Trust

Its amazing what you can learn from your children at such a young age. Over the past few months I have had a hard time putting my trust in God on a few different issues that I have previously written about. Making that effort to trust in him and have faith that everything will work out just doesn't come easily for me.

So it took the quietness of my daughter's trust in me to make me realize to trust in God more. Addy has had this new thing where she is standing up walking around and then all of the sudden backs her butt up towards me and plops herself down on my lap without even looking where I am. Ben and I have laughed numerous times at the fact that she does this.

The thing that I am astounded by is that she has so much trust in me that I won't move or drop her or hurt her in anyway. She just backs that cute little toosh up and falls right into my lap.

Imagine if we had that kind of trust in God that literally when we are about to fall; he catches us. Well, over and over in the bible God is pretty clear on putting our trust in him and the promises he makes to us about putting our trust in him.

One verse I learned early on as a child from my parents is Proverbs 3:5-6:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

A few more verses I found very encouraging about trusting in God and giving our hearts full to him.

Jeremiah 29:11 “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.”

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”

Psalm 118:8 “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”

Psalm 9:10 And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Isaiah 12:1-2
You will say in that day:
“I will give thanks to you, O Lord,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.

“Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.”

It is amazing to me how the Lord uses the innocence of a one year old girl to bring me to my knees. Oh Addison, how I cherish learning from you.

Fun in the Sun

Well, I haven't written a lot lately because Addy has had a rough few weeks. She has been getting all her molars at once along with a cold and cough which has resulted in very little sleep...However, we have taken the opportunity to catch some sun by going to the park and then on Mother's Day we celebrated by doing the Race for the Cure. I had a great Mother's Day; Ben and Addy bought me flowers that I can plant, had a great walk at the Race for the Cure, a wonderful lunch with my parents, and caught a movie with my mom. So with that said....enjoy these fun pictures of our sweet girl. Also, notice...Addy has learned to brush her teeth by herself...hahaha

Addy Update

Addy is just a ball of fun. She is doing and saying so many new things. Just wanted to write a few updates for her.

*Addy is walking all by herself, she even tried to sprint this morning when Ben was getting ready to leave...it was quite funny

*Addy is enjoying drinking whole milk and sometimes even gets a chocolate milk treat from daddy

*Addy's favorite words to say right now are Mom, Dad, Bob, and dog.

*Addy loves to copy everything we do, so if we shake her head, so does she.

*Addy gives little kisses. If we ask her to kiss us she leans in and lays a wet one on us.

*We are teaching Addy different words and things by using a picture book. Right now she knows shoes and we will ask her to point those out and she does...its so cute

*Addy is down to one nap a day and sometimes none...FUN!

*Addy LOVES when her daddy comes home...she just screams in excitement. She even hears the garage door open and she knows daddy is home.

*Addy walks around with a pretend purse...its hilarious...she puts things in there and walks around.

*Addy loves wagon rides and playing with friends

*One thing that is nice for mommy and daddy is Addy has become a great sleeper overnight 11-12hrs (she must be making up for the lack of sleep when she was first born)


Well, those are just a few things but more than anything I am enjoying being a mom and being home with my girl. We are truly blessed.

HE is with us

Beware, what lies ahead is very personal but I felt the need to share about the power of prayer and faith that I have experienced. The last couple weeks have really been a test for me about how much faith I really have in God and how much I need to work on trusting him more.

Another gliche in the road happened yesterday. I went in for my check up and they found a lump on my breast. I should say they confirmed the lump that I have noticed for the past couple months. I was really nervous about this appointment and telling my doctor about it because I was worried I would have breast cancer like my grandma (who praise the Lord is a breast cancer survivor).

My doctor didn't seem to concerned but she ordered an ultrasound for today at 7:30am. Again, I was frustrated and wondering why these little obstacles kept coming up. I kept thinking the worst of course and knowing that breast cancer runs in our family, I jumped to the worst conclusions. I thought about what would happen to Addy and Ben, I would miss them; I was scared at the thought of death and thinking Im not ready for that.

Immediately Ben and I let our parents and siblings know so they could be praying. I was really unsettled about this and just felt the whole world crashing in. Again, Ben was so comforting and he was sure everything would work out which made me feel somewhat calm. After talking to both sets of parents I felt better too. However, what came overnight was difficult, I maybe slept about one hour.

I wrestled with myself about not wanting to find out bad news and have to think of losing the life I had. My heart was in so much pain and I just laid in bed a prayed all night and I really felt a sense of peace overcome me towards the time I was about to leave for the appointment.

So, I got up and headed to the doctor and of course I was a half hour early because I was nervous but they got me in right away. I was so pleased going into the appointment because I would know the results right away. The radiologist indicated it wasn't cancer but some of the breast tissue was inflammed and that was it.

Praise the Lord! Praise God for the power of prayer. Our family is such a wonderful group of prayer warriors and for that I am so blessed.

My brother in law, David sent me the verse Isaiah 41:10--So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Today, I felt the power of this verse and how God is really there. Going through this last 2 days was a hill of emotions but God was with me and our family through each step of the way. He knew my needs and he met them. Like Ben always says to me..."God always takes care of us not matter what happens."

I think about this weekend and how we are celebrating the Risen King and I think about what my life would be like if I didn't have him. My life would be NOTHING.

I praise the Lord for his mercies and I praise him today for answering the prayers that so many people prayed for me.

Attitude

So lately, I have been coming to my blog and I will get one sentence in and I just can't write anymore. Ive even asked Ben for ideas/topics to write about and I just can't seem to come up with anything.

The past couples weeks has been a little emotionally draining for me as my former employer decided to appeal my unemployment. It was frustrating because I had worked very hard for him and had always been upright and honest with him. So last week I had to participate in a hearing with a judge so he could determine whether or not I should get unemployment benefits. I did find out later last week that the judge did approve and find in my favor. Which was a huge praise!

So as I indicated this was a stressful situation for me but for some reason I had the hardest time giving it up to God. I kept letting the negative thoughts and worries creep in. I didn't sleep well for 2 weeks until the hearing was over last week. Ben was a HUGE encouragement to me as I struggled through these negative thoughts and I think it was just hard to deal with someone lying about me.

So even though the judge ruled in my favor, I learned that I need to have more faith in God. I watch my husband daily put his faith in Jesus. He does it in a quiet manner by showing through his actions and not words. I have always admired Ben for his huge faith. Whenever something is wrong he gives it to God and that is it. Ben doesn't expect everything to be answered the way he wants it to be but he knows that no matter what, God answers us. Ben has always said "Katie, God will always take care of us." That faith is so amazing to me.

I have been diligently trying to follow in the footsteps of Ben as some other things that have come up and have tried to really focus on what God wants for me and giving him everything. Man, when I give it up, the burden sure is released. Of course, a couple wonderful talks with my hubby helped too.

I've been struggling with my attitude and I tend to be more negative then positive. During this time of year it really makes you think about your attitude and what you do for others.

I want to mirror what Christ has done for us and I can't do that if I am being negative or having negative thoughts. I think about what Christ did for us many years ago this week. He DIED on the cross for us... He did the most self-less act the world has ever seen.

I am really going to try to start watching my attitude and start having more faith in Christ. Because without him, I am nothing.

I am blessed to have a husband that daily shows me what it is like to give my worries and cares to God. I thank Ben for all his support, protection and love that he so generously gives.

1 Peter 3:18
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,

Philippians 2:5-8
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!

GLORY

1 Corinthians 10:31- So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

This verse did not hold a lot of significance in my life until I met the Paxson family. Now each spring/summer this verse is lived out in the lives of our family. This is the theme verse for MN Glory.

Minnesota Glory is a Spring/Summer Boys Basketball Program. The mission of the Glory basketball program is to help elite athletes with their athletic, academic, and spiritual growth. We assist all Glory athletes with their desire to play college ball.

Ben's dad (Dr. Charlie Paxson) started MN glory when Ben was in 7th grade and to this day it is still one of the most elite programs in the state of Minnesota. However, it is the only Christian based basketball program. As I stated Ben was the main reason they started this program and Ben is just one example of the many players that have come out of this program with Division 1 Scholarships.

Dr. Paxson puts a lot of effort each year into this program. The teams aren't just thrown together and then we play. Each year he goes to hundreds of basketball games to watch players during their school season to see if they would be well suited for MN Glory. He goes from as far North as Thief River Falls and as far south as Sioux Falls, SD to see some of the most elite athletes in the state.

After he goes to all of the games, he begins sending out letters to invite each player to tryouts. This year tryouts were held on March 26th for 15,16,17 year old age groups. Tryouts start with registration which is the job of the women in the family to collect tryout fees and get each boy signed up and sent into the gym with a jersey for the tryout. Then the fun begins; the coaches (Dr. Paxson, my hubby and Bro-in law are some of the coaches) and Glory alumni begin to review the players as they go through a variety of drills and scrimmages.

Once this portion of the tryout is over; teams are selected. This is a very difficult time as we do have to cut players. However, we pray each year that the Lord brings us the players he wants to be apart of MN Glory and each year we are not disappointed.

The season lasts from April to August. We have a few tournaments in state and a few out of state. The out of state tournaments serve as the soul purpose to have college coaches see our players so to in able them to get scholarships. These out of state tournaments have so many college coaches it is unbelievable. A couple of years ago I got to see my favorite coach and he was watching our game.... Yes, it was Mike Krzyzewski of Duke.

Once the actual playing season is over...the work is not done. Dr. Paxson gets on the phone and calls ALL and yes I mean ALL the college coaches for these players. He spends thousands of hours talking to coaches about our players and encourages these coaches to give our players a try in their programs.

So, in a nut shell that is just a small bit about what MN Glory is about. Not only do we have players get scholarships but some of these young men come to know Jesus. Praise the Lord for that.

I have been a member of Ben's family for almost 6 years and we dated for 6 years. This is one of my favorite Paxson times of life is watching Dr. Paxson in action working for these young men. Did I mention, he also has a full time job besides putting in thousands of hours into MN Glory?!

I have watched Ben's family spend hours and hours putting effort into this program. I have loved watching this become such a family function. Ben's mom, Cathie does all administrative work---gets hotels, files correct paperwork, makes sure everything is in line and in order, Katie (Ben's sister) has taken THOUSANDS of pictures of the games, teams throughout the years. Ben has played in the program and now coaches. When I came into the family, I got the job of statistician and helped with tryouts. Then when Katie got married to David, he also became a coach and helped to go visit players during the school year.

MN Glory has been a huge blessing to my life and maybe one day our kids will get to play for their grandpa and dad's.

Lots to say but.....

So I have a lot on my mind lately; Addy's first birthday, Revelation-the Lord's coming, positive attitudes, filters, family time, blessings and more but I am not quite sure what to write about yet. We have been enjoying a lot of fun times with Addy and family lately so that has taken up a lot of time.

So today I just decided I would share some fun pictures of Addy.