I'm Still Here!

Six months after beginning this blog, I am here writing a second post.  I probably should have thought twice about starting a new blog during the busiest season for my family.  Three of my four children have birthdays between the end of October and first of December...throw in some out of town guests...Thanksgiving...Christmas...it's just crazy!!!  But, we survived that, and now we are about to enter our second craziest season - baseball season!  My oldest is 11, and he has been playing ball since he was 4 so this has been a spring/summer/fall ritual for seven years now.  My husband, Sean, coaches the baseball team, which means my life is crazy keeping up schedules with the other three kids while they are at the ball field...or trying to load everyone and everything to meet them at the field for a game.  Life with four kids is crazy in and of itself, but I definitely chose the wrong time to start the blog.

That being said, I'M STILL HERE, and I am ready to really get this thing going.  My goal is to post something every day or at least every other day.  I imagine some will be longer than others, but that's okay.  My goal in this is to not only share my heart and life but to force myself to keep writing and not lose the gift and talent God has given me.  I have Josiah (4) at home with me for one more school year, and then I will be here in the house alone throughout the day.  It is my goal to begin working on some sort of book at that point.  I have felt the calling for a long time, but I never felt that it was the right season with my little ones being at home.  But, I do feel that the season is coming.  In essence, it's almost like God is saying, "I'M STILL HERE!  I am still waiting on you to finish that which I have commissioned you."  I have a feeling I am not the only one who is in that spot.  I know that I, personally, have made excuses and reasoned away why I shouldn't be writing.  There is always someone better...maybe I won't make big bucks doing it (or maybe I will)...BUT the one thing I know is that when I do it, I fulfill the calling God has given me.  In doing that, I will be fulfilled.  I am walking in and using the talents He has entrusted to me.  In the Bible, it gives us a story involving talents.  Those who hid the talents the Master had given, in order to preserve and protect them, were condemned.  Those who took the talents and multiplied them were praised.  I want to be praised by God for using the talents He has given me and not squashing them by hiding them away.  I would encourage you to do the same.

                                                                             ~

On another note, I admit that I chuckled when I wrote the title earlier.  Today marks the 22nd anniversary of my husband professing his feelings for me.  It was 1994, and we were only 15 years old.  I could not even date for nine more months, until I turned 16.  So, back then, we just did what we called, "going together." (My mom refers to it as, "going steady.") What in the world does this have to do with that silly title?!  Back in the 90's, Steven Curtis Chapman had a love song out entitled, "I Will Be Here."

I will be here
When the laughter turns to crying
Through the winning,
Losing and trying
We'll be together
'Cause I will be here

And here we are 22 years and 4 kids later...we will celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary in three months...we have had lots of "winning, losing and trying" with much laughter and crying through the years...and you know what?!  I think we'd both say, "I'M STILL HERE!"  I love you, Babe!