Take My Life

Life comes at us fast. This week has been full of sad news for me involving some that I do know and some that I do not know. It was topped off yesterday when I was faced with a situation that brought me to my knees with fear. Maggie developed a fever in the wee hours of the morning on Wednesday. Yesterday morning she woke up vomiting. She was pale and very weak. This is not in of its self abnormal for children, but when I noticed blood in her vomit the alarm in me sounded loudly. I rushed her to sick call at her doctor's office. We waited forever because there were so many kids. I could not keep myself from crying. Seeing all the other moms and dads with there sick children reminded me that life is very much out of our control. And even though I was pretty upset, I knew deep within my soul that my heavenly Father was right there with me. I type this with tears in my eyes and an awestruck heart because I know there nothing too difficult for Thee. Without details, Mags is fine and there it was nothing serious.

There has been a song on my heart that started last Sunday. Tommy spoke Sunday morning at church on marriage and had asked me to join him to talk about friendship in marriage. Yes, the LORD has blessed Tom and I with an amazing friendship. God has built our marriage brick by brick and today I praise Him for it. I know this, but to get up in front of a large group of people and share about it made me anxious. What if I stumble and don't make sense at all? What if my words don't glorify You, Father? All of these doubts weighed on me until God brought one word to me and that was consecrate!! It means to set apart and in this context in which the LORD spoke to me, it meant "Misty, consecrate yourself for Me only and I will do the rest." From this my mind landed on a song that I love. It comes from the "Hymns Ancient & Modern" cd that is produced by the Passion team. I love it!!!!! Go and get it if you want to be blessed by some beautiful music. Anyway the song is entitled, "Take My Life (and let it be)" by Chris Tomlin and Christy Knockels. This hymn sums up what I want to say to God: Take everything about me...take all I am and all I own and most certainly all that life brings my way--it is Yours Lord!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0Byp7aK2DA

I tried to post the video itself, but got so frustrated in the process. In order to keep from pulling my hair out I had to post the link instead. Watch it. It is such a blessing.

The Reasons Why

So obviously I over committed myself. I said the next 5 days my entries I would dedicate to the love Tom and I share. Here it is Friday and even now I am pressed for time. I broke a blogging promise and for that I'm sorry.

This has been a wonderful week with the Love Dare book Crossroads style. So although I slacked with my blogging, the love has been richly flowing here in our home. I think the idea was perfect.
I wanted to just list my favorites reasons that I love to love Tommy and why I am so crazy about him even after 9 years.

We started off very rocky. My past: childhood on....caused some great strain on our first year. To be quite frank about it, I didn't know if we would make it. But God was all over it. The LORD held us steady when the will to fight for our marriage had ceased! So after about 8 months of craziness, it was revealed that we must cling to each other and God that much tighter when all we wanted to do was run. From the outside looking in, things looked peachy. Even my closest girlfriend said she was shocked to learn 8 years later that my marriage was struggling. So if you read this and how now our marriage is thriving, know that it took God saving it. The key was that BOTH of us had a relationship with Jesus. And because of that we can look back and say "Thank you LORD for the rain" Just like that Mercy Me song goes, "if that's what it takes to praise you, Jesus bring the rain" That song is so dear to my heart!

The greatest thing I love about Tom is his His walk with God. Out of that flow all other reasons. I am amazed at his ability and courage to never ever hold back the Hope that lies within him. I am here to tell you folks, what you see of Tommy as a pastor is what I see at home (and more). He is the same no matter where you find him. Don't misunderstand me. He is nowhere near perfect, but he is not fake!!! He inspires me everyday. He has been my greatest mentor. I am constantly learning from him.

I love him because he never goes a day without affirming his devotion and love to me. Right about now you are probably saying "o.k. enough with this mush", but its true. Yes there are days when we disagree and disagree passionately....DUH, we fight is what I'm trying to say here. But a 24 hr period will not go by without us making it right. He is growing everyday in living with me in an understanding way. Now Tommy is not a romantic thinker, but I love him because he really gets me. In a lot of ways, he knows me better than I know myself. It has taken lots of yuck and lots of fun to get to this point.

I love his ability to make me laugh. We are good at laughing together. With the things I do, you have to laugh or be saddened-ha. Remind me to tell you a story about white tigers or bananas on the way to Eureka Springs. Life is fun with him. I am way too serious and intense, but he saves me from myself in this because he helps me to see the humor in things.

All the ways I love him cannot be expressed here in this blog, but I will spend the rest of my life making that man know that a love like mine can only come from our heavenly Father. I say this not for dramatic effect but because I can't contain it!

Here are some little things that get me in a big way:
1. I love to hear him talk sports.
2. the unashamed ways he will make our family laugh (wigs are sometimes involved)
3. the way he takes things apart when he doesn't know the problem (vcr)
4. the way he forces me to do things that I fear (six flags)
5. when calls just to say i love you
6. his spontaneity
7. he flies kites with me
8. when he brings me Starbucks and snickers home as a surprise
9. the kid in him
10. his generosity
11. the way he won't take part in my negativity
12. and on and on and on............

What God puts together, let no man seperate!

When Tommy Met Misty

WARNING: If you don't do mushy, don't read this blog entry [or the next 5]!

In honor of Valentines Day, I will be celebrating the love between me and my mate with this blog for the rest of the week. It has been over 9 years since I first met Tom, but I knew the moment I laid eyes on him that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with someone like him. I know that sounds cliche, but is so true.

Tom and I met at church. He was serving in the children's department teaching. Without knowing Tommy served there (honestly I didn't) , I felt led to try out teaching in the children's department as well. This is where I got to know him. He was impressive in many ways. I couldn't help be drawn to him. Tommy is super friendly and rises to the occassion when meeting new people. He really took the time to talk with me and was very helpful to introduce me to the in's and out's of the children's ministry. I fell pretty quickly for him. The part that I regret is that I probably let him know it way too fast.

At this time, I had surrendered my life to the LORD and was so hungry to do His will. Tom told me later that he had just found contentment with being single. He had come to terms, if you will, with being single. He said very soon afterwards, he met me. Our friendship eventually turned into more and before I knew it we are sitting at Houston's in Memphis having our first date. Our relationship was so easy and God seemed to be in it and all around it. We dated 6 months. And then on November 23rd 1999, he proposed in front of our entire college and career group at church. He pretended that he was going to do a game. He brings 15 or so people up front and begins to eliminate different groups of people (i.e. if you have on shorts, sit down; if you have red hair sit down; and so on). Finally he said "If your name is not Misty Lynn Wilson, sit down". He then got down on one knee and made me the happiest girl ever!! It was a dream.

We were married on April 8, 2000. Tommy Archer is my hero. Not only do I love him because he is my husband. I love him because of the man he is. At least once a day, I tell him how wonderful he is. If you don't believe me, ask him. For the rest of the week, I will confess a few of the reasons why.
Song of Solomon 4:3 has always been our verse. It is even engraved on his wedding band.
"I have found the one who my heart loves. I held him and would not let him go"

Tommy, you are the sweetest thing next to God in my life and "I could not ask for more!"

I'm So Proud

I have heard in the home school circle that when your child graduates, you graduate too. I can totally get that. Back in August I started teaching Wilson to read. Thankfully I had a book (How To Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons) and it is awesome because it gives you a script. In other words, it told me exactly what to say. A fact about me is that I don't mind being bossed around as long as it is for a good cause.

Last Monday just before the ice hit, Wil finished his 100th lesson. That night he spent the night with Uncle Mike and Sissy. This was his pick for a reward. By the time he got home on Tuesday it was starting to get bad. The rest of the week left little opportunity to venture out into the actual book reading world. So I was excited about getting started this week to see if Wil could actually read on a second grade level which is suppose to be true when you finish the 100 easy lessons book. Sure enough he did pretty well. Now he isn't speed reading or anything, but my little kindergarten boy can read a book to me. As he was reading this book to me, I had to fight back tears. I was so proud of him. And proud of me because I taught him.

I know as a home school mom you would think confidence in your ability to school your child should be a must. That is not entirely true. My confidence is in the One who called me to do this. I just trust and obey. So many times I get questioned as to why I am doing this (sometimes I ask the same thing)...homeschooling that is. God has given us many many reasons, but my answer is usually I do it because I know it is what God wants for our family at this time. I taught Wil to read by God's grace (and the book) and I will continue to teach them by God' s grace. When I am weak, He is strong.

Reading is the key to learning. If reading is mastered, then the sky is the limit. Now it is Maggie girl's turn. Oh my. I sweat thinking about it. No really, Maggie already reads to me. She'll pick a book at the library, memorize it word for word, and read it back to me. A child's ability to memorize amazes me. Thanks for letting me dote on my child.