Welcome to our family's blogging home - where I share life beyond our red door! I hope that you will enjoy your visit with us.
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Things That Make Me Smile
Seeing the kids reading their Bibles on their own
Hearing the ocean
Smelling a cake baking
Remembering our wedding day
Singing in the church choir
Shopping for my family
Feeling good
Reading in the tub
A quiet house
Watching a funny movie with the kids
Seeing my kids playing a game together
Ron's little finger dance
Hearing my kids being excited about church
Watching Ron play with Faith (our dog)
Hearing Ron snoring beside me after he has been gone on a long trip
Chatting with special friends
Feeling hot sand under my feet on a beach somewhere
Game night with Brian & Kim and kids
Spending one on one time with Kim
Double Dating With Brian and Kim
A clean house
Sitting on my front porch in my new rockers
Walking on a cool evening with my family
Losing weight
Seeing my kids make a great play on the soccer field
About The Hunters
My dear sweet hubby, Ron, and I have been married for 20+ years. We began dating during my freshman year at Free Will Baptist Bible College in Nashville. He is my college sweetheart. We have ministered together in various ministries during our lives together. We pastored for 10 years in Florida. We moved to TN in 2000 to Co-Pastor with some friends of ours. The Lord has given me a fabulous provider whom I love more than any words I write could ever express. He is now the CEO at our denomination's publishing company, Randall House Publications. I am honored to support him.
Our oldest child is named Michael. He is now officially a teenager, although I don't think I'm old enough to have a teenager. He is a very sweet and considerate young man. He is my thinker and my reader. He absorbs every piece of new information that he comes across. He loves playing soccer, riding his bike, skateboarding, reading, watching the History Channel, the Military Channel, ESPN and any documentary on TV. I am privileged to be his Mother.
Lauren is our youngest child. She is just 15 months behind her brother in age. She is wise beyond her years. She has a sharp-witted tongue (which sometimes has to be tamed), a quick sense of humor and a heart for people and animals. She loves organizing anything and everything. She loves being with her friends, singing, talking on her cell phone and playing soccer. I am blessed to be her Mother.
Just the knowledge that a good book is awaiting one at the end of a long day makes that day happier.
- Kathleen Norris
After months of serving outside my home I am taking a much needed break to pull “in” and fill my cup. It’s hard to explain what that means because my cup truly is filled when I am able to serve outside my home as well?
What I am learning is that my life has a rhythm that I have to be very aware of. Too much downtime depletes my energy and makes me lazy, but too much time outside my home can do the very same thing.
Right now, I am enjoying the holidays as I pull in to spend time with my family and focus on my Savior. Last night was a precious and perfect example of how I fill my cup. We put our Christmas tree up while Avalon blared Christmas music through our house. I was cooking fajita’s and the smell of sauteed onions and green peppers mingled with my evergreen candles. I heard my boys engaged in laughter as they worked together to put the tree up. My heart was so full I thought it would burst.
I am beginning to see the rhythm of my life. I have come to realize that “spurts” are a good thing for me. I finally get that my personality does better with “spurts”, whereas, I have friends who need daily balance.
Neither is better or worse, right or wrong. It’s finding out who you are and then engaging it without apology. We shouldn’t spend our whole lives striving to become what we admire. Our goal should be to thrive in who God made us to be.
It’s funny that I always worry that I’m not home enough during my busy season and then in the down time I feel like I am home too much. Does anyone else ever struggle with that? Balance is such an elusive creature. I know that it doesn't come naturally, I have to be thoughtful, purposeful and most importantly prayerful. Finding balance gets me to the very throne of God where HE pours out, wisdom and direction.
"Therefore, God elevated him (Jesus) to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father....," Philippians 2: 9-11
Father, as I quiet my heart and bow before your throne may I always keep my eyes on "you" and seek only "your wisdom", "your direction". Show me where to say, "yes" and more importantly where to say, "no". I only want to do your will Lord. Help me to decrease so that you might increase.
Nov. 27, 2009
Strength's Based Living! Change Your Life!
Strength's Based Living!
Mary with Linda Werner at the FPEA State Homeschool Convention
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Loosely based on Romans 12:6-9
Last May I heard Linda Werner speak at our convention on Strength's Defined and it has truly changed my life. Six month’s later and I am even more in love with the heart of this message. Strength’s Defined was an introduction to Strength’s based living.
Strength’s Based living is all about being purposeful with those talents God has given you. It talks about stepping back and looking at who you are, who you really are. Imagine if you quit trying and striving to become something or someone you admired and instead threw yourself passionately into who you already are? Sounds simple doesn’t it? It’s NOT!
Our society has programmed us to think that overcoming our weaknesses is character building. Though I don’t totally disagree with that concept, I do think that we as a society have given that way of thinking too much room in our lives. Overcoming our weakness is all about “striving” and embracing our strength’s is all about “thriving”.
Strength’s based living does not have you ignore your weaknesses, but instead it tells us to manage them. How do I manage mine? I look around me and take note of the people God has put in my life. Most often, those friends who I cherish and adore are strong where I am weak, and so I include them in my management plan. What does that look like? Sometimes they offer words of wisdom, other times they hold me accountable, sometimes they simply listen and pray.
If you’ve noticed I am blogging two days in a row after lots of time off. Last weekend when I spoke to leaders at the "Leadership Tea" I realized that I had been too busy and that I love doing this. Facebook seems to get more attention, because it takes less time and nets lots of immediate feedback, yet it's not the same thing.
Blogging allows me to put thoughts together more completely. I can take my time and process, plot, plan what I want to say. The truth is I've missed it. I have come to learn after 4 1/2 years of blogging that there are seasons when I can and seasons when I can’t. Right now, I am in a downtime schedule wise, and plan to use the next few weeks to catch up and fill my cup through blogging.
If we’re not engaging and embracing those things that fill our cups, energize us, empower us, than our cup runs dry and we begin performing as we try to pour out what we don’t own.
So my Christmas break goal is to share those things I’ve been learning this past six month’s about Strength’s Based Living. I plan to write about my personal experiences because I think real life stories are more powerful than any how-to book.
Not only will I share my triumph’s, but I want to be real and share my hurdles as well. It’s not about getting it right, never making mistakes, but instead this journey is helping me to live out our family motto, “Fall Down, Get Up, Fail Forward, Finish Well.”
“And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18
Lord Jesus, I give thanks today for so many things. At the very top of my list I am most thankful that you called to me and I heard your voice. What an incredible honor it is to be your daughter. YOU never forsake or abandon. I thank you that you breathe peace and healing deep into my soul and that I am never a victim, but always victorious because YOU are in my life.
I thank you that when my biological father walked out of my life to begin a new life w/ a new family that you were faithful and gave me an amazing earthly dad to step in and raise me.
I thank you for mymama. I have so many precious memories. The one that always brings tears to my adult eyes is when I think back to when I was a very young girl and she had just gone through a divorce after her husband had walked out of our lives. She would sit with me while I ate dinner and not eat. I would ask why, and she would tell me that she already had. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized my mom went without, so that I wouldn’t have to. How faithful you were Lord to bring my adoptive dad into her life. I can't imagine it having been any other way!
I thank you for my amazing husband Scott. It seems like yesterday that we were teens working for Publix. Every time they would call the stock boys to the front my heart would beat out of my chest. I can only imagine how nerve wreaking it would have been if I’d known then that we would marry and have four children. (smile) I thank you that he loves me like I’ve never been loved. He believes in me, cheers me on, keeps me safe, protects me, takes care of me and gives his whole life to making sure that I am happy. I pray that I am able to give as much as I get. He is my very best friend and I love him forever.
I thank you for Brandon my first born son. I still remember finding out I was pregnant. I had been married for two years, but was only 21 years old. I loved that child from the very first blue plus sign on the pregnancy test. He has brought his mama so much JOY, so much gladness. Lord, I believe in him and I pray this morning that you would direct and guide every part of his life. May he grow up strong in YOU. May he never favor in his faith and trade the things of heaven for this fleeting life.
I thank you for my Colton. Colton was our second born, but he is our third child. We found out we were expecting exactly three months after a horrible miscarriage. I remember being so scared to get excited or to trust that everything was going to be fine. But little by little, I began to bond with this child as he grew bigger and bigger inside me. He was the only one that I worked full time with and my patients loved him as though he was going to be their grandchild. He was the perfect pregnancy and delivery. I thank you that he was born with learning disabilities because you make no mistakes and that is a part of who He is. It has gotten both of us to your throne and you’ve equipped him in other area’s that blow my typically learning children away. I love his eye for art, his ear for music, his heart for others. I pray that He would always hunger after you.
Lord I thank you for my Seth. Oh this child has a special place in my heart. Once again, I entered into this pregnancy on the heels of another miscarriage. This child came out with his own little personality. Where the first two made me think I had parenting down, this child humbled me and wrapped himself around my heart through lots of learning curves. He is my most academic, but also my most headstrong. I love how much he favors his daddy in personality and looks. I love how he is his mama’s boy. I love how fiercely loyal he is to those he trusts enough to call friend. I love how he loves to snuggle with Scotty and I more than any of the other children and wants to have intellectual discussions about the world around him.
Lord I thank you for my Jacob. My baby, my Omega. I still remember that my progesterone levels were low and how the doctor thought for sure that I was losing him. I’ll never forget going for that ultra sound. I still smile as I remember Scotty meeting me at the doctors office. He had come from work in his uniform and when I reached out to hold his hand he pretended that I was one of his prisoners and said, “Maam, I need you to keep your hands to yourself please”, “Maam, please don’t make me call back up”. He was so good, so convincing and I can still see those patrons in the waiting room not sure whether to believe him or me. (laughing as I type) It is this exact story that illustrates his sense of humor. It made me forget why we were there. Then when they did finally put that wand to my belly they could hardly keep up with Jacob because he was happily jumping all over the place with a strong little heart beat. Jacob is so much like Brandon. He is sweet and outgoing. He is my most positive child. He loves life and others and never has a bad attitude.
Lord, I thank you for my Grandma. Oh this woman is so very precious to me. She has been my rock through everything. When her son walked out of my life, he walked out of hers too. I became her everything as she threw herself into helping me grow up. (and vice versa) I love how close she is with my mom and that though her son abandoned her she gained a daughter. (to this day) I love the example she is to me. She is such a strong woman. Widowed twice before forty. Went back to school at 40 and earned her Masters degree in education. I still remember her 3rd grade class coming in first place at the Pinellas County economics fair. One of my favorite memories is when I had Brandon and he was only two days old. She came up on a Friday evening after everyone else had gone home and we had girl time. We took Brandon for a walk around the maternity wing, ate dinner together, laughed together, remembered together and bonded together. Lord, you already know my heart. I am so scared that I am going to lose her. As she approaches 90, I want her to live 90 more years. My life will never be the same once she goes home to be with you. 41 years old and I still need my Grandma.
Lord, I thank you for my friends. One of my greatest joys in this life has been the amazing women you’ve brought into it. They inspire me to be my best. They believe in me long before I do. They pray for me and encourage me in my walk with YOU. It overwhelms my heart when we can share and relate on a “girl” level. I am so blessed!
Lord, I thank you for Kidney Stones....., “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
Don’t ask why I’m including this, but the Lord keeps putting it on my heart. I had been thinking about this over the past week because I’ve been quietly passing another kidney stone on the heels of my big one from a couple of weeks ago. It’s been 31/2 weeks and I am feeling weary and tired. This second one is not as bad as the one that put me in the hospital, but no stone is “easy”. Why am I thankful?
Because it doesn’t let me get too comfortable with my place in this world. It reminds me that heaven is my home and only there will I live a life without any pain or worry. I love kidney stones because I draw closer to you than when things are wonderful. Pain breeds intimacy w/ my Savior and humbles me. I still see your hand of blessing as you’ve given me the greatest doctors and nurses in the whole world. Dr. Morris and his staff always make the experience less scary, no matter how many kidney stones I pass. (Over 20 thus far and still have 8 left) I just adore them and their hearts for others.
Lord, I thank you for Homeschooling. I’m so glad I didn’t know that I was going to homeschool my children when I was a new mama. It might have freaked me out. Now, I cannot imagine “not” homeschooling. What a joy it is to be with my children as they have their “aha” moments. What satisfaction it gives me to be purposeful in their socialization. I love spending time with them.
I cannot even imagine my life without the incredible friends I’ve met through this journey? We are a tight knit community and it’s a place where we can come together and support one another.
Lord, I thank you for allowing me to serve in our supportgroup. You give me a place to pour encouragement into other moms. It fills my cup so much more than what I could ever give away. Thank you for the incredible people who I serve with. I love them and cherish the friendships we’ve built. Thank you for the members who’ve prayed for me, encouraged me and loved me through my growing process. It’s all about the relationships. (smile)
Lord, I thank you for Time4Learning. YES, I am thankful to our curriculum publisher. Not only was Time4Learning the first curriculum that my children with Processing issue’s could thrive with, but it eventually became a part time career that allows me to use my passions. I thank Time4Learning for hiring me to be one of their freelance writers. I have learned (continue to learn) so much through this experience. It allows me to offer encouragement and I get paid? Life doesn’t get better than that, LOL;-)
I could go on and on, but I need to begin cooking and preparing for a feast-filled, memory-making day. I lift up each of my family members and friends to you this morning and ask that you would capture their hearts to pause and reflect on you. Lord, be with those today who may not have the money to do anything special. I stop this morning and thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such an amazing and incredible God and I adore you Jesus. I know that one day I will close my eyes here and open them there. Thank you for pursuing me with your Holy love....,
For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever...., 1 John 2:17-18
Take voice lessons
Lose 100 pounds
Take a yearly vacation with just my girl friends
Break completely free from the strongholds that have a grip on me
Find a hair style that I'm totally happy with
Become a great grandmother
Live on the beach
Drive a racecar on the race track
Learn to swim confidently
Go sky-diving
Learn to knit
Scrapbook our family's life
Build a house with an inground pool
Own my own laptop
Visit Alaska
See the REAL Eiffel Tower
Take a short term family missions trip
Own a black Jaguar X-Type car
Be a REAL wife/mom who cooks/cleans and everything
Have Lasix Surgery
Bungee Jump
Mary with Linda Werner at the FPEA State Homeschool Convention
I thank you that when my biological father walked out of my life to begin a new life w/ a new family that you were faithful and gave me an amazing earthly dad to step in and raise me. 
I thank you for my mama. I have so many precious memories. The one that always brings tears to my adult eyes is when I think back to when I was a very young girl and she had just gone through a divorce after her husband had walked out of our lives. She would sit with me while I ate dinner and not eat. I would ask why, and she would tell me that she already had. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized my mom went without, so that I wouldn’t have to. How faithful you were Lord to bring my adoptive dad into her life. I can't imagine it having been any other way!
I thank you for my amazing husband Scott. It seems like yesterday that we were teens working for Publix. Every time they would call the stock boys to the front my heart would beat out of my chest. I can only imagine how nerve wreaking it would have been if I’d known then that we would marry and have four children. (smile) I thank you that he loves me like I’ve never been loved. He believes in me, cheers me on, keeps me safe, protects me, takes care of me and gives his whole life to making sure that I am happy. I pray that I am able to give as much as I get. He is my very best friend and I love him forever.
I thank you for Brandon my first born son. I still remember finding out I was pregnant. I had been married for two years, but was only 21 years old. I loved that child from the very first blue plus sign on the pregnancy test. He has brought his mama so much JOY, so much gladness. Lord, I believe in him and I pray this morning that you would direct and guide every part of his life. May he grow up strong in YOU. May he never favor in his faith and trade the things of heaven for this fleeting life.
I thank you for my Colton. Colton was our second born, but he is our third child. We found out we were expecting exactly three months after a horrible miscarriage. I remember being so scared to get excited or to trust that everything was going to be fine. But little by little, I began to bond with this child as he grew bigger and bigger inside me. He was the only one that I worked full time with and my patients loved him as though he was going to be their grandchild. He was the perfect pregnancy and delivery. I thank you that he was born with learning disabilities because you make no mistakes and that is a part of who He is. It has gotten both of us to your throne and you’ve equipped him in other area’s that blow my typically learning children away. I love his eye for art, his ear for music, his heart for others. I pray that He would always hunger after you.
Lord I thank you for my Seth. Oh this child has a special place in my heart. Once again, I entered into this pregnancy on the heels of another miscarriage. This child came out with his own little personality. Where the first two made me think I had parenting down, this child humbled me and wrapped himself around my heart through lots of learning curves. He is my most academic, but also my most headstrong. I love how much he favors his daddy in personality and looks. I love how he is his mama’s boy. I love how fiercely loyal he is to those he trusts enough to call friend. I love how he loves to snuggle with Scotty and I more than any of the other children and wants to have intellectual discussions about the world around him. 
Lord I thank you for my Jacob. My baby, my Omega. I still remember that my progesterone levels were low and how the doctor thought for sure that I was losing him. I’ll never forget going for that ultra sound. I still smile as I remember Scotty meeting me at the doctors office. He had come from work in his uniform and when I reached out to hold his hand he pretended that I was one of his prisoners and said, “Maam, I need you to keep your hands to yourself please”, “Maam, please don’t make me call back up”. He was so good, so convincing and I can still see those patrons in the waiting room not sure whether to believe him or me. (laughing as I type) It is this exact story that illustrates his sense of humor. It made me forget why we were there. Then when they did finally put that wand to my belly they could hardly keep up with Jacob because he was happily jumping all over the place with a strong little heart beat. Jacob is so much like Brandon. He is sweet and outgoing. He is my most positive child. He loves life and others and never has a bad attitude.
Lord, I thank you for my Grandma. Oh this woman is so very precious to me. She has been my rock through everything. When her son walked out of my life, he walked out of hers too. I became her everything as she threw herself into helping me grow up. (and vice versa) I love how close she is with my mom and that though her son abandoned her she gained a daughter. (to this day) I love the example she is to me. She is such a strong woman. Widowed twice before forty. Went back to school at 40 and earned her Masters degree in education. I still remember her 3rd grade class coming in first place at the Pinellas County economics fair. One of my favorite memories is when I had Brandon and he was only two days old. She came up on a Friday evening after everyone else had gone home and we had girl time. We took Brandon for a walk around the maternity wing, ate dinner together, laughed together, remembered together and bonded together. Lord, you already know my heart. I am so scared that I am going to lose her. As she approaches 90, I want her to live 90 more years. My life will never be the same once she goes home to be with you. 41 years old and I still need my Grandma.
Lord, I thank you for my friends. One of my greatest joys in this life has been the amazing women you’ve brought into it. They inspire me to be my best. They believe in me long before I do. They pray for me and encourage me in my walk with YOU. It overwhelms my heart when we can share and relate on a “girl” level. I am so blessed! 
Lord, I thank you for Kidney Stones....., “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 
Lord, I thank you for Homeschooling. I’m so glad I didn’t know that I was going to homeschool my children when I was a new mama. It might have freaked me out. Now, I cannot imagine “not” homeschooling. What a joy it is to be with my children as they have their “aha” moments. What satisfaction it gives me to be purposeful in their socialization. I love spending time with them. 
Lord, I thank you for allowing me to serve in our support group. You give me a place to pour encouragement into other moms. It fills my cup so much more than what I could ever give away. Thank you for the incredible people who I serve with. I love them and cherish the friendships we’ve built. Thank you for the members who’ve prayed for me, encouraged me and loved me through my growing process. It’s all about the relationships. (smile)
