2013-Redeemed!

So HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm a little late but that's ok. What's the saying?? "Better late than never!"

I am THRILLED about this new year! 2013 screams all kinds of awesome things. New beginnings, New friendships, New classes, New gym membership ;-), New healthy menus for the family, New New New!

I absolutely love being refreshed. 2012 is gone! YAY! Sometimes I don't get as excited about a year ending...Some years were soooo good that I had wished I could've kept them longer. 1990, 1995, and 1997 were THE BEST! I had my babies and boy has time gone by way too fast! Some years were terrible and they couldn't end fast enough. 2012 was one of those years. From start to finish there were just bricks on top of bricks thrown on me. It seemed like I was barely getting by in the end. However, 12/31/12 I made it! I made it to the finish line!! YES!

This year I am focusing on one word all year! My word for this 2013 year is.....REDEEMED!



I am REDEEMED! I am so blessed that even in my stress, I've been REDEEMED, in my divorce...I've been REDEEMED, in my fears..I'm being REDEEMED, in my finances...I'm being REDEEMED. Yes!

Ok some days I say I've been redeemed, some days I say that I'm being redeemed. Every day is a new day and some days I need more of a reminder of redemption.

I have no idea what this year has in store for me, I don't know how it will end, but I know that through it all JESUS is guiding me, protecting me, directing me, and loving me. He loves every one of us! He has great plans for us and I cannot wait to see what He's doing in my life and my children!

Happy New Year Friends!

Wanted to share this from Max Lucado.....

God Uses People

Sinners, the ungodly, the imperfect, the fearful!  Why does God choose such losers to change the world? I’m thinking it’s because there’s a lot more of us to choose from!

God uses people to change the world.  Abraham the liar.  David the adulterer and murderer.  Are you getting the picture?  What they lacked in perfection, God made up for in love. How can God possibly use you to make a difference?  Look at those He’s already used and take heart!  Because you are imperfect, you can speak of making mistakes. Because you’re a sinner, you can give testimony to forgiveness.  God restores the broken and the brittle, then parades them before the world as trophies of his love and strength!  If God chose only righteous people, you could count them all on one finger—Jesus!

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Yes, Shawna...ALL THINGS! Happy Thanksgiving!

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV 1984)


I've read the scripture, I've recited the scripture and I've ummmmm failed at believing the scripture!

I'm supposed to give thanks in ALL circumstances? ALL? I mean every circumstance? Say what? But God you don't realize that a lot of my circumstances are very difficult..Yes, Shawna, I do!

I'm supposed to be thankful that my son Devin has Mitochondrial disease? That my son Brandon has bone/hip diseases? Not to mention any of my medical illnesses? Shawna, be thankful that I'm a great healer!

I'm supposed to be thankful for a painful relationship that ended? Yes, I'm molding you and preparing you for great things...you are my child and I have great plans for you! I'm also molding your husband that I'm preparing for you, Don't go out of my will and my timing.

I'm supposed to be thankful that my kids put the clothes ON the hamper and not IN the hamper? Yes, Shawna, you are blessed with a home and children.

I'm supposed to be thankful for hitting a pole and wrecking my car? Yes, Shawna, you are blessed with a car.

I really could go on and on, thankful when the dog leaves a nice big present right in my walkway? when I leave my leftovers in the car all weekend and the car smells baaddd? when my feelings are hurt? when I'm exhausted in the morning and would do anything not to go to work? when I'm running to work at 10:30 at night to print a report for my son that is due the NEXT morning? (nothing like kids waiting until the night before, right?) when I don't know how my finances will work that month being a single mom? when I feel lonely? when I feel overwhelmed? when....when....when....I mean, couldn't we all just keep on going??? BTW- God answered those questions too.

Yes, Shawna, give thanks in ALL circumstances! WOW God, Can I ever live up to your expectations?

Yes, Shawna...with Me you can do ALL things!

I'm so thankful this Thanksgiving! I'm thankful that I have 3 amazing children that know You Lord! I am thankful for my family and friends and so thankful for the struggles in my life. They've brought me closer to God, they've made me go before the throne and admit that I'm nothing without Him and that I cannot do anything without my Lord who gives me strength. 

Hope that you all have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I'm loving.......QUOTES!

I really am blogging still but I keep getting side tracked with life, kids, schedules, friends, and QUOTES!
With Thanksgiving coming up in a few days.. I WILL have a real blog before Thursday. :-)

Quotes, Quotes, and more Quotes....

Pruned and Beautiful.....

Pruned AND Beautiful....

The flowers that are in my picture are from the trashcan at work. See the guys decided to trim the bushes outside and discard the flowers. When I looked outside and saw the can full of very pretty flowers...I had to get my scissors and run outside before the garbage men came.

See these flowers were very pretty and I knew that it was time to prune them so that our garden could flourish...but I saw more beauty in them that needed to be seen by others. So as the guys laughed and rolled their eyes at me snipping in the trashcans...once I was done with the flowers and placed them on my desk...they LOVED them. They keep passing by and commenting on how I made a beautiful arrangement out of trash and that I should do that more often.

I haven't been able to get this off of my heart so I'll blog about it. How many people feel like these flowers?
People just walking past them while they are in full bloom, not really noticing their beauty.

I think that so many people and their beauty (inward/outward) are overlooked, unappreciated, and their confidence is wilted.

Sometimes we need pruning in our lives . Isn't that wonderful to know that even when we are pruned, even when we've been discarded, even when we feel wilted, that there are people out there that pick us up, nurture us, and put us in that special place to shine.



Song of Songs 4:7  "All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you."

Mito Week!!!!!!

This week is Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week!

Mitochondrial Disease needs a cure...unfortunately not many people have heard of it! Help spread the word of this terrible disease that has NO cure at this time.

You can go to the website umdf.org or mitoaction.org to learn more.

My son and I were both diagnosed this year with this disease so it is very important for us to reach out to as many people as possible to bring awareness to others. So many people have this and do not know what is wrong with them because it's not a commonly heard of disease.

Due to the fact that we are both sick right now, I can't write a full blog about the importance of research, funding, and moving towards a cure. Know that people spreading the word is VITAL.

Thank you for helping us move a step closer to finding a cure. muah!

He gives & takes away......

One thing that I have never really liked is....uncertainty. I like to know what's happening, when it's happening, how it will turn out, and if anything changes I have a back up plan in place. Seems tiring? It is, but I like to be prepared. Some call it OCD, some call it controlling, some call it annoying but it never really mattered what anyone else called it because they weren't suffering the consequences when things fell apart, I was.

Even with all of my planning, scheduling, preparations, and and endless thinking...things STILL do not always run smoothly. That's when disappointment sets in. I've come to learn (the hard way!) that I ultimately have no control of what happens. I can plan my course but God directs my steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

Disappointment.....ahhh that terrible feeling that we all feel when things do not turn out the way we wanted it to. I can say without a doubt, that I've been MORE disappointed this year than any in a very long time. The person that I depended on the most let me down, the plans that I made were no longer happening, my son and I were both diagnosed with a disease that has no cure, my house had to be gutted in a day and I couldn't do a thing about it, my kids lost someone that they looked up to, I came to the realization that I am not superwoman! I have more appointments in a week than most have in a year, I'm 42 and not where I thought I'd be by now. Talk about disappointments! Those are only the big ones!

So....why is my title He gives and takes away???  This is where it turns good....

God is faithful! He gives and takes away (Job 1:21) When He takes away....it hurts! We don't understand it and we may never know why but when He gives.....He gives good! Amen!

He's given me a great job! (although I have to remind myself of that when it gets tough..lol)It's been 7 years and they have supported me through some tough times!
He's given me 3 amazing kids that He trusted ME to raise!
He's given me circumstances good and bad....to help me grow.
He's redeeming me from a very bad relationship and allowing me to have the things in life that I deserve... was blinded by the devil's schemes. 
He's given me the greatest friends ever and have made some AWESOME new friendships! I absolutely LOVE the encouragement they've given. You all know who you are. xoxoxo
He's given me a mom and dad that have always adored me.


Yes he's taken away...but I don't want to focus on those things.
I want to focus on what He's given me...even during the past 3 weeks..I've had 45 tubes of blood taken...yes 45! I wanted to crack under stress and my support system lifted me back up with calls, encouragement, visits, flowers, food, prayers. OMG! I LOVE MY LIFE!

Thank you God for giving and taking away......