My hope for all of you!

I hope that you all have a great Thanksgiving! I am very thankful for so much this year. I am really excited as this holiday season has now begun! We love you all and are so thankful to have met all of you. Your friendship means the world to us! I hope you all can reflect on so much that has made you thankful this year! I hope you can all relax and have a blessed day! Love to you all!
Becca

Sick kiddo's

For the most part all is going well in the Palmer household. We have been couped up all week because ALL...yes ALL of the kids are sick as well as Jason. I started getting a sore throat early this week, but as a mom I cannot afford to be sick so I think I talked myself out of it! The boys have nasty colds and there asthma is on the fritz! They are getting treatments every 4 hours and Traivs is on steroids to get his controlled. Hannah has strep throat pretty bad. She is having a lot of throat/neck pain from it. BUT-they are all being troopers. They are very tough when they are sick. The hardest part of all of it is that they are a bit whiney! They are bored and I think have a bit of cabin fever from being stuck in the house so long.

AS for me...I have a girls date on Saturday (very much deserved I think). I am very excited! I love my cousin so much! She always knows just when a evening away is needed and always makes it a point to whisk me away before my mind explodes...LOL!

I had a very busy weekend last weekend. I started selling Tastefully Simple a couple of months ago and I had 3 parties last weekend...one Fri night and 2 on Saturday (1pm and 7pm). It was a lot of fun. I am hoping that it picks up soon. I really enjoy doing the parties and meeting people. It has actually given me a lot of self esteem back. I am able to leave for a few hours and be around other women and it is nice. I am able to witness to people and share my testimony and it feels really good!

Well, that is about all for now. Please just pray for a healthy house!

Oh below is a cool little thing I came across. It is kind of old so you may have read it before...but I like it!


HANDY LITTLE CHART-

YOU SAY GOD SAYS

You say: "It's impossible" God says: All things are possible
(Luke 18:27)

You say: "I'm too tired" God says: I will give you rest
(Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: "Nobody really loves me" God says: I love you
(John 3:16 & John 3:34 )

You say: "I can't go on" God says: My grace is sufficient
(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: "I can't figure things out" God says: I will direct your steps
(Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: "I can't do it" God says: You can do all things
(Philippians 4:13)

You say: "I'm not able" God says: I am able
(II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: "It's not worth it" God says: It will be worth it
(Roman 8:28 )

You say: "I can't forgive myself" God says: I Forgive you
(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: "I can't manage" God says: I will supply all your needs
(Philippians 4:19)

You say: "I'm afraid" God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear
(II Timothy 1:7)

You say: "I'm worried & frustrated" God says: Cast all your cares on ME
(I Peter 5:7)

You say: "I'm not smart enough" God says: I give you wisdom
(I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: "I feel all alone" God says: I will never leave you or forsake you
(Hebrews 13:5)

too quiet for too long!

I haven't posted in a bit because I have just been really quiet! It is time that I speak up and share my heart a little. I have been trying to deal with some "issues" that have been going on in me and I have to say it isn't going great. The HUGEST issue (which is a combination of SEVERAL little issues all rolled up into this one huge, massive issue) presented itself to me about a month ago, full force in my face! I cannot get into a ton of details, but we (Jason and I) need a TON of prayers right now...for guidance, direction, healing both emotionally (depression) and physically (weight, addictions, and girl health stuff) and for God's hand in our marriage...please especially this. I have realized that hiding from "stuff" instead of dealing with the "stuff" isn't resolving anything! It is just making the problems much larger than they should be. So I come here today to ask for help from all of our friends and family that read our blog. We don't want sympathy, we aren't expecting anyone to feel sorry for us...we just need your prayers. We need you to step up and intercede and pray for us. It is really hard for us right now and we really need you all. Please help us storm the gates of heaven on behalf of Jason and I. I know you all have prayed a ton for our family but we really need you all.

Thank you all so much...we appreciate you guys! The kids are great by the way. The boys have pretty big coughs but other than that all is well with all of them!

Love,
Becca

Is it really important?

How can you feel like yo are blessing someone if the blessing you are handing out is done with expectations attached? Is it really a blessing to someone or yourself if, in the long run the blessing has offended you? If you are going to bless someone, or other's are going to bless someone...than bless them. Don't do it with expectations. Don't do it because it is what everyone else is doing. Don't do it if it makes you unhappy. Don't do it so the person will do something for you in return. Those are not blessings. It is not a blessing, especially to the person on the receiving end, to feel "obligated" or forced to do something in return. It is not a blessing to have a situation forced on you. It is not a blessing to know that help was given with strings attached.

This last 2 weeks I have been beaten up pretty bad, or so it feels that way. I have had to be in "defense mode" again all this week. I need to set the record straight once and for all and I think I may upset people by this...but at this point, I think it is necessary. Twice this week I have had things thrown in my face as to what people have done for us. I have to say that I think it is horrible to do things for people and A) expect something in return and B) use it against the person in hurtful ways.

Once again, I thank EVERYONE that stepped in and helped us while Elijah was in the hospital...which there were so many people that did help us by giving their time sitting with us, with kind thoughts and concern, with millions of prayers, if you helped financially or brought us care packages, if you helped us with our kids, if you took care of my dog or checked our mail, if you brought us groceries or cooked us dinner...we appreciated EVERY single one of you. You ALL stepped up in such a horrible time for us and we can NEVER repay you. You ALL touched our hearts with you compassion. We love all of you and want you all to know that your place in our hearts is etched there FOREVER!

Now, like in the past we are having to defend ourselves. I was hoping that because we were in such a good place with God that we wouldn't be made to feel "guilty" during and after this surgery. I was hoping that we would make it through this time with ease, but that was not the case. Because last week and this week it has been brought to our attention what "has been done for us". I am FED UP WITH THIS! I don't want anything from anyone that i going to make me feel guilty in the long run. Call me rude for saying this. Call me ungrateful or whatever you would like. But just know that the people that are doing this are tearing our heart into pieces. It makes us feel as though you helped because yo were "obligated" to do so, and we never wanted anyone to feel obligated. We never really wanted help in the first place. It is awful to feel like you need help, to know that you have to take charity. Do you know what it is like to have a whole community, and your whole family know that you cannot take care of your own problems? We never wanted this because we didn't want to be the "needy family" and we didn't want the past to repeat itself. We didn't want the people we love the most to make us feel like we "owed" them or we weren't thankful enough or we "used" them.

I love to help people. I love to give back. I love to make people smile. Do I like to do things because I feel forced...NO! Did I take every opportunity I could to bless others while we were there...we sue did! As Christians, that is our JOB! That is what God expects of us. As Christians are we still trying to bless as many people as we can today...we sure are! It is still our job! It is up to us and God how and when those blessings shine. Please, if you bless us and you are just going to steal your blessings back...we don't want them in the first place. The blessings that others gave us are OURS...not yours...please don't try to rob us of those.

We love you all, and I apologize if this has upset you...but is it really so important to throw the past in our faces? Is it more important to bless someone and allow them to be blessed or is it more important to bless them for the sole purpose of getting something in return? Was all of this worth the way Jason and I feel today?