It is never pleasant to weather storms, the clouds start building, the winds pick up, the skies darken, lightning strikes, and thunder booms. You lay their thinking about it and increasingly feel the anticipation of the down pours of rain. You count every second like it is a minuet and every minuet like it is an hour. You find yourself longing for the sun, for the comfort of day light as if that will make everything o.k. again. You feel so alone sitting there in the darkness as you loose lights, TV, and all the creature comforts you have grown accustomed to. You feel stripped of all power and strength, you suddenly feel like a child wanting to crawl in bed with your parents to feel safe and protected from the chaos swarming outside the windows. You tell yourself it will pass and all will be fine again but you find no comfort in those words as you here a huge crash echo through your house. But as the rains slows to a drizzle, the thunder is silenced and light yet again appears you can suddenly breathe. As the hours speed back up to minuets and the minuets to seconds life resumes and all goes back to normal until the next time. What gets you through those storms? What gives you the faith that all will return to familiar with the simple passing of clouds? I have learned to depend on my faith lately, my faith in GOD through him I believe all things are possible. We seem to be weathering many storms in our house right now. But whats funny is that as my faith grows and strengthens these storms aren't as terrifying. I don't feel lost without direction or all alone. I never feel like I am stuck in the dark, I just keep pushing through following the light to the blue clouds where life is happy and peaceful again. It doesn't get any easier to weather these storms and the storms don't get any less powerful but I have faith that this too will pass and all will be normal again. I think God gives us just what we need when we need it and nothing more to keep us leaning on him for guidance and strength. That way when these storms approach us we can hunker down and weather them with him by our side. Just like our parents were by our side during the late night thunderstorms of our childhood. I am thankful that God has enough faith in me to believe I will survive these tests and challenges and come through it a better christian. I am not going to sit here and tell you we are great and everything is perfect because as some of you know this has been a rough couple of weeks with new challenges but I do know that although I don't always have the answers I am living with someone who does, I'm not talking about Mitch, and I am going to trust him to reveal them to me. I ask for prayers for my understanding and willingness to adapt. O.K. I admit it I am a control freak so I tend to think I have to remain in control of situations at all times but God has blessed me with 3 wonderful kids who keep me challenged daily. Parker has been a picture of health lately but with that we got comfortable and lord knows that is a dangerous place to be. Avery is making the best of the situation and throwing curve balls, well lets be honest she is just launching balls at us from all directions. Jackson is growing before our very eyes into a, very grown up and already been kissed, soon to be 5 year old. And Parker is stuck somewhere between childhood and teenage years, thankfully no kiss. All 3 doing their best to keep us on our toes. I pray daily, but I am asking for special prayers from you guys this week as well. Pray for my wisdom, knowledge, and strength to handle every situation as God would want it handled. I feel immense pressure not to disappoint him since he hand picked me to raise these kids as his own but sometimes I feel like I am spinning my wheels and not getting anywhere. All I know is that without God's input into our lives I would have already had one of these kids on Oprah letting me and the world know how I have screwed them up, and the fact that hasn't happened yet gives me even more faith that this too will blow over and the sun will shine through the blue clouds come morning:)