effort to be an example, she can
be confident in what the future holds for her and her family. </span><br />
<ol style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="1">
</ol>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.375in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">A godly
mother speaks with wisdom and kindness</span>. Proverbs 31:26 says:<b> </b><b><span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">She opens her mouth in wisdom,</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> and</span><span style="background: white; font-style: italic;"> the </span></b><span style="background: white; font-style: italic;"><b>teaching of kindness is on her tongue</b>. </span>The godly mother attains
godly wisdom through a devoted time of prayer and study of God’s word. She
realizes that right or wrong, what she says and how she says it affects
her family now and in the future.
When we speak to our children, we have the opportunity to do one of
two things: build them up or tear them down. <span style="background: white;">Prov.
14:1 says: </span><span style="background: white; font-style: italic;"><b>Every wise woman builds her
house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands</b></span><span style="background: white;">.</span><span style="background: white;">
Imagine that every time you speak words of wisdom and encouragement to
your children, bricks are stacking. A strong structure is being built.
When you tell your kids that they <b>"</b></span><b><span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">can do
all things through Christ who strengthens them</span><span style="background: white;">”</span></b><span style="background: white;">—that’s
a brick. When you tell them that </span><b><span style="background: white;">“</span><span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">no weapon formed against them shall prosper</span><span style="background: white;">”</span></b><span style="background: white;">—that’s
another brick. When you tell them
to <b>“</b></span><b><span style="background: white; font-style: italic;">be strong and courageous. Do not be
afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you
wherever you go</span><span style="background: white;">” (Joshua 1:9)</span></b><span style="background: white;"> -- yet another
brick. But when you speak negativity or foolishness into their lives, it’s
like hitting a building with a wrecking ball, destroying it with each
swing. Saying things like, “You’ll never be anything”, or “You are nothing
but trouble”, or if the child has a wayward father, “You are just like
your daddy”. I know that there are
times our kids can make us so angry that we say things that are
hurtful. Even in those times we
must practice self-control. James 1:19-20 says </span><span style="background: white; font-style: italic;"><b>19 My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone
must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, 20 for man’s anger does not accomplish
God’s righteousness.</b></span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A godly mother realizes that her children are a valuable gift from God and handles them as such. Psalm 127:3-5 says: </span></div>
<div>
<div class="poetry top-1" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding-left: 2.6em; position: relative;">
<div class="line" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="text Ps-127-3" id="en-NASB-16125" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">Behold, <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NASB-16125F" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NASB-16125F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>children are a gift of the <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span>,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="text Ps-127-3" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">The <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NASB-16125G" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NASB-16125G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>fruit of the womb is a reward.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="text Ps-127-4" id="en-NASB-16126" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">4 </span>Like arrows in the hand of a <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NASB-16126H" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NASB-16126H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>warrior,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="text Ps-127-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">So are the children of one’s youth.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="text Ps-127-5" id="en-NASB-16127" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">5 </span>How <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NASB-16127I" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NASB-16127I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="text Ps-127-5" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NASB-16127J" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NASB-16127J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>They will not be ashamed</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="text Ps-127-5" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">When they <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NASB-16127K" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NASB-16127K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>speak with their enemies <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NASB-16127L" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NASB-16127L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>in the gate.</span></b></span></div>
</div>
<div class="footnotes" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.2s;">
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Every time you speak the word over your children, discipline them, share the Good News of Jesus Christ with them, pray with and over them, and show them love, you are sharpening those arrows. And the more you sharpen them, the more dangerous they become to the enemy. In other words, you are letting the devil know that you refuse to let Him have his way in your children's lives. You are letting him know that you are training up a child that will stand against him and his tactics--a child that will honor God with their life. Remember we are training warriors for Christ!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">To be continued....</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<div class="poetry top-1" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding-left: 2.6em; position: relative;">
<div class="line" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMCBKgsnPw95UXfuWLRWWUSq2ATbIDBF6ToTPyO6dUYltiPmI85JUj9H3xfyAeAfIQsaIFYUHOgEK7IHV4_YMmpyfEhGGsDsdVUb-Mvx8uc3PgAaaAYXG_s1xsPm5TYCgRg8QCwZ6zNc/s1600/IMG_8263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMCBKgsnPw95UXfuWLRWWUSq2ATbIDBF6ToTPyO6dUYltiPmI85JUj9H3xfyAeAfIQsaIFYUHOgEK7IHV4_YMmpyfEhGGsDsdVUb-Mvx8uc3PgAaaAYXG_s1xsPm5TYCgRg8QCwZ6zNc/s320/IMG_8263.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mother's Day 2017 with my boys!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="poetry top-1" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding-left: 2.6em; position: relative;">
<div class="line" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="line" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i><b><span class="text Ps-127-5" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><br /></span></b></i></span></div>
<div class="line" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b><span class="text Ps-127-5" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><br /></span></b></i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-48408547050741261182017-04-24T23:16:00.000-05:002017-04-24T23:16:40.191-05:00God, The Plan Changer<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;">It's been quite a
while since I have posted anything to the blog. Since Joshua was born our life
has been turned upside down and all around. Our lives have changed so much
since my last post, I am still trying to process all of it. So where do I
begin?</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
In September, my
husband and I celebrated our 10 year Anniversary. We decided to throw a party
at a local Thai restaurant with family and friends. It was amazing-- Great food
with great people. It truly was an unforgettable
night. But while we were enjoying the company of our friends, in the back of my
mind I knew that things were about to change. For me, the party felt like a
farewell. I tried not to think about it, but I knew it was coming. See a couple
of days from that night, Jason was scheduled to have an interview with a
company in another state. And I knew…before they even talked…I knew within
myself, our lives were about to change again.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Sure enough, within
a few weeks, an offer had been made to my husband. It was too good to pass up.
We had been in this place before. As a matter of fact, just a year earlier,
this same company made Jason an offer. But we turned it down. It just wasn't the
right time and our work was not yet finished in Knoxville. However, this time
was different. This time we had peace about the decision to accept. My heart
was breaking at the thought of leaving our friends but it was also jumping with
excitement about what God had in store for us in the next city. So it became
official--the Crowes were moving to Huntsville, AL.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Huntsville, Alabama.
Let me just interject this side story here as a testament to how God works. A
few years ago, we were heading home from church and a random hypothetical
question came to mind. For whatever reason, I decided to ask my husband. I
asked him "If you were offered a job in, let's say, Huntsville, AL, for
more money than what you are making now, would you take it?" Of course, he
answered that he didn't know and we went home like business as usual. But I
never forgot asking that question. Little did I know God was speaking even
then. I am a witness that sometimes God will reveal little glimpses of his plan
for you if you just keep listening.</div>
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Now back to the
story…. We knew the move would be a lot of work and we wanted to get the kids
transitioned as smoothly as possible. We had to get the house ready to put on
the market (which thankfully we packed up quite a bit the previous year when we
tried to sell the house). A few trips were made to the Huntsville area to look
at homes and schools. The company was gracious enough to give us to the end of
the year to move to Alabama. My husband just had to go down one week a month to
work and the rest of the time he worked remotely from Knoxville. So we were
pretty sure we would be there until the end of the year. I mean, our house
didn't sell in the 5 months it was on the market the previous year so it
definitely was not going to be sold before the end of December, right? </div>
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WRONG!!! We put our
house on the market at the end of October and we got an offer on it in 8
DAYS!!! When we got the text that someone wanted to purchase the house we
jumped around for joy. Then reality set in. We had to be packed and out of the
house by the end of the month, not to mention we had not found a place to stay
in Alabama. Thank God for my mother. She came and stayed with us our last two
weeks in Knoxville and our first week in Alabama. She helped me get my life
together! </div>
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After that
everything just began to happen so fast. But the hardest part of it all was
saying goodbye to all the people that had become our family. It was so hard to
say goodbye. I had so many farewell lunches, dinners, parties, it was hard to
keep up. But I cherished each and every one of them. I shed quite a few tears,
but I knew God was working in the midst of it all and He had a reason for
sending us to the Huntsville area.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5Emin5TA-4dFr2Xpnq3k9zD2Ls8mBVx0Kj1VkCI7peDRMnIVcgttGlfqoLpIzUeBFlwvgOoxNTkeaeqf7aXdORAQcdABk9jEkmSW95Ckr03ZkMwDktliW90pAxr1HBUzlg6MG10Pzio/s1600/IMG_6699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5Emin5TA-4dFr2Xpnq3k9zD2Ls8mBVx0Kj1VkCI7peDRMnIVcgttGlfqoLpIzUeBFlwvgOoxNTkeaeqf7aXdORAQcdABk9jEkmSW95Ckr03ZkMwDktliW90pAxr1HBUzlg6MG10Pzio/s200/IMG_6699.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Farewell gift from our Knoxville family</span></td></tr>
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We have been here
five months now. And it really has been quite an adjustment-- physically,
emotionally and spiritually. We are temporarily living in a small apartment
with three busy boys and you can imagine what that has been like. If all goes
well, however, our new house should be finished within the next few weeks.
Joshua got very sick in December and had to be hospitalized. But God healed his
little body and he was back to himself in a matter of days. Jay is enjoying his
new school and seems to be doing well.
As far as adjusting emotionally goes, most everyone seems to be doing
pretty good. I think Trent and I both struggled the most early on. Leaving our
friends was very hard for both of us. </div>
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We are in the
process of finding a church home. I
don't think we expected it to be as tough as it has been. But we want to make
sure we decide on a place that benefits our whole family and a place where we
can serve the people and worship God freely. No doubt, wherever God puts us
it's going to be exactly where he needs us to be. </div>
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I have used the
scripture Proverbs 19:21 in a previous post before and many times throughout my
life, but I cannot escape it. If there
was a "theme" for my life, this scripture would be it. It says:</div>
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<span style="background: white;"><b><i>Many are the plans in a
person’s heart,</i></b></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt;">but it is the Lord’s purpose
that prevails. (NLT)</span></i></b></div>
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More than ever, I
know this to be true. We are looking forward to finding out His purpose for us
here in Alabama. Stay tuned!!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFE08hAvykCqbGCCeDovlfno1Azlhh4x9aqRHmZUAEZHUt8x6OgEXX7m7KZCADRZrQuVEEt64B5-9fWt8q-aBmefx06PWjYJgzm4bahcZnhEhyxAIi05Uhj6oMbZe5Wq1WgREZvoplu4/s1600/IMG_6683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFE08hAvykCqbGCCeDovlfno1Azlhh4x9aqRHmZUAEZHUt8x6OgEXX7m7KZCADRZrQuVEEt64B5-9fWt8q-aBmefx06PWjYJgzm4bahcZnhEhyxAIi05Uhj6oMbZe5Wq1WgREZvoplu4/s200/IMG_6683.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Moving Day</span></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sNbUi-NwDquEk5irw11W40ZcGIap_uFeautto6mNjMAT1n2rnIHarbLzxjBMbJzkZ2tp4B670LzmaY136Pa30FNu9FgJONumceYFr5upirS1xhhc4Q_W3pK5MbJI_MLJ6Ol24sK4OWM/s1600/IMG_7564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sNbUi-NwDquEk5irw11W40ZcGIap_uFeautto6mNjMAT1n2rnIHarbLzxjBMbJzkZ2tp4B670LzmaY136Pa30FNu9FgJONumceYFr5upirS1xhhc4Q_W3pK5MbJI_MLJ6Ol24sK4OWM/s200/IMG_7564.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jay and Trent keeping me company on the porch of our apartment.</span></td></tr>
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LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-84073333437575467142017-04-04T00:04:00.001-05:002017-04-04T00:04:54.597-05:00The "A" Word (Part 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>It has been a while since my last post (a year almost), but here is the second part to our autism journey. With it being Autism Awareness Month, I wanted to continue to share our story. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXi8FiEOaX0clukFwQCYE-IcTjSVveuiJGqpiRAfZq3t8X2ZOGbLW5Wdd0MozCex04Dubwm-1CI-H09P6251IWHajrhRn_Exq9nmf-RhM4GGhZHlfzxpraCD-o2NTaxzzD2EtkVrXAKNA/s1600/IMG_7760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXi8FiEOaX0clukFwQCYE-IcTjSVveuiJGqpiRAfZq3t8X2ZOGbLW5Wdd0MozCex04Dubwm-1CI-H09P6251IWHajrhRn_Exq9nmf-RhM4GGhZHlfzxpraCD-o2NTaxzzD2EtkVrXAKNA/s320/IMG_7760.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our story
continued….</div>
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By the time Jason
was 2 1/2, he was in speech therapy, a language clinic, and a Mother's Day Out
Program. We wanted to give Jason
everything we possibly could to help him develop. Looking back, I can
definitely see how God was working the whole time. The various people who
worked with Jason, were definitely put in our path for a reason. From the time
Jason started early intervention (September 2012) until the time it ended (May
2013), I saw great improvement, especially in the area of speech. By the end,
not only was he talking well, but he was talking TOO much! Ha ha!</div>
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However, even with
all of this improvement, he was still a bit behind his peers in some areas and
I was in denial about him possibly having autism. I just did not want to accept that my son
could be on the spectrum. Although, I knew that if he did have autism it would
be on the mild end of the spectrum, I simply wanted to believe it was just a
developmental delay. But, the problem with denial is that you can miss out on
getting some of the help you need early on. </div>
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So when the last
days of early intervention approached, it was suggested that we go through the
school system and have Jason evaluated. Then he could be put in a pre-k program
in the public school for the next school year.
At that time I was very adamant about my children going to private
school, so I went against their recommendation and sent him to a private pre-k
program at a nearby Christian school. Well, that did not work out quite how we
wanted it to and he ended up leaving the program in the middle of the school
year.</div>
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I was devastated
because now, Jason was three years old and was not in any program at all. I was
just so afraid of having the "A" word attached to my son's name. So a
few months later, we made the decision to have Jason evaluated by the school system.</div>
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The next few days
consisted of evaluations, questionnaires and conversations about my son and his
development. Finally it was time for the meeting to create and discuss a plan
for Jason's education. A wonderful sister from our church attended the meeting
with us. She gave us so much support and professional advice. Her presence was
such a blessing. </div>
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After discussing the
results of the evaluations and it was agreed that the best diagnosis for Jason,
Jr. was autism. There it was…the "A" word ….in print. I immediately
began crying. This was not what I wanted
for my firstborn. I did not want him to be "different". But deep
inside, I knew that this was the right diagnosis. I don't think the evaluators expected the reaction that I had. It seemed to catch them off guard. They tried
to give me assurance that everything would be okay. The meeting was soon over
and I found myself driving home alone in a bit of a funk. </div>
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Then an amazing
thing happened inside of me over the hours and days following the diagnosis.
After I had a few good cries, my emotions changed from disappointment, to fueling a
determination inside of me that I did not know I had. From that point on, I
resolved within myself that with God's help I would fight for my son and push
through. For the first time, I felt relieved. Now that we had officially
established what was going on, we had a direction to go. And that was the LAST
time I cried about his diagnosis.</div>
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Fast forward to the
present….Jason is now in first grade.
And he is doing so well and consistently showing me that nothing will
hold him back. He still has struggles here and there. He is high functioning,
so sometimes you may not realize he has autism. It's noticeable when he starts
talking about some of the things he is obsessed with (elevators, microwaves,
and hotels among others) or when he struggles to stay on topic in a
conversation. Outside of that, he is a typical growing kid and we try and treat
him as such.</div>
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I have seen God's hand upon Jason Jr.'s life
and I know that He has plans for our son that we cannot even imagine. God has really been good to us throughout
this journey. Without Him we could not keep pushing through. He was, is, and
will always be faithful to us. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuxQTOC6qEo4BnalCHi3TT3t6vAAKp0WaTRY2lmWnsoYuxlXhHKdwJg9sSzKOy0i6bz-8QzFCnX4z9uYuUN4ZneIpNR-ULlmLZUv52B6L-a0ta6T2GlBG4wCUQv9qtZnUwe2Xcz-0uWw/s1600/IMG_7732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuxQTOC6qEo4BnalCHi3TT3t6vAAKp0WaTRY2lmWnsoYuxlXhHKdwJg9sSzKOy0i6bz-8QzFCnX4z9uYuUN4ZneIpNR-ULlmLZUv52B6L-a0ta6T2GlBG4wCUQv9qtZnUwe2Xcz-0uWw/s320/IMG_7732.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason, Jr. at the Walk for Autism in Huntsville, AL</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvmtz3mOBKJYSPRkONqyJy6l9BL_u2C9umwB72G4FbnwrD7xFlJPw0cipd-D3Dhhwz8N5-oSusanM6HqV__lsohMqhzVrwSqamzMYILDF8yhDrAHVt166NLih-DNvsCaTXVfUhtjuVDU/s1600/IMG_6798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvmtz3mOBKJYSPRkONqyJy6l9BL_u2C9umwB72G4FbnwrD7xFlJPw0cipd-D3Dhhwz8N5-oSusanM6HqV__lsohMqhzVrwSqamzMYILDF8yhDrAHVt166NLih-DNvsCaTXVfUhtjuVDU/s320/IMG_6798.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason, Jr. at Christmas. He has a "love" for EXPO Markers.<br /><br /></td></tr>
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LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-60494833049828680542016-04-28T00:44:00.002-05:002016-04-28T00:48:14.837-05:00The "A" Word (Part 1)<div style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxxQ8eHjnVireq18o9KFZQPCf9AUbVylEQPWAPD5vtnUDVmEqcTbpIyzvSrN5xw-1ZKfhky9-BxwJ2QMzKQy8uZe454ZxW8_mTel48FjmkXRBOwm5iDl8Zb9d9AHYssbZYjYH4FeYRyg/s1600/waut_awareness_month.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxxQ8eHjnVireq18o9KFZQPCf9AUbVylEQPWAPD5vtnUDVmEqcTbpIyzvSrN5xw-1ZKfhky9-BxwJ2QMzKQy8uZe454ZxW8_mTel48FjmkXRBOwm5iDl8Zb9d9AHYssbZYjYH4FeYRyg/s200/waut_awareness_month.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i><b>With April being Autism Awareness Month, I thought it would be the appropriate time to share our story thus far as it relates to having a child on the autism spectrum. I had planned to tell this story earlier, but it just never seemed like the right time. I wanted to be as transparent as possible in sharing our story, so this may take more than one blog post. Also, in a later post, my husband will be sharing his personal reflections on how this journey with autism has affected him as a father and husband. Please know that our story will not be the same as other families because all children with autism are not the same. It is my hope that we can encourage others who may be on this same journey, as well as enlighten others about autism spectrum disorder.</b></i></div>
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So here's our story:</div>
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To look at our firstborn, Jason, Jr., you would think he is an exact replica of his father, Big Jason. When he was born, there was no doubt of which parent he looked like. Jason, Jr., was our answered prayer after a battle with infertility. So he was perfect, right?</div>
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As those first few months passed and Jason grew, we began to notice little things he would do--somewhat odd, but not really alarming things. For instance, whenever he would hear a certain sound on one of his toys, he would immediately get sad and begin to cry. We could not understand, why that particular sound affected him so much. Another time, we took Jason to the zoo (he was about a year old) and we went inside a little building to watch the elephants and all he could do was stare at the ceiling fan. There was a 10,000 lb elephant in his line of sight and all he cared about was the ceiling fan spinning. We laughed it off and thought nothing of it.</div>
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Jason continued to grow and meet his milestones. He even started saying a few words, but most of what he said was a bunch of unintelligible babble. I remember telling my husband, "I think he may need speech therapy one day". I don't think Big Jason really believed me at the time. So around 18 months or so I asked one of the pediatricians in this particular group of doctors should I be worried about his speech. Her answer was no, that his speech was pretty normal and I had nothing to worry about.</div>
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Flash forward to May 2012…Jason's 2 year old check-up and Trent's 2 month old checkup. My best friend had come into town for a visit and accompanied me to the boys' appointment. After the doctor (who was very rude and had a terrible bedside manner by the way) checked out Trenton, he proceeded to examine Jason. By the end of the examination, out of the blue, the doctor (with his lack of manners) asks me to fill out the Autism questionnaire (which I had already completed 6 months earlier). At that moment the world stopped… the "A" word? I had already taken this questionnaire before and Jason met the necessary milestones so why did I need to do this again? Where did this come from? Blindsided. Confused. Speechless.</div>
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I remember going home in a bit of a daze. I kept asking my best friend "Why would he say that?" "Does he think Jason has autism?" I tried to let it go and move on. And for a little while I did, until one day Jason became sick and I had to take him to see another doctor.</div>
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During this doctor's examination, he listened to Jason talk and quickly determined he was using echolalia to speak. Echolalia refers to the imitation of words spoken by others and it is common in children who have autism. He began to talk to me about things he saw in Jason that alluded to him possibly having autism. He then gave me some information on a resource to call to have Jason evaluated.</div>
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Here we were, a second doctor suggesting that our child may be on the spectrum. I was heartbroken! I didn't understand. He seemed fine to me. But I thought that maybe I should call the resource the doctor suggested. This particular resource was an early intervention program that evaluated children under the age of three. After meeting with them, they also suggested that he could possibly have autism. Again, heartbroken!</div>
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I didn't know what else to do except to make sure he was at every appointment with the speech therapists. We tried to set attainable goals for Jason. One goal in particular was to have him call me mom or mommy--something that comes naturally to most children. He had not been able to do so up until that point and that devastated me. Then one day, he started calling me mommy, and I was ecstatic! For the first time in months, I had a glimmer of hope.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As all of this was going on, my emotions were through the roof! I cried all the time. Sometimes around others, sometimes alone. I guess you could say I was in mourning. I was mourning the death of a dream that I had for my child. I felt like I was a terrible mother, that maybe I had inadvertently did something that harmed my child. I had so many questions but so few answers: Why was this happening to my family? God gave us this child after we struggled with infertility, so why would he allow our son to be "different"? What will his future be like?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
I went on for months like this--just torn up in the inside. I found myself trying to "hide" my child, thinking I was protecting him from those that may not understand him. I even slowly withdrew from my own friends since Jason was different from their children and I didn’t want them to see him as strange. But that was not what Jason needed at all. He needed to be around others to help develop his social skills.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As time moved on, God would bless us by giving us victories here and there. These victories reminded us that although we were in an ongoing battle, He was still working on our behalf. We were encouraged and determined not to give up the fight.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
To be continued……<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApikjwiYxFa488tmUksfr1yk8wU-P4DpleQ5zLnSFQyUVywhnzst5RrIruGmWf2o4IGN1eSEaprTefWNyLxXWyUr49ykaSA37Q5zzaYhCWvTaKzqCF_fboPcjS6-AJFFzsQC3TMRhICc/s1600/2012_07_26_1165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApikjwiYxFa488tmUksfr1yk8wU-P4DpleQ5zLnSFQyUVywhnzst5RrIruGmWf2o4IGN1eSEaprTefWNyLxXWyUr49ykaSA37Q5zzaYhCWvTaKzqCF_fboPcjS6-AJFFzsQC3TMRhICc/s200/2012_07_26_1165.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason, Jr. at age 2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-28924581403653042322016-04-08T20:56:00.001-05:002016-04-08T20:56:31.950-05:00And Then There Were Three…<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
It's been a while
since I last wrote a blog post. The last few months have been a whirl wind. The
weeks leading up to my scheduled C-section were busy and stressful to say the
least. But on March 4, we welcomed our sweet baby Joshua Alan into the world. The
procedure went very well (compared to when I had Trenton and had to battle
postpartum preeclampsia). We are so thankful for the doctors and nurses that we
had. It made this birth experience much calmer and easier than the last.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
After a three day
"honeymoon" in the Mother/Baby unit, we headed home to start the task
of caring for our baby in the real world. It immediately clicked: There are now
three little boys to take care of. Honeymoon over!! Reality begins! Our days
have been filled with crying, no sleep, more crying and whining--and that's
just me and daddy. We were blessed to have help from our parents for the first
three weeks postpartum. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an
end and we are now on our own again. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Even with this being
my third child, it has been a bit of a struggle physically and emotionally for
me. Many times fear and worry have tried to grip me. I find myself constantly
looking over in the co-sleeper and checking to make sure he is breathing. I also find myself waking to every little
sound that he makes. I am pretty sure it's a common feeling with many moms that
have new babies to care for. Those
concerns, on top of a lack of sleep, will leave you drained at the end of the
day. However, as I continue to heal, I
am grateful for how God has taken care of us and blessed us. Motherhood has
helped me to grow into the woman I am today. And as I walk into this next
chapter of my life story, I know that God will continue to mold me through
these life experiences.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
As for the rest of
the family, everyone seems to be adjusting to the change for the most part. The
boys are truly excited about having a baby brother and I am so thankful for
that. I was not sure how they would react to having another child vying for my attention.
Our biggest concern is that the middle child, Trent, does not pick up or
accidentally hurt Joshua in his quest to "help". But so far, so good.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Our journey as
a family of five has begun and I can't wait to see what God has in store for
us! Send up some prayers for us!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5i2iWnpNhDiA0ZNICSyXwbrE0J7bcgQzHThb_LlJu5Gd0JrGzY0OY77U_8c81jTjAWJho0j6pltU7yoy-pYA-Cq_lflwQ6_-of8xvnZSscu6ijTA_8nUCHz4mu_c4l94GwVzko-Kr9E/s1600/IMG_5231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5i2iWnpNhDiA0ZNICSyXwbrE0J7bcgQzHThb_LlJu5Gd0JrGzY0OY77U_8c81jTjAWJho0j6pltU7yoy-pYA-Cq_lflwQ6_-of8xvnZSscu6ijTA_8nUCHz4mu_c4l94GwVzko-Kr9E/s200/IMG_5231.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting for the first time!</td></tr>
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</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6uz3ww3VelmEJqqcI5vpOFVJhgMB4WM-nzmCLGcrfZj5yf5-K59cwqHkB5cBBHz2WG0H6Qlo6A8XPZSDDUG1AhdJcenKWw5l0ZFiu4y19MIvAbid7hhI9sDngpdkc5nIv_U-tU9WTh0/s1600/IMG_5222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6uz3ww3VelmEJqqcI5vpOFVJhgMB4WM-nzmCLGcrfZj5yf5-K59cwqHkB5cBBHz2WG0H6Qlo6A8XPZSDDUG1AhdJcenKWw5l0ZFiu4y19MIvAbid7hhI9sDngpdkc5nIv_U-tU9WTh0/s200/IMG_5222.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. Joshua Alan Crowe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UGhx5retWFnA2ZqbEmkQE1El9lnspZHdOGCBkJRccWb63tthXAxJvhTIFWv_6bBd2VJVLb2suMW-SspSvi-GhSrpYVSlaF30WxaMTu1Z77vaUgtaCYVfaN4BpT_fSB5ZbmkPKp2-vik/s1600/IMG_5437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UGhx5retWFnA2ZqbEmkQE1El9lnspZHdOGCBkJRccWb63tthXAxJvhTIFWv_6bBd2VJVLb2suMW-SspSvi-GhSrpYVSlaF30WxaMTu1Z77vaUgtaCYVfaN4BpT_fSB5ZbmkPKp2-vik/s200/IMG_5437.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One month old!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-17427391914146324062016-01-09T23:35:00.000-06:002016-01-09T23:35:04.484-06:00Perfectly Flawed!!<div class="version-NIV result-text-style-normal text-html " style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">
<div class="chapter-2" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="text 2Cor-12-9" id="en-NIV-29032" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><i><b><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">9 </span>But he said to me, <span class="woj" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">“My grace<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29032A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29032A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> is sufficient for you, for my power<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29032B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29032B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> is made perfect in weakness.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29032C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29032C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>”<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29032D" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29032D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span> Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.</b></i></span></div>
</div>
<h1 class="passage-display" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.1; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="passage-display-bcv" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; padding-right: 10px;">2 Corinthians 12:9</span><span class="passage-display-version" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline;">(NIV)</span></span></i></h1>
<div>
<span class="passage-display-version" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline;"></span><br />
<div>
<span class="passage-display-version" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Today and tomorrow are two very special days in the year for me. Today is the day that my late grandmother was born back in 1929. And on tomorrow, if God should allow, I will celebrate my 33rd birthday! It has been especially tough around this time of year since "Muh" (grandma) passed away in 2012. There were many years that we would call and wish each other a Happy Birthday and I wish I could pick up the phone and do just that. I may not be able to call her, but what I can do, is take what I have learned from her and apply it to my life as a mother and a wife.</span></span></span></div>
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</span>
<div>
<span class="passage-display-version" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span class="passage-display-version" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline;">
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">This morning, I was having one of my moments of doubt (I have a lot of those being pregnant and all!) where I felt like maybe I am not doing this thing right. "Can I really handle three boys?" "Am I a good wife?". "Am I missing the mark?" Well as I was wallowing in self-pity and going about my day, God reminded me that of course, I miss the mark!! I am not Him! I WILL make mistakes. I WILL NOT always get it right. I am a human being with MANY flaws. But my God is able. He can still use my flawed life to honor Him. Thank God, I AM PERFECTLY FLAWED!</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">My mind quickly went to my grandmother. I am sure she had these same feelings. I mean, she and my grandfather raised 15 children! If I had 15 kids, I would.....well, I don't know what I'd do. I would probably be in a corner somewhere shaking and praying that a cloud of smoke would just come whoosh me away. The point is, they did it. Sure, it wasn't easy and if they were still with us, I know they would say that they had their fears and disappointments too. But they depended on God and He was faithful to them.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">My grandmother did a lot for our family. Much of who we are comes from who she was. Although there would be years at a time that I did not physically see my grandmother (because she lived all the way in Washington State), her example and her love crossed every geographical boundary. She was teaching even when she didn't know it. Through her, I saw what it meant to love your husband no matter what and to allow him to be the head of the home as God intended. I saw what it meant to love your children unconditionally, even when they refuse to listen. I saw how a perfectly flawed person can still accomplish the calling that God has for their lives.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Being a mother is so much more than giving birth or adopting a child. And being a wife is much more than a wedding ceremony and a name signed on a legal document. It's being an example of love, service, and grace. It's realizing that we are all works in progress and that we must look to the Word of God to guide us on our journey.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"></span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="text Phil-1-6" id="en-NIV-29368" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><i><b><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">6 </span>being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29368A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29368A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> until the day of Christ Jesus.</b></i></span></div>
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</div>
<h1 class="passage-display" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.1; margin: 0px 0px 20px; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="passage-display-bcv" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; padding-right: 10px;">Philippians 1:6</span><span class="passage-display-version" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline;"> (NIV)</span></span></i></h1>
<div>
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="passage-display-version" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline;"></span></span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/10514493_10203469025679063_8999137439010934820_n.jpg?oh=8508164ca1125632188e6974112917a1&oe=57006A90" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/10514493_10203469025679063_8999137439010934820_n.jpg?oh=8508164ca1125632188e6974112917a1&oe=57006A90" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muh and I the day of my high school graduation.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="passage-display-version" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline;"></span></span></i></div>
</div>
</span></div>
</div>
LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-36099641931753856762015-12-25T17:54:00.000-06:002015-12-25T17:54:11.627-06:00Remembering Who Christmas is Really About<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Well another
Christmas Holiday is here. We have spent
a lot of time shopping for the perfect gifts for our loved ones. Hoping that, with each gift, they will know how much we love them and care
about them. By now we have probably purchased all of the necessary ingredients
for our Christmas dinner or in my case, made a list of all of the
relatives/friends whose dinners I plan to crash. Christmas is indeed one of my
favorite times of the year.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
This year we are
able to enjoy Christmas with both sides of the family and it truly has been a
blessing. Watching the boys excitement about Christmas grow each day has
brought a lot of joy to my face. No gift we give each other can compare to the
memories that we are making at this moment.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
But let's ask
ourselves "What, or rather, Who is really important?" In all of our
yuletide festivities, let's not forget that Jesus is the reason for Christmas.
That it is his birth that we celebrate. We celebrate the One who would one day
give his life to deliver us from our sins. Whether you believe his birthday is
actually December 25th or some other day, it does not change the significance
of his birth. I am so grateful for
Christ, the greatest gift to this world.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
As you celebrate
this season with your loved ones, enjoy your time together, love each other,
and make memories. But don't forget to
acknowledge the guest of honor, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<b><i>For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.</i></b></div>
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<b><i><a class="bcv" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Isaiah%209:6" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #631e16; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;" title="Isaiah 9:6">Isaiah 9:6</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: start;"> </span><a class="bcv" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/index.php?action=getVersionInfo&vid=47" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #631e16; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; text-align: start;" title="English Standard Version">ESV</a></i></b></div>
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From my family to
yours…HAVE A MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYn26R2s3yffV_krhNyin8aJWCGRwQMXeYRZZuoDAQnNzoGkRifjbXTXRd_ahzuS4dWIfRzYdLtGoZdvs2549PEL6y9kgJ3YJ-0j8NrSptKGfI-JPjeFi67N3sHpHR17diMY2PQ3ibDgY/s1600/image1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYn26R2s3yffV_krhNyin8aJWCGRwQMXeYRZZuoDAQnNzoGkRifjbXTXRd_ahzuS4dWIfRzYdLtGoZdvs2549PEL6y9kgJ3YJ-0j8NrSptKGfI-JPjeFi67N3sHpHR17diMY2PQ3ibDgY/s320/image1.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first gingerbread house was a complete disaster.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjua_VyxqIJhCKitW1ACoVtsZ522NWj__0CaT-LLjZwbVVe7fN_UMdWVsUqd8toIVgZ-jp8fOuSov3pkBNv31RVa9iyP_sUf8TGZpsGN4SGZwPRHKaPew_vUHZcXcRa7u-XPilAoMBrb-k/s1600/image2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjua_VyxqIJhCKitW1ACoVtsZ522NWj__0CaT-LLjZwbVVe7fN_UMdWVsUqd8toIVgZ-jp8fOuSov3pkBNv31RVa9iyP_sUf8TGZpsGN4SGZwPRHKaPew_vUHZcXcRa7u-XPilAoMBrb-k/s320/image2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got to spend time with my beautiful niece.</td></tr>
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LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-67821753043125337802015-11-02T21:42:00.000-06:002015-11-02T21:42:14.383-06:00My Three Sons!!<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
It has been quite a
while since my last post. A whirlwind of events have transpired but I am back
nevertheless! The biggest news I have to share is that we will be the proud
parents of three rambunctious little boys. Yes, baby number three is a little
boy. Although my heart was set on a
little girl, I have come to understand that God's agenda is what I am
following. He knows exactly what/who we need in our lives.</div>
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My last week or so has been spent getting over
the fact that I am not having a girl (Ha!) and changing all of my plans I had
for the nursery. My Pinterest app is probably burning up all of my battery
power on my phone. But I have been getting excited about the idea of raising up
three little men for Christ.</div>
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Now, for a little
transparency. I have to admit that I
struggled the day after I found out I was having another boy. Reality had set
in. I had so many thoughts running
through my head. "But I wanted a
girl!" "How will I handle three boys?" "Lord, I don't know
if I have enough energy to raise all
these boys!!" All of these
thoughts, pulled at me for the next couple of days. </div>
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But God always has a
reason for what he does. Each of our sons has a purpose for being on this
Earth-- a purpose that will bring glory to the Father. A purpose that will
allow God's love to be shown to many. I truly believe that. The world needs
more godly men and I am thankful that God has chosen us to be stewards of his
precious gifts. What an honor it is (and
will be), to be the parents of Jason, Jr., Trenton, and Baby Joshua.</div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Psalm 127:3-5 </span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">New
American Standard Bible (NASB)</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9pt;">3 </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12pt;">Behold, children are a </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12pt;">gift of
the Lord,</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i>The fruit
of the womb is a reward.</i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9pt;">4 </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i>So
are the children of one’s youth.</i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9pt;">5 </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i>They
will not be ashamed</i></b></div>
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<b><i>When
they speak with their enemies in the gate.</i></b></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Proverbs 19:21 </span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">English
Standard Version (ESV)</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9pt;">21 </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Many are the plans in the mind of a man,</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.</span></i></b></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7FZJlRKOs4JAH2SCQTfHBLRfHajcBT4VLkWdou2iF65049LhbI1Elb4s7BKw_xIp4Xmus7NxYYHaI0bmCluaAA3ep_KcWzieENecITx7-i5w7QK4TPgv1pohOgpNPqrOrUxsjeqdfoA/s1600/IMG_5948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7FZJlRKOs4JAH2SCQTfHBLRfHajcBT4VLkWdou2iF65049LhbI1Elb4s7BKw_xIp4Xmus7NxYYHaI0bmCluaAA3ep_KcWzieENecITx7-i5w7QK4TPgv1pohOgpNPqrOrUxsjeqdfoA/s400/IMG_5948.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The big reveal. My hubby was quite sick. He showed up just<br />to help open the box.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-er9-JblFSKf815eb8RkmFpKx3DXkDjCEPeR7PoKyr9FBY_2Bo7cixdmQDBLVAf7ecXUT8iyUgKWb8RS_9xn7hnVQawEfr3vJTAY8QBVZ-LiA-bejFfm0S2qRi5J3vTmyKePzHSb30Io/s1600/IMG_5958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-er9-JblFSKf815eb8RkmFpKx3DXkDjCEPeR7PoKyr9FBY_2Bo7cixdmQDBLVAf7ecXUT8iyUgKWb8RS_9xn7hnVQawEfr3vJTAY8QBVZ-LiA-bejFfm0S2qRi5J3vTmyKePzHSb30Io/s400/IMG_5958.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Everyone that came out to celebrate with us.</td></tr>
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LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-48863845604657632862015-08-26T22:58:00.000-05:002015-08-26T23:01:05.494-05:00Vengeance is Mine, Saith the Kindergartner!<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Life has been quite
busy lately at the Crowe's Nest. My precious first born, Jay, started
Kindergarten this month. I knew the time was coming, but it seems as though it
has gotten here all too fast. For the past couple of weeks, I have experienced every emotion you could
expect from a mom who's child is going to Kindergarten. And I think Jay has experienced every emotion
you could possibly expect from a five-year old who is attached to his mother.</div>
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Tuesday was his
second full day of school. From the
moment his feet hit the ground, the
morning drama ensued. He immediately began complaining of not wanting to go to
school. Because Jay has autism, it is sometimes hard for him to communicate
exactly what he wants to say. Well, not on this morning. He did not want to go and
he made his feelings known. </div>
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Now this attitude is
nothing new to us, but somehow this week it struck at my mommy heartstrings.
Part of me wanted to say, "You don't have to go, sweetie. Stay with me
forever!" But that feeling disappeared quickly. </div>
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Before we left the
house, I told him that we were going to pray<span style="font-size: 11pt;">—</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">something we try and do every
morning before school. So I asked him to pray first. Well what followed was
typical Jason, Jr. I don't recall every
word he said, but it was what I like to call his "revenge
prayer". I heard him telling God
something about "bless mommy to not send me to school". He continued to complain and whine about
school and "tell on me" to God during his prayer. Finally he ended it
saying "In Jesus name, Amen". His dad and I just shook our heads and
continued with a "reverse-revenge" prayer.</span></div>
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Although it was
pretty funny at the time, I started thinking about my own prayer life over the
years. How many times over my life had I
prayed a "revenge" prayer because I didn't like what someone did or said
to me? Maybe I didn't like what my husband said and I just wanted God to
"get him". How many prayers have I prayed that were just nothing but
complaints and discontentment<span style="font-size: 11pt;">—</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">never asking God to help me see Him in my
situation? A lot, I am sure.</span></div>
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Jesus gives us a
wonderful example of how to pray through what we know as the Lord's Prayer
(Matt. 6:9-13). Through prayer, we can take those complaints and bitter
feelings and lay them at the foot of Jesus knowing that His will, not ours,
will be done. Verse 12, in particular,
sticks out to me:</div>
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<b><i>And forgive us our
debts, as we forgive our debtors. (KJV)</i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Forgiving those who
have sinned against us is essential. This is the difference between a
"revenge prayer" and "real prayer".</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">By forgiving the person, we can now pray for
them with a clear heart. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Prayer should be a
time to bring our requests to God in humility, recognizing that we too need
forgiveness. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Verses 14 and 15
continue on to say:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: bold;"> </span><b><i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 12pt;">For if you forgive others their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you,</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></i></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9pt;">15 </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 12pt;">but if you do not forgive others their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (ESV)</span></i></b></div>
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So let this be a reminder, that we must examine our hearts when we enter into our time of prayer.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_u4S4zZwvMtjGVnvAznzpu9oqOREO5dKp48YNXEfdwcyVrm0K9cGJbzfecaIkV2-d712Jp1HhqdpjAWSfdQeWo_5ZNPVFV405XdECAC-PDb0KEgfqH8lfGLJaayMVfgQKJNKXWkagWIk/s1600/2015-08-24+15.51.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_u4S4zZwvMtjGVnvAznzpu9oqOREO5dKp48YNXEfdwcyVrm0K9cGJbzfecaIkV2-d712Jp1HhqdpjAWSfdQeWo_5ZNPVFV405XdECAC-PDb0KEgfqH8lfGLJaayMVfgQKJNKXWkagWIk/s320/2015-08-24+15.51.26.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His first night of homework.</td></tr>
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LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-15609396337858238132015-07-31T19:09:00.000-05:002015-07-31T19:17:13.239-05:00Thank You and Special Announcement!<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
First of all, I would like to say
thanks to everyone who has been reading my blog thus far. It has been an
exciting journey, and I love being able to share my heart with you all. Thank you to all of my supporters and prayer warriors (ladies, you know who you
are). A special thanks goes out to my childhood buddy, Tiesha, (check her
out here at <a href="http://www.mamaamma.com/">www.mamaamma.com</a>) for her
blog knowledge. I pray that God will continue to use me to uplift mothers
everywhere. </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span id="goog_251434888"></span><span id="goog_251434889"></span><br /><!--[endif]--></span></div>
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I also have some
special news to share with all of you. My husband and I are expecting baby #3! That's right. The Crowe's Nest is expanding! We are very excited about this
news (and very surprised). We were definitely not planning to have more kids,
but God has said otherwise. We really thought we were done. I had sold
and given away pretty much everything!
But as Isaiah 55:8-9 says:</div>
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So needless to say
we will be starting completely over, but we are so thankful for how God is
blessing us. The boys are really happy about having a new sibling to be as well. Their reaction was priceless. Everyday they talk to the baby and rub (and hit)
my belly. They are already bonding, and
it's so cute. I am sure many adventures await us. Please keep us in your prayers
throughout this pregnancy (and beyond). </div>
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One last thing, I
want to also congratulate my BFF, Crystal, on the birth of her first child<span style="font-size: 11pt;">—</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">little Miss Olivia!! And congratulations also to my friend, food buddy, and fellow
minister's wife, Felicia, on the birth of her second child</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">—</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">little Miss Sadie! More kingdom kids in the making!</span></div>
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Love and blessings!!</div>
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LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-70865227367377276932015-07-13T22:42:00.000-05:002015-07-13T22:49:09.105-05:00How I Became a Mother, Part 2!<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
When I last wrote,
my husband and I had just found out that I was pregnant moments before we were
to see the doctor about my upcoming surgery.</div>
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We walked into that
fertility doctor's office with the biggest smiles on our faces. It had been a
while since we had experienced this type of joy. They called us back into the
doctor's office and immediately we told him what had just happened. But his response
was not at all what we expected. With as much coldness as you could imagine, he said in so many words,
"it doesn't matter. This pregnancy isn't viable. You still need to have
this surgery." I couldn't believe my ears. He still wanted to do the
surgery! At that point I knew we needed to get as far away from this doctor as
we possibly could. Even if this pregnancy did not make it, his approach to us
was very frigid and insensitive. </div>
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Our hearts
sank! We told him we were still going to
wait and see what happens. We left that office with a determination to never
see this guy ever again. </div>
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As the next few days
went on, my regular doctor had me come in for blood tests every other day. My
hormone levels had been low and they were not increasing at the rate they
should have. It was hard hearing the news that this pregnancy would most likely
end in a miscarriage. And then on a
Friday, it happened. I miscarried. Another disappointment. Another failure, so
I thought. </div>
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The doctors called
it a chemical pregnancy. A chemical pregnancy is a miscarriage that occurs
around week 4 or 5, before an ultrasound can show a gestational sac. It's
actually pretty common and many women don't even know they have had a
miscarriage because it happened so early.</div>
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I cried everyday and
my husband tried to console me as best he could, but at that point there was
nothing he could say. I was at my
weakest. We had told several people
about our pregnancy and now we had to "un-tell" them. That was hard.
Feelings of shame and defeat flooded my soul.
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A few months passed
and the healing process was still ongoing. I wasn't sure if I would ever be
ready to try again. But I continued to meditate on scripture and pray a lot
during this time. One of my favorite
verses that I remember reading was James 1:2,3 (NASB):</div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: bold;">2 </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 12pt;">Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you
encounter various </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 12pt;">trials, </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: bold;">3 </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 12pt;">knowing
that the testing of your faith produces </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 12pt;">endurance.</span></i></div>
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Considering "it
all joy" was easier said than done,
but I held on to that verse anyway. It was just the word I needed. This was
indeed going to be a journey of faith that would require me to patiently wait
on God.</div>
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Around March of the
following year, God spoke to my husband through a dream. In this dream he saw a
card flash before him. There were two names on it: Jeremiah and Seth. There
were other words on the card but they were blurred out so that he couldn't see
what they said. We talked the next day
about it and we knew what "Jeremiah" meant (it related to another
situation my husband was dealing with), but we had no clue what
"Seth" meant. So I did a little research. We learned that Seth was
the third son of Adam and Eve who God gave them to replace Abel. (Gen. 4:25)
His name comes from a Hebrew word meaning "substitute". It was then that we realized what God was
saying to us: He would give us a son in compensation for the baby we lost. Our hearts were encouraged and we decided it
was time to try again.</div>
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May of the following
year, my doctor sent me to another fertility specialist. I specifically requested this doctor after
talking with co-workers who he had successfully helped become parents. The
initial meeting with him was a far cry from the previous specialist. I remember one of the things he told us in
our consult. He said that we were going to look all the possible factors of
what was causing my infertility, but
nothing would happen until God was ready
to touch my belly. After that
conversation, we knew immediately that he was the right doctor for us.</div>
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Over the next couple months, we would proceed
to get my body prepared for having a baby. I lost almost 20 lbs that summer and
in June I finally had the surgery that I needed to have. When he did the procedure, he found that my
Fallopian tube, ovary, and colon had fused together from scar tissue that
resulted from an appendectomy I had as a child. He also found endometriosis.
That surgery ended with the doctor having to remove one Fallopian tube and an
ovary. </div>
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A couple months went
by and still no baby. At this point, the doctor said we would try fertility
drugs the next time around. Well, we
really didn't want to have go that route. All I could think of was that I did
not want to be the next Octomom! So we prayed about it. </div>
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The time had come
for us to begin fertility drugs. Knowing
this, I thought I should just take a home pregnancy test to be on the safe
side. I woke up one morning and went into the bathroom to take the test. A few
minutes later I was running out of the bathroom screaming "We're
pregnant!!" My husband sat up in bed immediately. His smile was wider than
I had ever seen before. God had answered our prayer. Little Jason was on his
way!!!</div>
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When I look back
over our story, I am reminded of how God's timing is always perfect. I see his
hand in everything that took place-- from how he kept us from being in the
hands of that doctor to blessing us to become pregnant just days before we
would start fertility drugs. I am also
reminded of the grace and mercy he showed us. Many times we were about to step
out ahead of what He had for us, but he blocked it. And boy, did he block it! When I thought God wasn’t listening, I now
know that he was. He was there carrying me the whole time. I am emotional just
thinking about it. Nobody but God could have done this for my husband and me.</div>
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Writing this blog
post has been uplifting for me and I hope that it encourages you as well. Your issue
may not be infertility, but whatever it is, I am a witness to what God can do
in impossible situations. Hold fast to the promises that he is spoken in his Word.
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: helvetica; font-weight: bold;">8</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: helvetica;">It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with
you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be
dismayed." - Deuteronomy 31:8 (ESV)</span></i></div>
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Just a few days old!</div>
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LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925766401044247894.post-49873426271268144092015-07-01T09:54:00.000-05:002015-07-09T16:21:27.177-05:00How I Became a Mother: Part 1Hi everyone! It has been a while since my last post. Things have been so hectic around here. We put our house on the market a few weeks ago so I haven't had a whole lot of time to think, let alone write. You can imagine how crazy it is to try and get a house ready to sell with two little people running around begging for snacks every ten minutes. So I am grateful to have this moment to share with you all again.<br />
<br />
Lately, God had been placing on my heart to share my story of how I became a mother. So this will end up being a two-part blog.<br />
<br />
First, let me say that every one's motherhood story is different and the way God chose to work in my life may not be necessarily how he works in yours. However, two things remain the same--<b><i> God is always in control and he never makes a mistake.</i></b><br />
<br />
About a year and a half into our marriage, the desire to have children became very great and we decided we would not wait the five years we originally planned to start our family. So we began trying for children. Six months went by and nothing. My doctor could not understand why we had not been able to conceive seeing as though we were relatively healthy young people. Being the proactive doctor that she was, she started running tests to see if there was something in the way of our conceiving a child.<br />
<br />
I remember the day we got the news from our doctor that there was indeed something not quite right. At the time they could not be for sure, but it appeared that one of the Fallopian tubes (or possibly both) was blocked. She broke the news to us that it was a great possibility that we may not be able to conceive. I was heartbroken and the look of sadness in her eyes only confirmed what I felt. I had so much love inside that I wanted to share with my child. The thought of not being able to do that was painful.<br />
<br />
There were so many thoughts that ran through my head. <i>What did I do wrong in my life to deserve this? Why me?</i> I felt like I was incomplete.<br />
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That day the doctor sat down with us and talked about a plan going forward. One of the first steps was a visit to a fertility doctor. She recommended a local doctor who had been successful in helping his patients become parents. We were ready to get this thing rolling. Or so we thought.<br />
<br />
Upon meeting this new doctor, we found him to be very cold and pushy. It was established that I would need to have some minor surgery to unblock my Fallopian tubes (remember at this time no one actually knew if that was the problem or not). He kept pushing us on having the surgery--really not giving us much choice at all. And all he really wanted to talk about was IVF (which was something we didn't really have a desire to do). We didn't have a good feeling about this doctor at all. If this guy was graded on his bedside manner, he would fail with flying colors. But we were so desperate to find out what was wrong and begin our family, we ignored our gut feeling.<br />
<br />
We eventually set a date for October 17, 2008. However, there was still a bit of doubt about this decision lingering in both my and my husbands head. We continued to pray about the surgery and the infertility issues as the days rolled on. As the surgery date got closer, I thought it may be a good idea to have some blood work done at my regular OB/GYN doctor's office just to make sure I wasn't pregnant before going into this procedure. But I was afraid of being disappointed again. That day, at my desk at work, the Lord spoke to me. He said "Do you trust me?"That's when I left to go to the doctors office and take the test.<br />
<br />
That evening I awaited the results of the test. However, I never received a phone call. The next day was my pre-op appointment with the fertility doctor. I was really hoping to hear the results of my blood test before I left work but still, no phone call.<br />
<br />
As my husband and I drove into the parking lot of the fertility doctor, my phone rings. It was my OB/GYN calling with the results. All I remember hearing is "Your test is positive!" I was in complete shock. <i>Pregnant??</i> A look of pure joy rushed over my husband's face. We knew we had to go into this doctor's office and tell him just what had happened. But the doctor's response and the events that followed over the next couple of weeks was far from what we expected.<br />
<br />
Part 2 Coming soon!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason, Jr at almost 2 weeks old!</td></tr>
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LaBreeska Crowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04421461862324987594noreply@blogger.com1