Farewell 2011

I am not sad to see this year end... too much heartache, too many questions.

A year that began with tears, ends in laughter.

A year that began in chaos, ends with a vision.

A year that broke our hearts, ends with compassion for those who have walked the same road.

A year that changed our lives, brought perspective.

Although this was a hard and trying year.... I say Goodbye to it know that
although I don't have all of the answers that I've been waiting for.. God has proven Himself faithful, as His word says He will!

Always Here...

I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn't there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That You would take my pain away
That You would take my pain away


I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crookedly lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine


When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave Your hands


When You walked upon the Earth
You healed the broken, lost, and hurt
I know You hate to see me cry
One day You will set all things right
Yea, one day You will set all things right


When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave Your hands


Your hands
Your hands that shape the world 
Are holding me, they hold me still
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still


When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave You when...


When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave...

I never leave Your hands  - Your Hand by JJ Heller

I remember sitting in my mom's hospital room and my dad was telling me about a song that he'd heard on the radio. It turned out to be this song, Your Hands, by JJ Heller. Since the first time that I heard these lyrics.. They have moved my heart and renewed my faith. 

This coming Friday marks two years since my Mom suffered a massive stroke. We have rejoiced as we've watched her make marvelous strides and cried out to God when we she has struggled. This journey has not been easy or quick... there have been mountaintops and valleys.. times that I have thanked God for His Goodness and times when I have asked Him where He was in the midst of her pain. Through it all, I know that He has never left us or forsaken us. He was been right here... all along. 

Season's Greetings

Wishing you and your family a very Merry(and belated) Christmas and New Year full of blessings and miracles ...

From The Dellingers 

My Turkey Trotting, Thanksgiving Meal Cooking Update

Dan and I traveled to San Antonio this week to spend Thanksgiving with Mom and Dad.

On Thursday, we ran our first 5k, the Gruene Turkey Trot. I wasn't nervous at all.. mostly. The gun shot and we all took off. It was so great to do this first race with my Man! He's the best. We actually kept a decent pace for ourselves. I spotted a couple about our ages that were ahead of us and suggested that we keep up with them. About three minutes later, Dan said, " Ok, let's back it off babe." I was secretly glad, they were scootin' right along! Clearly, they were younger and
more fit than we are! The last few yards were the best part of the whole race. Two seconds before the finish line, Dan says, "let's blast it out!" It turns out that his blast is faster than mine. He finished at 32:21 and I finished at 32:26. We were happy that we finished and weren't last!

After regaining our composure and beginning to breath again at a normal rate (as in able to breath and talk at the same time).. We rushed home to get Thanksgiving dinner ready. I'd prepped some dishes on Wednesday, but still needed to warm several and
make a few. No pressure on my first solo Thanksgiving... Girls, if you are still able to glean cooking wisdom from your Mom, Do It! Don't take her suggestions for granted. My sweet momma helped me as much as she could, but I needed some major help with this meal! A few dishes were too dry and I learned that adding Splenda to your cranberry sauce, in place of sugar, will make it bitter/sour/gross. I guess all in all it turned out well.. What I mean is... No one got sick.

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all! Shop 'til you drop!

Giving Thanks

Sometimes I feel the need to cry everyday...

Sometimes I feel like the storm that we are enduring will never end...

Sometimes I feel weary and weak, like I can't endure one more battle...

Sometimes I wonder what I could have done to deserve my current circumstances...

Sometimes I wonder if I will ever walk in the purpose that God has created for me...

Sometimes I wonder if He knows my name, knows my heartache, knows that I want to throw in the towel and lose faith...

Then I remember that He has given me promises like these:

2 Corinthians 12:9  - "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness."

Philippians 4:13 - "I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength."

Psalms 71: 21 - "You will restore me to even greater honor and even comfort me once again."

Then, I step back and look at the good in my life and the many blessings that God has given me. I am not going without when it comes to my daily needs. HE has provided.

My family took part in an outreach yesterday. We served our community with our church and helped to deliver Thanksgiving dinners to families in need. We were so overcome with blessing by being a blessing to others. We wanted to keep going and delivering, even after we had completed our assignments. There is such healing in reaching out to another family in need. 

Happy Thanksgiving Week! Give thanks for all that you have been blessed with, even if all you have is your next breath.

Observations From The Scrapyard

As I type this, I'm sitting at the scrapyard, watching what used to be very useful and very expensive objects be discarded like they never had a purpose.

There are cars, furniture, parts of equipment.. All things that were once used on a daily basis, but now sit broken and discarded. It makes me a little sad. But then I remember that all is this "junk" will be recycled and put back together and have a purpose once more.

I feel like our lives sometime parallel this experience... We are thriving and productive, moving through life. Then along comes a trial that knocks us out of productive life and we are broken and feel like we might never have a purpose again.
This verse came to mind:

He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." (Revelation 21:5 NIV)

So when it seems like our life has become nothing more than junk and pieces that no longer fit together, remember, He promises to make us new again.

You Win Some, You Lose Some

Well.. I made it for 13 days. I blogged every day for 13 straight days, until  yesterday. I just didn't have one extra second to post anything. So I guess I am out of the running in the NaBloPoMo.

Life is VERY busy for me these days. Too busy. I am having to work at prioritizing and not really succeeding at that like I need to. It seems so difficult to cut anything out because my obligations are all important.



I haven't been communicating with those close to me as well as I should be...
My home isn't as clean or organized as I'd like...
I missed blogging yesterday...
I haven't run in almost a week...
I only have about 10% of my Christmas shopping done...
I am in charge of Thanksgiving dinner next week and I don't have any of my recipes printed...
I still don't know what I am wearing for our family pictures and they are THIS SATURDAY...

I feel like I'm failing to meet the goals and expectations that I set for myself. But some days I feel like I am running from one task to the next with NO rest or break. Then I fall into bed and remember all of the things that I didn't accomplish that day. I know that I'm not the only one who struggles with this .. But some days it does seem daunting and OVER whelming.

I wonder if anyone else out there is struggling and what you do to get things in order?? Help.. Please!