High School ... here we come!

So much has happened this weekend and I can't wait to tell you all the details but I'm dedicating today's post to our oldest son, Brody.

Today is a very special day in the DiPascal family. It's one of those milestone moments that you have to capture with photos and journaling. So, even though my to-do list is a mile long and people are requiring things of me today, I'm choosing to pause, reflect, write and memorize this special day.

Today is a milestone moment because it's Brody's first day of High School!

I can't believe my little boy is no longer little. I can't believe he's a Freshman this year. I can't believe he's starting to shave his slightly noticeable mustache. I just can't believe it!

We woke up extra early so Brody could organize his new school supplies and get his backpack ready. Plus, I had to allow plenty of time for taking photos. :) Brody bounced out of bed but I was moving rather slowing because I didn't get much sleep the night before.

Last night, I was abruptly awoken by a terrible lightning and thunderstorm. It passed though our area quickly but I couldn't fall back to sleep. After laying in bed, wide awake for 15 minutes, I decided to get up and check on the boys. It was in Brody's room where I decided to linger for a while. After checking his covers and picking up dirty clothes off the floor (yes, even in the middle of the night I'm doing chores), I felt a nudging to kneel down by his bedside and pray. I still remember to this day, my mom praying by my bedside when I was a little girl.

I prayed that God would bless Brody with an awesome first year of High School That He would surround Brody with Godly classmates and teachers. That He would protect Brody while he was on campus and in route to and from home. That He would give Brody favor with his teachers and administrators and that his freshmen days at Pine Lake Preparatory would be filled with wonderful and milestone memories.

My whispering prayers accidentally woke Brody up. He raised his head, looked at me, patted me on the forehead, smiled, and passed out again. He didn't ask what I was doing because he knew already. Ya see, Brody has found me several times, kneeling by his bedside, and praying. My heart's desire as a mom is that he too will remember these special moments just like I did with my mom. That one day he too will kneel by the bedside of his children and pray over them while they sleep.

God had taken what first seemed like an interrupted thunderstorm and turned it into a special milestone moment between a mom, her son, and her God.

When it was time for him to leave, I could tell that he was a little nervous but excited in a really good way. Instead of riding the bus, I let him ride to school with his best friend, Caleb. Caleb & Brody have known each other since they were two years old. As they stood together, laughing at each other, I couldn't help but remember them as little toddlers, playing with balls, Legos and Lincoln logs.

Yes, time has flown and my little boy has grown. Today is certainly a milestone moment that I will remember for a lifetime.

We'll miss you, David

This morning, our nephew, David, packed up his things and left for college. All year long we had been planning for him to spend the Summer with us and what a Summer it has been!

It seems like just yesterday when he pulled into our driveway with his brand new candy apple red Dodge Ram pickup truck. He would also want you to know that it is a dual cab, with standard drive, and has an rockin' stereo system.

David has been an amazing mentor for our two boys this Summer and some how has miraculously kept them from fighting with each other. He taught Brody how to wake board and Carson how to play spoons.

David has also been a great workout partner for my husband, Keith and finally got him motivated enough to return to the gym. I'm seeing muscles on Keith's arms and chest that I haven't seen in years!

David has been an awesome encourager for me. He loves to eat my home cooked meals and is always ready for left overs. Some of his favorite Summer dishes were cole slaw, brownies, and homemade guacamole with chips.

Although David stayed with us for a very short time, he has left his memorable fingerprints on one of us. Memories that will last a lifetime.

Get ready Louisiana Tech... here he comes!!!

We love you, David and miss you already.

It's Official

It's official...

We received a contract on our home yesterday afternoon. Although I had been preparing myself for months, seeing the contract in black & white literally took my breath away.

Now it's time to pray, pick, purge, pack, place, and pleasure.

PRAY - Originally the buyer's agent requested that we be out of our home by September 1st. That would be 14 days from now.... not realistic at all. We've negotiated a date of October 1st. I'm asking God to help us through this very stressful time of transitioning from one home to another. I could spend my time worrying, over analysing, and second guessing the details or I can choose to rest in His plans, provision, promises, and presence. I'm purposefully choosing to rest in Him.

PICK - This will be our fifth home in the four years we've lived North Carolina. With all this moving experience, you would think finding a new home would be second nature to our family but it's not. It's still VERY stressful, especially when it has to be done in such a short period of time. Several of the homes we've looked at over the Summer are no longer on the market so we'll have to start from scratch. We need to find a home quickly in the midst of school starting, my traveling schedule in September, filing my 2008 tax returns (the extension we requested is up September 15th) and hurricane season (my husband is a Catastrophic Claims Adjuster and this is the busiest time of the year for him). I've questioned God's timing in all this but I really need to trust Him even though it makes absolutely no sense to me.

PURGE - Ahhh, the joy of cleaning through closets and drawers. This is when I'll find that cute little tennis jacket I've been looking for or my son's portable hard drive that he misplaced last year. Purging takes time and a lot of patience. However, when it's over with there's a wonderful feeling of freedom that follows. Having gotten rid of extra stuff make me feel a little lighter and much more organized.

PACK - We do all our packing & moving... ridiculous but true. I've given up on moving boxes a long time ago. Instead, I've purchased plastic bins from our local Target & Wal-Mart stores. I can reuse them over and over again. Plus, they stack and store so easily. The only good thing about not hiring a moving company and doing it ourselves is I'm always guaranteed to loose those extra pounds that have some how accumulated around my waistline. I lost 14 lbs during our last move and I still ate whatever I wanted.

PLACE - It's amazing how you can take your stuff, put it in a new spot, and it looks completely different. This is the fun part of moving for me. I like mixing up decorations and having new spots to hang pictures and paintings. It helps me to enjoy them in a whole new way.

PLEASURE - Once we've prayed about the move, picked a new house, purged our old things, packed our belongings and placed them in our new house, it's time to find pleasure. Finding pleasure in our new home will start with prayers of thanksgiving. Telling God how thankful we are that He's provided a new place for us to call home. Asking Him to fill every room with His presence and give us many wonderful new experiences that will be treasured for a life time.

Yes, It's official... we are moving. Although I've dreaded this day and prayed that it would never come, I have to constantly remind myself of the passage God gave me several weeks ago. It was on that very unusual day, when this particular couple, who is now purchasing our home, knocked on our door unexpectedly and asked to see our house. After they left, I sat in my favorite chair, feeling all alone, and questioning God's plan for our future. During those few moments, God brought me to an unfamiliar place in scripture but revealed a very powerful and personal truth to my heart. A truth that I needed to hear then and would tightly hold onto for the weeks and months to come. Yes, He is so faithful!

The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you.
2 Samuel 7: 11

See-Saw Summer

One week from today our Summer break will be officially over. By 6:00am my children will be tumbling out of bed, my husband will be getting dressed to take them to the bus stop, and I'll be in the kitchen making breakfast and packing lunches. Just thinking about it makes me a little sad. The last three months have gone by so fast and as I take time to reflect, the best words to describe our Summer break would be a wild seesaw ride.

When I first think of the word seesaw, I instantly imagine two children alternately riding up and down while seated on opposite ends of a plank that is balanced in the middle but Webster's dictionary has some other definitions for seesaw:

1. an up and down, back and forth movement or procedure.

2. to keep changing one's decision, opinion, or attitude; vacillate

Our family has experienced moments this Summer that have been exciting, joy-filled, and left us with wonderful lasting memories. I call these our see-saw Ups. We have also had some situations and circumstances that have been extremely difficult and challenging. Ones that have left us discouraged, fearful and questioning God's plan for our lives. I call these our see-saw Downs.

Here are just a few...

Up: Our nephew, David, decided to come live with us during his college break. He's been such a joy. Somehow he has this amazing way of keeping Brody and Carson from getting on each others' last nerve.

Down: Two days before school let out, I hurt myself playing tennis and tore a bunch of ligaments in my foot. I spent the first four weeks of our Summer break on complete bed rest, crutches and visits to my physical therapist.

Up: Our oldest son, Brody, went on a mission trip with Testify (a city wide youth choir). While on tour, he had some incredible life changing experiences and spiritually grew closer in his relationship with God.

Down: My husband, Keith, didn't get the big construction project he had worked so hard on. The potential client picked someone else which meant no income for us.... again.

Up: Our son, Carson, went on his very first away camp to Look Up Lodge. Although he was very hesitant about being away from us, he returned home with a huge smile on his face and says he wants to go back next year.

Down: We have a couple from California interested in buying our home. Now I know that your thinking "this is an Up not a Down" but not really. This was our dream home and secretly I prayed that we would be able to stay here for many, many years. Our family has so many wonderful memories living on the lake. The thought of leaving instantly brings me to tears.

Up: My sister is flying in today for a week long visit. I'm really excited and looking forward the time we'll have together.

Down: We had to cancel our family trip to Washington D.C. because I wouldn't be able to walk around on my injured foot. This decision left me with serious mommy guilt that I've had to work through.

Up: We rented a mountain cabin with friends and went to the Biltmore Estate instead. We had a fantastic time, relaxed with friends, and saved a LOT of money too.

Yep, I can honestly say it has been a see-saw summer for our family. We have certainly had our Ups and Downs experiences. We have gone back and forth on many big decisions that will drastically effect our future. We have been guilty of changing our opinion about certain people and certain things. We've had good and bad attitudes and vacillated multiple times on what direction we should go.

Yet something wonderful has come out of this See-Saw Summer. Through all the Ups and Downs, I can honestly say that we did see the hand of God move in our lives this Summer. We have watched as He has orchestrated our circumstances for good. In the center of this crazy ride, we saw doors open and situations unfold which confirmed His love for us. God's daily provision has guided us through some very rough waters.

Although we changed our opinions about people, went back and forth with our attitudes and emotions, and vacillated a lot; God never changed His opinion about us and never vacillated about he plan for our future.

Yes, it certainly has been a See-Saw Summer.

One that has brought our family closer together.

One that has strengthened our marriage.

One that has drawn us to a place of dependence.

One that has lead us to the feet of Jesus where we have found rest, renewal, and strength.

One that our family will never forget.



Lord, who am I am what is my family that you would have brought us this far?
2 Samuel 7:18

When the Load is Heavy

Just last week I had decided that it was time to clean out my office. I had collected way too many telephone books, pamphlets, magazines, books, and office supplies over the last year. If you'd look at my office, it would appear very tidy and clean... from a distance. What you wouldn't see is plethora of stuff hidden underneath my desk, in cabinet drawers and my office closet. Hidden but still there.

I went to the kitchen to retrieve a huge black trash bag, the 30 gallon hefty size, and returned to my office. It took about an hour to completely fill the trash bag. Through the process, I was amazed at how much stuff I had collected. Papers that were once considered very important to me where no long useful or needed. Books that I thought I'd want forever but no longer cared to keep. Pamphlets and magazines that I just had to have but were now dust collectors. Just STUFF that was taking up space.

I felt such a sense of freedom when I tied the knot on my completely full trash bag. It was as if I had shed 10 pounds of weight from my life. I went to carry the bag out to the trash but when I went to lift it up, I realized just how heavy it was. My office is in my basement, which meant I'd have to carry the bag up a long flight of stairs. This was not going to be an easy task.

As I headed for the stairway, Carson came running down the stairs to see where I had been for the last 60 minutes. When he saw me lugging the trash bag, he quickly say "Mom, let me get that for you."

A Good Idea vs. A God Idea - Part 2

Yesterday, I shared with you about the unexpected guests that showed up at my door the other day. It was a Realtor and potential client that were coming to view our home, which has been on the market for several months. I had no advance notice that they were coming and our home was in no way shape or form ready for this surprise showing.

After their little visit, I plopped down into my favorite chair and began asking God a bunch of questions. I sat and prayed for a while then pulled out my bible and began to read some scripture verses that had become my favorites over the last couple of weeks.

I started to think about all the stories I had recently heard from friends and relatives who were trying to sell, refinance or buy a new home. I wondered if we would be able to get financing since Keith is self employed. I wondered if finding another house meant our boys would have to switch schools. I thought about all the hard work involved in moving. The more I thought, the more discouraged I became.

I glanced back down at my bible and flipped through several pages in the book of Psalms. I some how ended up in 2 Samuel 7. It was there that I read a story about King David and how he longed to build a house for the Lord. It would be the permanent resting place for the Ark of the Covenant. When I read verse 11, it was as if a light went off in my head;

"The Lord declares to you that the Lord Himself will establish a house for you"

This verse in my bible was already highlighted, which meant I had read it before but today it had an entirely new and personal meaning to me. God was confirming in His Word that He would establish a house for us. I didn't need to wonder why God has allowed this untimely visit. I didn't need to worry about where we would live next. I didn't need to know all the details. All I needed to do was trust that He would take care of us. Here was my confirmation, right smack in the middle of 2 Samuel, that He would establish a home for us to live in.

What about your current situation? What area in your life are you asking God to establish for you? Here, try filling in the blanks below;

"The Lord declares to __________ that the Lord Himself will establish a ______ for you.

Maybe it's a new job you've been looking for.

Maybe it's a restored marriage.

Maybe it's a better relationship with your child.

Maybe it's a financial miracle.

Maybe it's your calling.

Whatever your situation. No matter what struggles you are facing. Trust God and know that He is establishing something good and everlasting in your life. You don't need to know all the details. Walk in faith, one step at a time, confidently knowing that whatever He establishes cannot be taken away or destroyed.

A Good Idea vs. A God Idea - Part 1

Well, our house has been on the market for three months now. When we originally listed our home with a realtor, I told my husband, "Don't expect it to sell overnight." At that time, I had no idea how true those words would be.

In the past, when we would decide to sell a home, we never used a realtor. We'd just stick a sign in our front yard and within two weeks a contract would be signed. Assuming the same thing would happen with our existing home was a big mistake.

Although I absolutely love our home and would like nothing more than to stay here forever, our finances or lack there of, has required us to make this difficult move.

Last Friday, we received an unexpected knock at our door. My husband had fallen asleep on our bed and I was folding a mound of clothes that some how ended up on my laundry table. The kids were out playing with friends and I hadn't gotten around to making my bed or straightening up around the house.

As I walked to the door, I could see two women standing on my front porch, peeking in through the glass windows. As I opened the door, I noticed that one was wearing a badge with her name on it. At first, I thought they were selling something but as the introductions were made, I could feel the muscles in the back of my neck begin to tighten.

These two women were actually a realtor and potential client that wanted to see our home... at that very moment! No notice. No advanced call saying that they were coming over. No scheduled appointment. Just a knock at the door and a simple request. Well, actually, it wasn't simple at all. I politely asked them to walk around the yard and give me a few minutes to tidy up. Then I flew into the bedroom, woke up Keith out of what appeared to be a very deep sleep and started shoving everything that was misplaced into dresser drawers and closets. Keith ran upstairs, while scratching his head in confusion, only to find that the kids hadn't made their beds either and the game room was an absolute mess!

While panic and pandemonium set in, I kept telling myself, "Just stay calm, just stay calm, just stay calm." The doorbell rang again and there they were, peeking through my windows again.

As I let them in, I apologized profusely and explained that I hadn't gotten around to cleaning up yet. I had a smile on my face but deep down inside, I was completely mortified. No woman wants unexpected company when their house is a wreck... at least, not this women.

The showing only lasted about 20 minutes but it felt like a hour. As I showed them around, the potential client peeked inside all of our closets and storage space. She even had a camera and was taking pictures.

As they left, I thanked them for coming and politely waved good-bye. I then calmly closed the door, walked into my kitchen, looked up to my ceiling with my hands waving and said "What was that for?" I walked over and plopped down into my cozy prayer chair. It was time for God and I to have a talk and I planned to do most the talking

"I just don't get it," I told Him. " You know that we're trying to put our best foot forward to sell our home. We want it to look perfect whenever a client or realtor comes over. We know that each showing is critical and could potentially be the sale we've been waiting for. Why would you allow someone to come over, totally unexpected, when our house is a mess? Is this what you wanted?"

Tomorrow, I'll share with you what God shared with me, after my little temper tantrum. But for now, let me ask you, does God ever do things so totally unexpected that you raise up your hands to Him and say "What was that for?"

Do you often times feel like you have a good plan or idea, one that is all perfect and tidy. Yet, along comes God, only to throw, what seems at the time, a wrench in everything?

Could it be that your good idea is not a God idea? Could it be that what seems to be His will is not His will at all? Could it be that your plan doesn't line up to His plan for you at all?

I'd love to hear what you think...