Easter 2009

He is Risen!!!

How amazing is that? God loves us enough, with all our flaws, to send His only Son to die for our sins. Thank you Lord!!!


I am sorry for not updating this much lately. I have been so busy with the new job. It has been great though! I have worked with some really amazing surgeons. I am at a smaller hospital now. Tuesday, my second day, I put in 4 1/2 hours of overtime! Pray from me as I journey into week two. I am going in early tomorrow and staying late, plus Maddie has a cheerleading meeting, and a PTA meeting later in thr week. Here begins Super Mom mode!!!


Happy Easter everyone!

Our Past

I am now into week two of Beth Moore's Esther. I have already been moved so much. It is amazing to be able to truly dive into God's word. I have also been deeply touched by the other women in the study.

During last night's study video, Beth Moore said something that immediately took to heart with me.


"You can not amputate your history from your destiny."


How beautiful is that!? As I wrote in a blog a few months ago, I have finally been able to forgive someone that has hurt me in the past. However, one of my biggest struggles is forgiving myself of my past. The closer I get to God, the more I find myself asking God why I couldn't have just followed Him to begin with. Why did I have to go through my dark past to get to where I am striving to be now? Why did I have to hurt the people I love? Why did I have to hurt myself? The answer to all of those questions is that God was always using me as a precious vessel of His. He knew that I would be able to reach out to others that are going through what I did then. I would not have been able to relate to others pain if it was for the fact the I felt that same pain. I can truly say that I have overcome my past. I am free from captivity of Satan. I can now help others reach that same freedom.

Beth went on the say how both our past and destiny share the same root of Jesus! Amen to that!!

Allie's 1st Haircut

We took Allie to get her haircut this morning. After what she put us through a few hours prior, when needed to get out and do something! We took her to Cool Cuts for Kids. They did an amazing job! They were so patient with her. She was treated like a princess. Here are some pictures of our baby girl getting her first haircut!

Allie and Daddy waiting to get started




Allie and Mommy




getting buckled




the haircut






Where did my hair go!?




All Done

Only Read/View If You Have A Strong Stomach!

As I wrote yesterday, Allie had her 15 month shots. We knew that she would still be tried from her appointment and agreed that we would let her sleep in this morning. Allie normally gets out of bed around 6. I left the house at 7:40 to take Madison to school. Allie was still asleep. I got home and made Matt and myself some breakfast, which we ate together. Allie continues to "sleep" through this. We begin to get worried and Matt says that we should check on her again because it didn't feel right.
So the morning chaos begins. As I walk down the hall to Allie's room, I am overcome by the worse smell ever! I open Allie's door to discover that she was wide awake. Not only is she wide awake, but she has also decided to take over her diaper, which was dirty! She smeared the contents all over her legs, fingers, face, crib, bedding, and bottle. It took Matt and myself, working as a team to get Allie cleaned up along with the rest of her room.

We learned two valuable things:
1. Never assume your child is asleep. Silence is always a red flag!
2. Always put your child to sleep with pants on!!

Allie is 15 months!

Allison turned 15 months on the 27th. I am amazed at how fast the kids are growing up. They all make us proud on a daily basis.

Allie went for her well check-up today. She is in the 30th percentile for both height and weight! She has moved up on the chart!! It is funny because those that are close to Allie think that she is really big. We remember her from when she was a little over 4 pounds...

She had to get a shot today which broke my heart. Matt is normally the one that takes her to these appointments because of me being the one that works. Today made me really wish that I had been able to start my new job early! Allie's "allie"gator sized tears bought her a ball pit to play in when she got home.

After taking a three hour nap, Allie was finally able to play with her "I'm sorry" toys! Enjoy the pictures!!

MS Stampede

Matt thought he needed to take a close up of me right after I finished!


Saturday was the day I had been preparing for for weeks now. There were many days that I just could not bring myself to get out and run. I realized that I was as prepared as I could possibly be. What I would never have been able to prepare myself for was the weather condition.

When Matt and I woke up at 6am, the temperature was maybe in the low 30s. The constant wind made it feel much colder than that! Matt told me that there would be no hard feelings if I decided to stay home. I knew that I would regret not going.

We get to the event to be pleased by the turnout. I was worried that the weather would keep people in. It was very hard to go around to the vendors because of the wind blowing. We had the opening ceremonies and lined up for the race to begin.

While going through the opening stretches, snow flurries began to come down, HARD! I looked over to Matt on the sidelines when a "Can this really be happening?" look. The race begins and I am up with the front pack. The first mile and a half was ran directly into the wind. It was one of the most challenging things I had to overcome. I so badly wanted to turn around and quit. I had to meditate on 2 Timothy 4:7 and the fact that I was really wanting to show Matt that I support him and will always be there for him.

I did not win the race. I did finish though. Other people actually finished after me! It was a big accomplishment for me to have gone through with this, especially when it became physically tough. I can now say that I have finished a 5K race. Maybe now I can start training for the New York Marathon... Or not!


"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."




Crossing the finish line with a t-shirt, sweatshirt, and jacket on!

Crazy week!!!

Talk about a crazy week...so far!

Madison made it home from North Carolina. She made it back with a fever, strep, and bronchitis!! Talk about a souvenir! She missed Monday and Tuesday of school. While being home sick, she read two Junie B Jones books! I had a parent-teacher conference on Tuesday. Madison is testing on a third grade level in Math AND Reading.

I had my interview on Monday. It was a Medical Center of Plano. They offered me the job! I will actually be making a little more than I was at Baylor. It is a smaller hospital with a smaller case load which equals less stress! I am so excited!! I can't wait to start.

I started my first Beth Moore bibly study last night. It is over the book of Esther. I am truly excited to be able to do this study. Lisa, one of my favorite people from our Adult Bible Fellowship class is also doing the study. I look forward to getting to know her better. I especially look forward to what God is going to do in my life through this study.

The big race is Saturday. I was feeling better about it until I realized it is supposed to be in the 30-40 that morning. I also woke up in the middle of the night with a horrible sore throat. Thanks for sharing Maddie! Who knows? Maybe the temperature will help me run faster! I will post pictures from the event later on in the weekend.

I hope that everyone is having a great week. Let me know if you need anything at all!

Miracles

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.
She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.
Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she
slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall ' s Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.
She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment.
Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!
'And what do you want? ' the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. I ' m talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven ' t seen in ages, ' he said without waiting for a reply to his question.
'Well, I want to talk to you about my brother, ' Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. ' He ' s really, really sick ... and I want to buy a miracle. '
'I beg your pardon? ' said the pharmacist.
'His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost? '
'We don ' t sell miracles here, little girl. I ' m sorry but I can ' t help you, ' the pharmacist said, softening a little.
'Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn ' t enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.. '
The pharmacist ' s brother was a well dressed man He stooped down and asked the little girl, ' What kind of a miracle does your brother need? '
'I don ' t know, ' Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he ' s really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can ' t pay for it, so I want to use my money. '
'How much do you have? ' asked the man from Chicago
'One dollar and eleven cents, ' Tess answered barely audibly
'And it ' s all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to. '
'Well, what a coincidence, ' smiled the man. ' A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. '
He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said ' Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let ' s see if I have the miracle you need. '
That well dressed man was Dr Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn ' t long until Andrew was home again and doing well.
Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.
'That surgery, ' her Mom whispered. ' was a real miracle. I wonder how
much it would have cost? '
Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost..one dollar and eleven cents....plus the faith of a little child.
In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need.
A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.
I know you ' ll keep the ball moving!
Here it goes. Throw it back to someone who means something to you!
A ball is a circle, no beginning, no end. It keeps us together like our Circle of Friends. But the treasure inside for you to see is the treasure of friendship you ' ve granted to me.
Today I pass the friendship ball to you.
Pass it on to someone who is a friend to you.
MY OATH TO YOU...
When you are sad....I will dry your tears.
When you are scared.....I will comfort your fears..
When you are worried......I will give you hope.
When you are confused........I will help you cope.
And when you are lost ..... And can ' t see the light, I shall be your beacon . Shining ever so bright.
This is my oath ... I pledge till the end.
Why you may ask? .... Because you ' re my friend.
Signed: GOD

"Be Strong & Courageous"

When the World Has Gone Crazy
"Be Strong & Courageous"
Joshua 1:1-9

1After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: 2"Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give them - to the Israelites. 3I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates - all the Hittite county - to the Great Sea on the west. 5No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
6"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."


I.Go forward. (vs. 1-5)
Continue to go forward in your daily life. Do not regress or stay the same. God commands us in Matthew 28:19 to "GO and make disciples..."

II. Obey God's Word. (vs. 7)
Every problem in the world would be solved if everyone would just obey God's
word.
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
*James 1:22

III. Consume God's Word. (v. 8)
Consume "spiritual food" just like a linebacker in football must consume food to keep up his strength. Meditate means to think about it over and over until you get it/do it without thinking about it. We are called to meditate on God's word and to do it until it becomes 2nd nature to us.
Success=Abundant Life!

IV. Be strong and courageous. (vs. 6, 7, and 9)
Be strong in God. Do not be discourage. We are never alone. God is with you ALWAYS.



Scripture from NIV translation.

God is good!

I have a job interview on Monday. It is with Medical Center Plano. I would still be doing Open Heart sugery!! Please pray for me. This is the job I really want! Please pray for me to realize God's will for me in all of this.

MS Run - March 28th!

It is almost here! My 5K run for MS. Thank you so much to those who have made a donation. If you haven't been able to, you still have a chance.

You can donate by clicking on the above link.

Email me with any questions:
jamieallred@mail.com

Baby Steps Become Grownup Steps

I got an email from someone that I have deep love and respect for. They were letting me know that they were praying for me and the situation that I am in right now. They told me one of the most brilliant things I have heard in a long time.

They said, "Baby steps become grownup steps."

This really touched me. So often I try to conquer the world in one day. I take for granted how each small blessing adds up.

A hurt marriage will not heal overnight. It takes time and work. Break things down and the with "baby steps" work on each individual issue. With time, and God's guidance, that marriage as a whole will begin to heal.

This is true with any relationship. I think that what we tend to forget so easily is that if our relationship with God is not right, no other relationship will be right either.

I have two people in my life that I love more than anything. There is a big problem with them though. Neither one can stand the other. I am stuck in the middle of their very negative relationship. Both people our Christian. I pray that they would give God control of their relationship instead of expecting me to play God and fix everything. I really wonder if they will ever have a "friendly" relationship. By focusing on "baby steps" with each other (there are years of pain and regret built up between the two that needs to be forgiven) walls will be brought down and healing will begin. I wish they would understand that I am the one being hurt in this...

If there is an issue that anyone of you find yourself going through, first turn to God, and then remember to take the baby steps, instead of trying to overcome everything in one giant leap!

"Be Content"

In continuation of our Sunday morning message series, "When the World Has Gone Crazy."

"Be Content"

*I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything in him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:10-13

*But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
1 Timothy 6:6-10

*Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
Hebrews 13:5

I. Don't buy the lie.
* Hebrews 13:5a *1 Timothy 6:9-10

The lie is that money is what provides us with true happiness/contentment. Just look at the situation with Madoff right now. He felt that he needed and endless supply of money to bring him satisfaction. Now he is behind bars, left with nothing.


II. The "Get Rich Quick" Method:
Godliness+Contentment=Great Gain
*1 Timothy 6:5-8 *Hebrews 13:5b

Just as Matthew 6:33 states, we need to seek God 1st and then everything else will fall in to place. God is the answer to our contentment. Without Him we will be left empty and hungry for more.


III. You were not born this way.
*Philippians 4:10-13

We must:

A. Learn to be content.
B. Learn to be flexible.
C. Learn to be confident.

We need our confidence to be in Christ and not in earthly possessions.

I left yesterday's service with this chorus in my mind:

"His strength is perfect when our strength is gone;
He’ll carry us when we can’t carry on.
Raised in His power, the weak become strong;
His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect."



Scipture if from the NIV translation. Words in bold or either my thoughts or part of what our pastor said.
Photo added because I could not resist!

Writing Prompt

Maddie on the first day of 1st grade.


Madison left for North Carolina last night. She made it there ok and is enjoying her time with her dad. While waiting at the airport, Madison decided to do the make-up work she had from earlier in the week. She has already learned that it is best to get it out of the way. I had placed her homework in my purse so that it would not get misplaced while she was gone. I was in her room, cleaning it like normal, and decided to put her homework in her folder. One of her assignments caught my eye. Enjoy:

Writing Prompt: Make believe you can taste with your eyes. Describe a fruity dessert.

Maddie's response:
I see a ice cream with bananas. If someone is blind they can smell it.

I am so proud of my creative little girl. I see the Pulitzer Prize in her future!

"Smarty Pants"

This past Wednesday was Madison's awards assembly at her school. They do this every six-weeks. This was the first that I was able to go to. Madison was one of about four kids in her class to have all 'E's on her report card. She also got nominated as the "Top Cat" in her class. Each class picks one student that has shown the best all around attitude, best behavior, and best example. Madison was so excited to receive this award.

Maddie with her "Top Cat"



Madison getting her other awards.





Way to go Maddie! We are all proud of you!!

Family

Last weekend we had the joy of having my mom, sister, nephew Braylen, and Cohen come to visit. It was a short visit but still very well needed.

On Saturday, Cohen went with Matt to see the trains at Fair Park. Anyone who knows Cohen, knows that he can tell you just about anything about trains. It is very possible that he knows more about Thomas the Tank Engine than the creator of Thomas!
Here are some pictures of Cohen with the "real big trains!"





While daddy and Cohen were with the trains, the rest of us went to the Dallas Zoo. It was a very tiring trip!
Here are some pictures from the zoo:
Allie, Maddie, and Braylen on the "Alli-gator"



Madison, Julie, and Braylen feeing the birds.


Allie, Braylen, and Maddie on the wooden horse.



We all had a blast. Again, the trip was way too short. We can't wait to spend time with everyone real soon!

Not a great family pic but we tried!

I needed this!!

I have a very dear friend that posted this on her facebook page today. I needed this. It is so true!!

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two glasses of wine . A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar and he shook the jar lightly.. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.' The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your faith, your family, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.


Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time in prayer. Spend time with your spouse and children. Spend time with your parents.
Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

God is there....

I finally got the phone call that I was waiting for. Around 4 this afternoon, I got the call that the tumor was NOT cancerous!! What a relief!? I have developed a hematoma in that area but that should heal with time. There has been an amazing amount of support. Different people have offered to bring meals to us. I still will not be able to pick Allie up for a few days and now Matt is sick and is afraid of making the girls sick as well...

Now that God has answered that prayer request, I will replace it with a different one. I lost my job on Monday. It is been a very emotional and trying time. I was the only one working to begin with. I know things will be ok, God has showed us that by my results today. It is hard not to worry when I look at my girls though. I still have faith....


Thanks again to everyone that has been praying for me and my family. It has been greatly felt!

Waiting....

I had the biopsy on the tumor in my breast at about 3 today. It is now 7 and I am in so much pain. My temp. is at 101.5. I am waiting on the doctor to call back to let me know that my antibiotic is ready. After the biopsy, the tumor remains at 1.7 cm. I should have the results tomorrow and will post them as soon as I know...

Thanks to everyone who is out there praying for us!

Manic Monday (I know it's Tuesday now!)

Yesterday was "just another manic Monday."
Here are some following prayer requests that came about yesterday:

Matt's brother, Mark, was diagnosed with a heart condition a couple of months ago. He was placed on medications and told to wait and see if the issues would resolve itself. He went for his follow-up yesterday and was told that there was improvement but not enough to satisfy his doctor. He will now have to have a difibrillator pacemaker placed. I do not have an exact date but from the sounds of things it will be pretty soon. Mark has a beautiful wife, Amy, and three amazing children, Christopher, 9, Kyleigh, 6, and Caleb is 2. Please pray for them to all feel God's comfort. I also know that finances are a worry right now as they are going to be faced with more medical bills.

I am having my breast biopsy done today instead of on Friday. It is causing so much pain and I am just ready to get over this. I won't be able to pick up or hold Allison for a couple days. She has been a cuddlebug lately and so this is emotionally going to be hard. I just hope that she know I love her and understands that I wish I could hold her.

Madison got in trouble for hitting yesterday. There was a boy in her class that was teasing her for answering a question wrong. She said that she was trying to pat him but her teacher said she was hitting. I pray that she will learn to better communicate her feelings. She doesn't normally act out like this but I still worry about her holding her emotions inside. I feel that she has grown up too fast emotionally.

There is one last request that I have. I wish to keep it private at this time. There are a lot of decisions that need to be made in the Allred home right now. Pray that we will all continue to seek God's will in our decision making.

"Don't Worry"

God has done it again! I have been very anxious about my upcoming procedure(Friday March 13th). God doesn't want me to be though. He made this morning's message just for me actually! I know that we are all God's children and that He wants the best for all of us. I just really needed this message today. I hope that we can all benefit from it. Just like in past weeks, all scripture will come from the NIV translation and my personal thoughts/notes will be in bold print.



"Don't Worry"
Matthew 6:25-34

Key Scripture Verse:
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Matthew 6:33

Matthew 6:25-34
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who are you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lillies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

I. Worrying accomplishes absolutely nothing.(27-29)
Worry changes nothing.

II. Worrying is bad for you.(27)
"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up."
*Proverbs 12:25
Worry kills. It physically destroys you. It is clinically proven to lead to heart attack, digestive problems, depression, and much more.

III. Worrying is doubting God.(31-32)
Instead of worrying about a situation, pray about the situation. God is in control. He knows the outcome of our trials before we start experiencing them. It is legitimate to be concerned. We need to voice our concerns to God. Turn worry into prayer requests and then pray with tenacity. Our pastor referenced the movie "Secret Life of Bees." I have not seen this movie. He gave a story from the movie where a little girl was faced with a lot of trials. She would write her worries down on paper and then go and place that concerns in the wall outside. It is symbolic of giving our worries over to God. It is arrogate to think that I can handle it all on my own.

Please Pray...

Where do I start? Six weeks ago I found a lump in my breast. To let everyone know up front, people in the medical field make the worse patients. I pushed it off as if it was nothing. I thought it would go away. It hasn't. I finally went to the doctor, yesterday, after the lump started to grow and get painful. My PCP was worried and had me go straight to a breast cancer specialist for an ultrasound. I was lucky enough to have the doctor do the ultrasound to where she could give her immediate opinion. She said that the lump is a tumor. She said that is is not a cyst because of the lack of fluid in it. She is hopeful because the mass is well defined which means that it is probably benign. I have to go on March 13th to have an incisional biopsy. Please pray for good results....

March 13th is also going to be hard because Madison will fly that evening to North Carolina for the week. It seems like there are new stories of planes crashing on a weekly basis now. She is excited about going and I am excited for her. She will get to see her baby brother, Henry, for the second time. She is an amazing big sister to Allison and I am so happy for her to be able to be a part of Henry as well....


On a positive note, my mom, sister, nephew, and Cohen will be coming down this Friday! I will see them in less that 48 hours!!! I can not wait to wrap my arms around all of them. It is going to be a short visit but I know it will still be great!!

Ghost Allie

Last night Allie decided to play around with one of her blankets. Madison and I had so much fun watching her. She would run all around and start laughing. I hope this brings as much joy to you as it has to us!

"When the World Has Gone Crazy"

Today's sermon was again very fitting for what is going on in the world today. I hope that you enjoy and maybe gain a little something from it. All scripture reference is from the NIV translation and any thoughts of my own will be in bold print.


"When the World Has Gone Crazy"

"Turn to God"
March 1, 2009

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:14

I. We must confess with humility.

"But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.""
James 4:6

"He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."
Proverbs 28:13

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
James 5:16

Our pastor challenged us to make a "sin list". We are to write a list of our sins that we have not asked forgiveness for. We are to get honest with God. It helps to find someone that can hold you accountable and to be there to pray for you through life's journey.

II. We must pray with tenacity.

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."
Colossians 4:2

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests."
Ephesians 6:18

Pray daily with PASSION. Don't just pray on a whim. Get on your kness and beg. Make a notecard with the titles: date, request, and answer. The date is when you start the request. Write your detailed prayer request on the card. Pray daily over that request and then write the date that the prayer was answered.

III. We must seek God with intensity.

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
Hebrews 11:6

"But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lord your God and obey him. For the Lord your God is a merciful God;"
Deuteronomy 4:29-31(a)

I know that I am often guilty of wanting to know where God is in the hard times. He wants us to long for him. He wants us to trust in Him alone to bring us through. We need to put God in control.

IV. We must repent with sincerity.
"People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power. Having nothing to do with them."
2 Timothy 3:2-5

CHANGE OF THOUGHT PROCESS = CHANGE IN THE WAY YOU LIVE
We must teach our children by our actions and not just by our words.

"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."
Acts 3:19

I love my job!!

I am so blessed to be in a job that I love. I pray that everyone can make a career in something that they are truly passionate about. I really hope that I can one day go on a mission trip in which I am able to use my job to provide for those less fortunate in finding top medical care. I love watching medical shows and reading articles on ways to improve medical care.

One thing that I love about getting deep in God's word is the fact that you seldomly get the exact same thing out of scripture twice. It is amazing how your situation can change how you read. For the first time in a long time, I have decided to start at the beginning, in Genesis. I was very excited, like a child in a candy store, to read Genesis 2 this morning. That is where I read about our first surgical case! It included anesthisia and everything!!

Talk about having pressure on anesthesia providers of today. They have to follow how God provided surgical care. How do you top that!? So I learned that Adam had the first thoracotomy ever. He clearly did not have any post surgery complications seeing how he went out started populating the rest of the world!!!

"So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was
sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh."

Genesis 2:21(NIV)

Again, I love my job. Even more, I love my God and I thank him for blessing me with the job that I have. I pray that I can help provide the same type of care for others that God provides for us.

Reflections from the past week...

I am going to do my best to give a weekly updated on individual family members... asside from the ramblings of my mind!! Welcome to the first edition from this past week. Enjoy!!


It is amazing how fast the days seem to go by. The girls are growing up so fast now! I am so proud of them both.


Madison got her 4th six weeks report card on Thursday. She scored the highest that she could in every area. She begins the "New Believers" class at church tomorrow. I am so excited that she gets to take part in it with my niece, Kyleigh, who also just accepted Christ into her heart. Madison is exactly 3 months older than Kyleigh and they were instant best friends. Madison has finished her AWANAs workbook. She has had a blast memorizing scripture and being able to get more into God's word. One of my favorite "Maddie moments" from this week actually occured this morning... It went something like this:
We were listening to the song "Happy Day".
"Mommy. I know this song. They sing it on Oprah."
"Oh really Maddie? When have you watched Oprah?"
"Mom. It's the place where all the fat people sing!"
I then come to the realization that she is talking about the opera. I was so proud....



Little Miss Allie is all over the place, as usual! She is our independant one. She was never the baby that wanted to be rocked to sleep. Actually, it is a true struggle to get her to sleep anywhere other than her crib. Even now, she will go in her room and play by herself for hours on end. I love to listen in on the conversations she has with her stuffed animals. She sure does talk to them like she means bussiness! My favorite "Allie Moment" came on Thursday. I came home early from work due to the fact that I had a sternal wire go through my finger as we were closing a patient's chest.... I was laying on the couch and Allie came over and took my badge. She sat on the floor and would say "Momma" as she would pat my badge. She did this for several minutes. After she put my badge down we would ask her where her Momma was. Instead of coming to me, she would go and get my badge and pat it! It was too sweet, especially coming from the child that only cared about her Daddy for the first year!!!



I don't blame Allie for saying Daddy more than Momma. She has an amazing daddy. I pray on a regular basis that when the girls are older, MUCH older, they will find a man like Matt. He does so much for our family. Please be in prayer for him though. He is still in a lot of pain. We went to the neurologist this week and the neurologist decided to try him on some new medications. They will take some time to get in his system but hopefully he will soon get some relief. His neurologist also wants him to get in to physical therapy. My favorite "Matt Moment" came just a few minutes ago. I have been eyeing this piece of furniture at Matt's brother and sister-in-laws house for as long as I can remember. Well, my moment happend when I watched Matt carry that piece into our living room!!! Yes, Mark and Amy gave it to us. It was not stolen!! I love it so much. I am not sure how to describe it but it is perfect. I will put pictures up tomorrow... It is a place where I can sit and read and just escape for a while... I just love it!! Thank you Matt for dropping what you were doing to go and pick it up for me! Thank you to Mark and Amy for blessing us with this piece of furniture!! I am pretty lucky...NOT spoiled...just loved!!!



Again, I will do my best to have updates on everyone. Change is constant. Please remember to not take the ones you love for granted. Cherish it all...

Happy Birthday Christopher!!!

We are getting ready to go to my nephew's birthday party. Christopher is such a brillant young man and is truly a miracle child. I am so blessed to be his aunt and to be able to see him on a regular basis.

His party has been really hard to get to though. With me being the, not so brillant, aunt that I am, will be heading to his party for the second time in around 15 minutes.... Last Saturday, I rushed the girls and Matt to hurry and get ready to go to his party. We were five minutes away when Matt's mom called us to see what we were doing. We told her we were on the way to the party when she informed us that we were a week early! Talk about being embarassed!! Needless to say, after the test run last week, all four of us are ready to celebrate Christopher's special day with him!


Happy Birthday Christopher! We all love you so much and are very proud of the young man you are becoming...

Savior, Please

Part of my morning routine, which begins at 4:30 am, is listening to one of the local Christian stations during my 20 minute morning commute. Several weeks ago, I heard a song that totally changed how I felt inside. One of my main struggles has been dealing with the thoughts of how I have to be strong for everyone in my family. Please don't get me wrong, I am blessed to have the husband and children that I do. I just get tired sometimes. Well, this new song said everything that I had been feeling and made me realize that I was again trying to conquer this world on my own and not depending on God to help me. I listen to this song whenever I can and it still bring tears to my eyes. I hope that you all get a chance to hear it. I have the lyrics below:



Josh Wilson's "Savior, Please"

(Josh and I actually went to the same high school. He graduated the year after I did. As Madison says, "Mommy, you know someone famous!")

Savior, please take my hand
I work so hard, I live so fast
This life begins, and then it ends
And I do the best that I can, but I don't know how long I'll last

I try to be so tough
But I'm just not strong enough
I can't do this alone, God I need You to hold on to me
I try to be good enough
But I'm nothing without Your love
Savior, please keep saving me

Savior, please help me stand
I fall so hard, I fade so fast
Will You begin right where I end
And be the God of all I am because You're all I have

Hallelujah
Everything You are to me
Is everything I'll ever need
And I am learning to believe
That I don't have to prove a thing
'Cause You're the one who's saving me

"Well done, good and faithful servant!"

It is a constant worry of mine that I am not meeting my potential. I worry that I am not a good enough wife, mother, and worker. One of my greatest fears is to learn that I have failed someone that I love. I guess that it is time for me to realize and accept the fact that I am only human.

I think that I am getting closer to accepting that others don't expect 100% perfection from me. I spent today working with a heart surgeon that is know for his short temper and split-personality. We replaced our patient's mitral valve. At the end of the case, the surgeon look over to me and said that I did an amazing job and that he gave me the grade of 100. If this had happend yesterday, I would have screamed with excitment. However, as soon as I heard the words that I normally long to hear, I immediately started to think of how much I want to hear those words from God when I get to Heaven.

"His master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"

*Matthew 25:21

The lightbulb finally came on for me! As long as I am truly living my life for God, everything else will fall in place. I am so excited to live the rest of my life letting God live through me. After all, it isn't my life to live but His.

The Truth Will Set You Free

Oh how I needed to hear this morning's message. God placed a certain someone in my life that I really needed to forgive. The details will remain between God, myself, and this particular someone. It has been a major struggle for me to truly forgive this person. I would tell myself, and even this certain someone that I forgave them but I realized this morning that I was lying to us both. With the words of this message, and the grace of God, I can know say that I do forgive him/her and I have given it to God. I am sure that we all have that someone that may have hurt us in the past. It may even be yourself that you need to personally forgive. It is that reason that I wanted to share this mornings notes. I hope that can bring the same peace to you that they did to me....

"How to Set Others Free"
Matthew 18:21-35
February 22, 2009

I. Ask the Holy Spirit who you need to free.
*John 16:8

"When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgement"


II. Forgive. It is not an option.
*Ephesians 4:32 *Colossians 3:13

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32)

"Just as in Christ God forgave" me... Wow! Christ forgave me to the degree of His death on a cross. All I am called to do is forgive my certain someone and to treat them with respect.

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." (Colossians 3:13)


III. How to forgive:
1. Acknowledge the offense.
*Luke 22:34

"Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will
deny three times that you know me."

2. Choose to keep no record of the wrong.
*1 Corinthians 13:5

"It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no
record of wrongs."

How can we ignore God's greatest gift of love?

3. Don't punish the offender.
*Romans 12:19

"Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is
written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord."

It isn't up to me to punish/judge those who have done me wrong. It is God's responsibility to take care of. I have given Him control.

4. Don't gossip about the offender.
*Ephesians 4:29-31 *Proverbs 18:21

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is
helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit
those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you
were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and
anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice."
(Ephesians 4:29-31)

"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat
its fruit."
(Proverbs 18:21)

It goes back to the saying, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." I need to speak positive of all others, especially those who have done me wrong. In my situation, the person I had to forgive gave me one of the best gifts of my life. I will forever be grateful to this person.

5. Put the offender at the foot of the cross.
*Colossians 3:13

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one
another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."

IV. Just Do It!!!
*Genesis 50:14-21 *Luke 15:20-32

Both passages are amazing stories of forgiveness.


In closing, I left church feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off of me. I pray that if anyone reading this has struggled with forgiving someone that I may have provided some help. I also pray that my paticular person has been able to forgive me in return.

Scripture was quoted out of the NIV translation. The words in bold were my personal thoughts.

Until next time....

It's been a long time!!

Wow! Where do I start? In August, my family made the big move from Lubbock to Dallas. I have an amazing job at Baylor Medical Center in downtown Dallas. I am assisting with open heart surgery and could not be happier! It is so hard not being able to see Cohen very much but I have faith that things will work out soon....


Madison is now in the first grade and doing very well. She tested into the magnet school district in Garland. She is very involved in our church activities. Her favorites are Sunday night AWANAs and Patch the Pirate club on Wednesday. In the first week in January, Matt had the privledge of leading Madison to Christ! Two weeks later, Uncle Mark (Matt's brother) baptised Madison!




Allison turned one after Christmas. She has been such a joy to us. She is walking all over the place and learning things on a daily basis. In November we found out that Allie has a small hole in her heart. It is so scary to think about but her doctors seem to have faith that it will close on its own.



Matt enjoys staying how with Allison and taking Madison to school. He has been in so much pain because of his MS. We were blessed with a good MRI earlier this week though. It showed that there were no active lesions! We pray that we continue to get good reports like these...


For those of you that have known me a for some time, know that I used to run cross-country. Well, I am now training for my first race since junior high! I will be running in a 5K run the end of March. The proceeds go towards finding a cure for MS.


That is all I can think of right now. I will make sure to do a better job in keeping everyone up to date with the Allred family!!