photo credit

Well….Yippeee and Whoot Whoot.

The Big Move is FINALLY here…..

There is Still LOTS to be done over there,

BUT…..I set a date, and well……it’s here!!!

So…what are you waiting for????

….grab your coffee, or tea…or whatever you enjoy on a February morning and head on over to my

New Hangout

Don’t worry, this blog will remain live for a while longer. So you can still venture around and read the archives….but eventually it will ALL point there^^

All new content. Brought to you by much prayer and seeking, and stressing!!

Hope you’ll be blessed by it!!

So head on over…..and subscribe there…

Hurry…go….

Why are you still here????

I’ve been talkin’ this craziness for a loooong time. But it’s for real this time.

After much, much, MUCH prayer……

Changes really ARE coming!!!! I’ve been working behind the scenes on a BRAND new blog. (like a grown up/self hosted one)

New branding. New Layout. New platform…..

I have really done alot of praying about what exactly it is that God wants to use me for when writing and sharing my story. And I don’t know if I have it all right or not. But I’m just going to keep moving forward, until He shows me different!

I pray I’m doing the right things…… I really really just want to be used by Him…in a Real and Authentic way.

Some things I plan to cover more are;

• Choosing Joy (my journey through depression)
• Fitting in/Standing out (being real, finding your place, community, friendships)
• Embracing Chaos (raising 5 boys, working in and out of the home, and marriage)
• Survival (fighting for the Life of a trouble teen
• Random rants (you know…..everyday “stuff” that doesn’t fit nicely in one of the above boxes )

I’ve really been praying about this for a while.  I’ve been working on the new place for a couple weeks. It would be so dreamy to pay one of those fabulous design mamas to help me….but, it’s actually been kinda fun…learning all the “self hosted” stuff. I only pout at the computer like 3 out of 5 times…

So….prayerfully in the next couple of weeks, I will be announcing the new space. Then we will begin the slow transition over.

I pray that you will come with me!

Are there other things that I have shared that have really ministered to you?

Topics that You would love to see me cover?

Please share, I would love to know!

I LOVE that Booksneeze offers wonderful books  for bloggers such as myself, in exchange for MY opinion about it…whether good or bad. That’s it! I’ve been blessed with some AMAZING stuff!

Just last fall I used a Bible study that I received for an actual study group, and it was AMAZING!!! I will probably even use it again in the future!

(but…..they’re changing some guidelines, (for good reason) and I can’t hold on to the same book for like….6 months, so I have to submit this review so I can continue receiving/reviewing great content)

so without more rambling…. I’m going to talk about

Stress-Point:

Thriving through your twenties in a decade of drama

it’s a study (I always like to review studies) but perhaps this one was a little out of my league.

Even being “outside” of the twenties decade, I also lived a very abnormal decade then….not your “typical”

Sarah Frances Martin touches life issues for the twenties, such as career, self image, love/dating,friends, family, money…you know; the typical!

I DO like that their aren’t confusing questions at the end of each chapter. Those always make me feel like it’s a test. In her chapters, she shares some stories, case studies, and then a place for you to journal your thoughts and reflections.

I do wish it was a little simpler. the book is a total of 250+ pages. It does have the leader guide built right into the back, so that’s nice!

Anyway…I actually read the book back in the summer, had to review it again to remember what I read.

It’s a nice study, but probably wouldn’t be my first pick. (even if I was twenty-ish)

Thanks again Booksneeze for the great opportunity!

We write because we love words and the relief it is to just write them without worrying if they’re just right or not. So we take five minutes on Friday and write like we used to finger paint. For joy in the process. No matter how messy the result.

Got five minutes? Come and write with us! (<—Tweet this!)

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. That is like the one rule we all really care about. For reals.

OK, are you ready? I’ve had this word on my heart for you all week. Usually I’m wondering what the prompt will be right up until nearly midnight myself. But this week – this week I think a few of you at least need this word…

Cherished…

Go.

Stop.

Thanks for stopping in. Now write for your 5 minutes, then head on over to Lisa-Jo and link up!

Because, as we all know, the most important rule of Five Minute Friday is leaving an encouraging comment for the person who linked up before you. So getting to feature one of your fine posts is like frosting as far as I’m concerned.

So, set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

OK, are you ready? Please give me your best five minutes on:::

Dive…

Go…

Stop!

Wanna join?….Head on over to Lisa-Jo and join in the party!

It’s #FiveMinuteFriday free write time! <—click to tweet this!

Let’s write.

Set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

Oh and Ahem, if you would take pity and turn off comment verification, it would make leaving some love on your post that much easier for folks!

OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on:::

Opportunity…

Go…..

Funny that on the very day I decide to bring writing back to the basics, it turns out to be a Friday. Where we write for 5 minutes flat. No thinking, no editing….you remember right?

It hasn’t been THAT long….has it?

So (aside from Fridays) I am making opportunities to erite more readily available. and theres just something about this pink keyboard….it creates stress in me.

But a pen and paper……THATS how I want to write. I can piece it back together and place it in the keyboard later….

but on Fridays, I fear I would miss the opportunity to write unscripted. I would surely edit in transcription.

So here’s my oppportunity to share with you.

My plan to write INTENTIONALLY. from the heart. every single day. (even if it only mkes it as far as the notebook.

What opportunities are you looking forward to in 2013? As I may have mentioned, I am “job” searching again…andsecretly praying that God slams the door shut, so that I’ll get over myself.

The opportunity for my son to seek help that I can not give, and to get better…..physically, spiritually and emotionally!

Opportunity is all around us. WHat are you doing to intentionally become aware of them?

Stop!

Head on over to Lisa-Jo and join in…

You can also tweet: “Kick off your blogging year with a flash mob of writers at #FiveMinuteFriday”

 —>Click to Tweet that.

I wish I could start here by saying I will post a page with each passing Day.  But let’s be realistic.

What I will say, is that I fully intent to Live more, Love more, and Write more.

More about His Love Story…for Me!

I don’t have any grand resolutions, they’ll just fail me…or I them.

and as a dear, wise sister in the Lord shared today:

if our resolutions aren’t revelations we’re still just the same ol’ broken horse! and y’all know what broken bones mean for horses…  {{Nikki}}

We need Fullness in Christ, not resolutions!

So, as we enter this New Year, this New Chapter…Chapter 2013; How will You write your story?

Be intentional.

Make it Count.

~Stacey

Score!!

So…here it is:

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 3,300 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 6 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Thanks for visiting me in my little tiny cyber corner….I’m praying about lots of changes in the upcoming year, I pray you’ll be here for them (now If I could JUST get my posts as awesomely decorated as they did….)

I pray a Joyous year of Gods favor for you!

In light of the recent posts about our family struggle and survival mode, I wrote with a tired mind, and felt like it was beginning to get jumbled, and there is still so much I wanted to say. SO I decided to write some feelings out a little differently!

Survival is…

• Admitting you can no longer fight the fight alone.

Survival is…

• Stripping your child of all his comforts, and even some of your own.

Survival is…

• packing up and leaving a family Christmas gathering, only 15 minutes after arriving, because some live differently than you.

Survival is…

• Letting it go and walking away, when others challenge your decisions.

Survival is…

• Carrying through with your decisions when those close to you just don’t seem to understand.

Survival is…

• sticking your ground, even when it doesn’t make sense….just for the sake of sticking your ground.

Survival is…

• Believing in your children when all hope seems lost.

Survival is…

• Believing in your God through every. single. storm.

Survival is…

• embracing in His New Mercies each and every morning.

Survival is…

• Making the decision to choose Joy. Each and every day.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

A Survival mode of sorts. and my sweet baby boys world has come to a crashing hault. and my our world is being shaken.

It is effecting me as a mother, him as a father, and our youngest  is losing his place of exisitance all to often. All to often our every ounce of energy is being consumed by his big brother. Whether it’s because we are stratigically walking the mine field in order to prevent a blow, or if we are taming the flames after an emotional explosion. He loses placement, and I can tell it’s beginnging to affect him, and I’m not quite sure how to fix it.

So, now that we aren’t pretending that it will go away on it’s own. I’m not pretending that God will magically heal him, although I know He can and truly believe He will. I know that we can’t do this alone. We need help! It’s hard, seeking help, receiving help.

His room was stripped of everything aside from a bed, a dresser, clothing, and a t.v for movies. His privelages removed from his reach. No phone, friends, internet, or such. The first day of this was extremely rough for him. He was angry, and obscene, and plain ole emotionally spent. He screamed at us, cursed us, threatened to take his life, and beyond.

And then he has a good day, and that sweet, platinum hearted boy that’s trapped inside emerges. Even just for a while, and you begin to forget. Forget about the battle that your really fighting.

But truth is:

I am exhausted. Emotinally. Physically. Spiritually. exhausted!

We are basically keeping him under direct superision of parents only. Since he doesn’t sleep much at night, we aren’t either. We have pretty much been taking shifts in order to keep him under direct supervision. And when I’m not sure my eyes will withstand any longer, I place myself into a space on the hallway floor just outside his door.

We are no longer allowing him to deny couseling and help. We are becoming more strict, (I think) yet still trying to love him and enjoy him during the moments he allows.

He’s quiet, and well behaved if left unprovoked. I let him sleep later than I should because it’s my only rest.My only quiet. My only small piece of sanity. and As the evening falls he becomes more intense. Even when well behaved, he becomes more active. He has to be constantly making a noise, drumming on furniture, stomping instead of walking, noises with his mouth. and by the end of the day, I’m tired and don’t have alot of patience for it. It’s almost refreshing though, to see THIS type of behavior. You see, our 19 yr old who also struggles with ADHD went through a very similar (evening time) phase when he was this age, and for 2 years we went through doctors, and sleep studies, and neuro psych exams….only to be told he has “idiopathic hypersomnia” ….translation: “it’s any idiots guess why your son is so hyper at night” I mean really, that kid reminded us of a toddler on a sugar high!! and Baely all to often reminds me of him then. And in a strange sort of way, I find a tad bit of comfort in it. Because although our oldest, even at 19 has a serious lack of filter for making good judgements, he’s an all around good kid. laid back, yet funny….

So, I will continue in my Survival mode, but not continue to bore you with it…..(until next time!)