Blessings Disguised as Struggles

I am working under a new attitude, I am seeing things differently and praying for a joyful spirit.  Don't get me wrong I didn't say that I was good at it.....at least not yet!  But I am striving to achieve this new goal.

Homeschooling at Valley Forge

So today I am going to spend time thanking God for our blessings that are disguised as struggles.  These struggles force me to rise above where I am as a mother and a teacher.  I have to constantly improve my knowledge and awareness to be a better parent....and I am thankful for that!

Now, I didn't say that I am always joyful or even come close to being all that they need me to be everyday, but I am a better person simply because I am challenged.  I wish I could tell you that I always enjoy this challenge or that I complete it amazing well consistently.  Thankfully, "His mercies are new every morning",  so I have the opportunity to do better everyday.

Struggles aren't punishment they are opportunities to become something better than we are, keeping us from becoming stale or stagnant.  God doesn't create our hardship but like any good parent He allows us the privilege of working through them on our own accord, but His gentle hand is always waiting to catch us if we fall or celebrate with us when we succeed.

What if I didn't have struggles, what kind of person would I be?

Thank you Lord for allowing me to have these struggle disguised blessings, but please never leave my side because the climb is so much easier knowing that your hand is waiting to catch me should I fall!

Anareese Turns One

You were born on October 1, 2010 and you weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces, and were 19 1/4 inches long.

You were born in Charleston, West Virginia at Women and Children's Hospital and delivered by  our good friend Dr. Paul Dietz.

You now weigh 16 pounds, 12 ounces and are 26 1/4 inches long.

You have learned to make your way along the furniture and have recently started exploring everything that is on your level or remotely close.  

You love to laugh and are always trying to make people laugh at you.  

You love to blow raspberries and do so whenever anyone looks your way.

You don't have a favorite food (which is the problem), but you have started eating 

mashed potatoes, green olives and a few other things occasionally.

You love it when your big brother and sisters play with you.

Your smile is so big and bright it makes everyone around you smile too!

You are always on the move and love to follow around behind Mama.

Your favorite words (and only words) are "dada" and "hi", still no "mama" yet.

   

 You have already visited Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

You had your first plane ride when you were 9 months old.

You love to play with your toy house and kitchen.

Your favorite game is peek-a-boo.

You love it when I sing your special song so you can sing along with me.

You bring so much joy to this family, we are so blessed to have you in our lives!

Happy First Birthday Sweet Baby Girl!

The Enemy In The Mirror

I have realized something about myself....

I am my own worst enemy at times, criticizing myself far more then anyone else ever could.  I have set certain standards and expectations for myself... I will admit that some of these things could be quite impossible to achieve.

I have a tendency to let myself become discouraged when I "fail" or get behind.  My responsibilities are so great because there are so many little ones depending on me.  I know that I will never be perfect, however I will always strive for perfection!

My new attitude:

Embrace the failures because they are opportunities to learn and grow, showing me a new perspective of each situation.  I am learning to laugh at myself more and only measure me.... against me.  I am wonderfully made in a perfect image and because of that reason alone I will strive to always live each day better than the day before.  

There will be plenty of mistakes made today and just as many reasons to give up. But today is different...I will not listen to the enemy in the mirror telling me I failed.  Today I will celebrate every chance I get and not let discouragement steal my joy!

It's going to be a great day!

  

Topsy Turvy Upside Down!

Well our life seems very out of sorts at the moment....topsy turvy to say the least!

We are back in our house for the time being and trying to get reacquainted with our old routine, which is not easy when you have been gone as long as we have.

We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends in both location, which makes this time in our life a lot more bearable!  This year will provide us with many opportunities to learn flexibility, but it will also be a wonderful adventure for our family.

In a lot of ways we are living the year before medical school all over again and we are in a place of wait and see.....yet again.  Soon we will begin interviews for residency and learn where and what God has planned for our family.  This is an amazing time in our lives and I want to make sure that we take in every moment as well as remain faithful to God's will for our family.  

Big things are in store for the Bramlee Family and we are excited to see God unveil His plan for our lives.

Lord, we will go where ever you lead us because we know you will be there with us!

The Journey Through The Storm

If you have checked out my post about Our Story: Video, then you have a pretty clear picture of the highlights of our journey.  But in order for you to get the full picture you need the rest of the story.  


God didn't just start waving a magic wand in our lives and create wondrous miracles, there was a process of transformation that had to take place in us before we ever saw the glory of God!  We started praying and fasting, seeking God's guidance and then we waited.  It was during those periods of wait that we learned that in order for God to move mountains in our lives we had to put down the shovel and quit trying to dig ourselves out.






The funny thing about telling God that you want His will for you life..... you have to let go of the reigns and take a back seat.  This wasn't easy for either Todd or me,  but we truly wanted to see what God could do with our lives... if He was the one running the show.  We realized early on that His plan would be far bigger and better than anything that we could imagine for ourselves.


I have learned to ask God to never let me pray a prayer that is to small.  I can't think as big as He can or plan in the same beautiful details that He does.  So I have a choice, 
 to control it all and do it my way.... and settle 
or
let Him lead...by pushing, pulling, and stretching me to my full potential.

But what you need to know most about our miracle filled journey is that the pushing, pulling, and stretching part.... had a tendency to hurt, a lot!  Unfortunately, in order for us to be the people that God could lead, we needed to be changed and  transformed....
and it was very uncomfortable at times!


During our journey we have had to make choices and sacrifices in order to travel on the path that God has led us.  We were scared and confused at times praying that we were making the choices that were of His will.  We cried out when things got difficult and at times we couldn't hear God through the storm.   We hung on to the promise that He would remain faithful to us, but He required the same of us.


We always prayed for doors that weren't His will to be closed, but sometimes it seemed as if the windows were closed as well and nothing but darkness surrounded us.  
We looked to His word for light
 and reflected on all that He had done to get us to were we where.





We came through the storm because we never took our eyes off of the one leading us.  Yes, we have seen many miracles, but we have seen them because we put aside our own desires to seek God's will, because we knew that that is where we would find our true happiness.  













We saw miracles because we expected them and we never stopped looking for them.




Wen your will for yourself... matches God's will for you, 
you are guaranteed to see miracles!

In The Quiet of The Calm

I have noticed something about my relationship with God, when my life is peaceful and quiet I tend to neglect Him more.   When I am broken and scared I am consumed with His word and I can't think about Him enough.

And then the darkness passes and I start standing on my own a little more... depending on God a little less.  There is nothing I love more than to feel my God close to me, so why do I continue to allow this to happen.  

My God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.... 

My life goal is to make sure that God is the most important part of my day, everyday, no matter what my circumstances might be.  I don't want to be a fair-weather friend, seeking Him only in times of need.  God doesn't want to just occasionally celebrate with me, He wants to celebrate every single moment.  I couldn't imagine Him not being there when I need Him, but yet how often have I had my attention directed away from Him.

I would be heartbroken if my children only came to me when they were hurt or sad, I want the joy of seeing their happiness as well.... so it only stands to reason that my heavenly Father feels the same way about me!

Addyson, Kayla, Bella, and T.C. ~ July 2009

So in the quiet of this calm I will remain faithful to you Lord... so when the next storm comes I will already be holding Your hand!

Psalm 73:28

²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

Conversations With a Three Year Old!

I spent sometime outside the other day with the two youngest little blessings.  As I sat playing peek-a-boo with the baby, my three year old begins to inform me of a few ideas that she has been contemplating. 

She started playing on our playground and showing off her climbing and sliding skills.  My little angel is mighty in attitude, considering her many fears.  So naturally when she began to talk about the slide breaking I quickly chimed in with reassuring words.

However, I soon realized that her comment wasn't fear based at all.  She began to explain to me that if the slide should break, "tomorrow" then daddy could replace it with an elevator.  Then she said with great excitement.... that he could put buttons in it, "and I can push them all by myself, and go up to number four!"

That's when I realized that this new plan was birthed out of frustration from our recent stay in a hotel, where we just so happen to have stayed on the fourth floor.  When your number three of four... you apparently get beat-out on pushing the buttons on the elevator pretty frequently.

I think she did a great job coming up with a solution to her dilemma!  Now, we just need to figure out how to teach daddy how to build elevators.