They're here!

Oh my goodness guys and gals, they are here.  The books are really here!  This was such an exciting morning.  

Bowen was napping when the truck got to the barn to unload the boxes, so I couldn't get video or a selfie with the delivery truck.  And I had already mopped floors, worked in the yard, and worked out so I was in prime apparel for the video ;)  But we did not care.  We wanted to capture us, so thats what you get.  Mismatched clothes, mom bun, and if you had smellavision, you would get a good wiff of pig!  But that is what it is like with Daddy Ray on the farm, so that is what you see (and smell).

Books are currently available through me, so if you would like a copy please email at route1photography@gmail.com  .  They will be available to distributers January 3rd, so if you want them for Christmas holler at me soon!  I will get them signed, sealed and delivered!  I am currently working on my website so that you will be able to order directly from there, but until then, just shoot me a line.  It would be awesome to hear from you anyways!

Thank you for your encouragement and prayers!  Praying that His name would be magnified through this simple book about life on the farm.

"And He said unto them, go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."  Mark 16:!5

Shipping Update

Friends, I am besides myself.  I love how God is so very personal to each and everyone of us.  From the time of the conception of this crazy book idea, I have called it "our book".   First between God and I because well, without Him, none of this would be here.  I wouldn't be here for that matter, but you get what I mean.  His Spirit speaks to us when we expect to hear him and listen, and I had asked Him a question (see past blog post below).  But the "our" also included my husband.  We are a team.  We make it a priority (although there are days when we are more like opponents) to always be team players, and I am so thankful for that.  Sometimes you can over hear us doing the whole "gooooo team Patrick" while putting our hands on top of each other and then throwing them in the air like you would see on the baseball mound.

So how does this tie in to the "our book" and God being personal to us comment?  Well, I received an email this morning from the project manager of the book, and the estimated ship date is November 18th.  Trivia question .... what is November 18th?  Our anniversary!  10 year anniversary.  Anybody else get giddy over that?  Something that we have prayed together over, read together, approved/disapproved... shipping on our anniversary .... ahh, I just love the personal love of our Savior.

I have had some people ask about getting a copy.  As soon as I have them in my hand, they are available to you!  We will ship or hand deliver!  Some will remain at the warehouse for them to distribute to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books-A-Million.  I will also be doing a read aloud at schools and libraries throughout the upcoming year, so if you are interested in me coming your way, please get in touch so we can get you on the calendar ... I would love, love, love to come share this story with as many as I can.  

Thank you so much for all of the encouraging messages and prayers so far in this journey.  We continue to ask for prayers for us to see where He is leading us in this, and that above all us, His name would be glorified and spread across our great nation, and spill over into others.  From farm to city, from the counnnntry (say it and you will get it) to countries, may His name be magnified.  

Keep watching here or on Instagram @helpingdaddyrayonthefarm.  I quit Facebook ... more on that another time, so all updates will be here and then shared on Insta.  You are welcome to share with Facebook and other social media outlets, it was just something personal I had to step away from.  Thanks for the love!!

-Team Patrick

We can Plan,

but the Lord's will prevails.  If you have been a reader of my blog for any length of time, you notice this title is a common theme.  Maybe not the same words, but the same underlying principal.  Also, I am sorry I have left you hanging.  It was not on purpose.

The last time we left off, I had brown hair.  I went through hi lights this summer, then begged her to get it back to my natural color, and now, once again ... can you guess ... I had to add some blonde peekaboo's.  Some things you just can't quit.  But now there are also some natty grey hairs peekabooing, too.  It's what I call a fun smorgasbord of colors.  

The last time we chatted, I also went into a lengthy soap box about listening fervently to the Lord and digging deeper than I ever had before.  I am assuming the reason I was hearing Him so clearly was because I was getting deep into His word as much as I could.  It's like the best friend of yours - the more you know her and her character, the better you "get" what she is saying.  Same thing with God.  The more we know who He is, what His voice sounds like amongst the crazy voices of this world, the more we will "get" Him.  All of this I learned through Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer.    I highly, highly, highly recommend you quit reading here and go get the book if you have never read it.  But then come back and pick up here.  

A few things to know as you continue to read this post:

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."  Romans 8:28, ESV

If God calls you to it, He will prepare you for it.  He will equip you when he calls you.  "Equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."  Hebrews 13:21 ESV

God has perfect timing, and all of our life events and circumstances can be used together.  Jesus said to the disciples in John 16:12 "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now."
Don't you sometimes wish you could see the end result?  If you have any kind of planner personality like me, you want to see it all so that you can organize what happens when, with whom, and maybe even the why of it.  But God ... in His perfectness, knows that we cannot handle it all at once.  So we must just "do the next thing."  

Have you asked yourself yet, "What is she getting at?"  I promise I am getting there. 

A few more things to know as you continue, in case you didn't or have forgotten:

I have loved to write since I can remember.  I recall my 4th grade English teacher tried to get me to not write so much at the same time she was trying to pry just one page out of many of my classmates. 

I battled an eating disorder for over 10 years between high school, college, and the beginning of my marriage.  (I promise this is relevant.)

I began college as an Elementary Education major because I longed to be a teacher, but through circumstances I had to take a different path, ended up graduating with an English degree and then went through an alternative program to become a high school English teacher.  Love how that worked out!  Not the route I planned, but it still all came together.  And with that extra year, I met the love I never dreamt of!  Swoon.

Speaking of that love, since our early years, CR and I have always joked about our lives being a hilarious story and that one day I need to "add that one to my book" ... "dedicate the beard to an entire chapter" .... so on and so forth.  

It has always been a far off plan of mine to one day write a book.  I have always planned, dreamt, desired, whatever you want to call it, to one day write a book to the pre-teen group of gals about eating disorders, how they can totally overcome you before you even know it, and change your entire life.  I know that the Lord allowed me to go through that battle for a reason, and I have always imagined that it was to one day share my story with girls across the world.  I have given my testimony on it a few times, so I thought for sure that was the path He was prepping me for.  And maybe He is.

Late last Spring, however, as my Bible study group and I were finishing up Children of the Day by Beth Moore, the Lord laid something very heavy on my heart.  An unshakable moment.  We came across a verse in 2 Thessalonians 3:1 ... "Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you."  I wrote out next to my study, "How is the best way to swiftly spread the Word of the Lord across the world?"  As I was sitting there, writing came to my mind.  Books can travel across oceans, to places that don't have Internet to read blogs.  Books can be shared in many countries, and translated to other languages.  Books ... books ... books.  I had to literally shake my head a few times until we were finished for the night.  

A few days passed and as CR and I were eating lunch together at our kitchen counter, I laughingly joked after he told me a story about his dad that I should just write a kids book with his dad as the real life, male Amelia Bedilia persona.  And that is where it all began.  

I continued to feel hard pressed to put this into action, not just a joke.  I wrote a prayer to the Lord that evening, that I had no clue what he wanted me to do with this idea, but I was laying it all down at his feet.  The next day I got up and wrote a story.  I heard him clearly through it all.  I put it away and thought it was silly.  Dumb.  No one would like this.  I asked the Lord, "Now?  I don't have time to do this.  I have 3 kids 5 and under."  I'm sure he laughed and said, "I know, I gave you those blessings."  I told him there was no way, "Don't you know we are entering harvest time?"  He responded, "Yes dear, I know.  Now is the time.  Write."  

"A children's book, Lord?  That market is probably so over saturated, I won't even get a call back."

"Lauren, just obey."  Clearer than anything I had ever heard before.

I sent a text to a prayer partner of mine.  I didn't want them to know what was going on, because I did not want anyone's voice distracting me, but I definitely needed a warrior or two praying for a clear head and to be able to hear His words, not mine.  Discernment, clarity, and direction were what I asked for and she prayed with no questions asked.  If you don't have a prayer partner, go on and get ya one. 

I checked, double checked, and then triple checked my motives.  "Not my will, but yours Lord."  I asked over and over, "Why is it you want me to do this, Lord?"  

"To share my truths to children all over.  Lauren, just be obedient and write."

So that is what I did.  To the best of my ability.  I have no idea what the Lord has planned for this, and I am thankful for that.  If I knew, I might not have taken the step to obey.  I took the story I had written as a rough draft, a publisher loved it, and we will have a book out before the end of the year.  The release date to stores is January 3rd, but they say I will have them in my hand before then.  

It is a simple truth.  It is a little funny.  It is all based on true stories that happen around here all the time.  My prayer is that I can do a small children's series eventually, and then possibly graduate to the preteen level and somehow incorporate my battle into a book.  If not, that is ok.  This is God's plan and I am just trying to be obedient and "do the next thing" (Priscilla Shirer)  It could just be this one.  He knows and with that, I am content.

I will keep you updated as I receive information from the publisher.  It is currently in the printing stage and should be done there within a month.  This, this by far is the most exciting obedience step the Lord has had me take besides marrying CR (for those of you that know that story, its ok to laugh).  Nothing I would have ever imagined.  

"In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly."  Psalm 5:3

So even though this isn't what I thought or intended to write, He has orchestrated our life ... all of this ...  into one beautiful, at times questionable on our end and scary, story.  Through it all though, there has been an amazing sense of peace that could only come from the Prince of Peace.   

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:7 NIV 

Blessings while Blooming

So I have failed miserably on keeping up with my promise to blog more.  If I could insert an emoji, it would be the whole sequence of monkeys.

Since I last had a moment to write, Bowen has gone through his 7th and 8th month of life.  Mom fail of not documenting that in staged pictures.  But we do have the wonderful, more real life cell phone pictures.  So that'll do.

With poor little man's journey of ear infections, we were referred to an ENT.  Thankfully by the time we got in, his ears were clear.  So as long as they don't get infected again, I believe we are in the clear for not needing tubes this year.  As much as I want him to feel better, I really do not want him having to go under for any thing just yet.  He is definitely such a different baby then our first two.  Which is of course a blessing, because they are each made unique and in their own very special way.  However, for the LOVE, he has already been to the ER once, on antibiotics 5 times, and had a bloody nose.  And still doesn't consistently sleep through the night.  Thank you Lord for this blessing and the lessons I am learning, such as "slow down, enjoy the moments, count your blessings, we're all made in His image ....".

Here has been a frequently prayed scripture over the last few months ...

Last night we finished up our Bible study for the semester.  I lost my composure and bawled during my closing prayer.  Sometimes the Holy Spirit just moves in us in a way that we can't contain (or explain for that matter).  I am so thankful He indwells in me because there were so many times throughout this study that He spoke to me in a whole new perspective.  At times I didn't like what I was seeing, but it was what I needed to see, hear, and feel.  I needed to be plucked out, uprooted, and repositioned from my comfort zone many times.  Challenging, yes.  Uncomfortable, oh yes.  Awkward, insert monkey emoji once more.  But fearful, no.  Why?  Because My God is stronger and more faithful than anything I can ever imagine.  

One of my favorite parts of the study was this past week, Beth Moore said that it had taken her 18 months to fully prepare the study.  She had wondered, what had happened in our lives over the past 18 months?  So we wrote out the goods and the bads of what had transpired in our lives.  It was really neat to see it down on paper.  But then I took it a step further for me, and if you are inclined to do so, I want you to do the same.  It will only take a few minutes, but I promise it is refreshing.  Go ahead and write out some of the things that come to your mind that have occurred over your last 18 months of life. I will share a few things with you so you can get your brain working and get vulnerable with yourself:

We paid off my last student loan earlier in 2014, so we were in Disney World 17 months ago ... what a joyous time at the most magical place on Earth.

I found out I was pregnant and CR thought for a moment his life was over.  I did too if we are honest.

I watched my grandmother go in and out of the hospital before being placed in a nursing home, then moved to another one ... none to her pleasure or because of her "want to".

We had a big scare and thought I was going to lose Bowen, but was put on bed rest and all was well.

My photography business exploded, but then got put on the back burner.

Some of the closest people to me, overnight, became some that needed to be kept far away.  Tough lesson there.  Ouch.

I saw one of my dearest friends miscarry two times.

We welcomed sweet Bowen to our world.

My parents purchased some property closer to us.

I've gone from brown to blonde to red and back to blondish brown hair.  

Now what I went back and did on my own was looked at those moments (and even more but didn't share them all) and saw where the hand of God was in each and every one of them.  Every one ... even the changing of hair colors.  Do you know what kind of good talks you can have while sitting in a swivel chair for 2 hours every 6 weeks?  Good ones.  I challenge you to do the same.  Not change your hair but look where God's hands have been.  It was life changing for me.  He is everywhere.  I have had to hit my knees harder and dig deeper into scripture more than ever before.  I am learning more and more to be still.  To sit back and discern.  And I thought high school was challenging days.  Ha, they got nothing on this.  But oh the growth I have experienced since then.  And how I wish I would have known then what I know now, but would it have been the same?  Probably not.  God is sovereign and knows my steps (Proverbs 19:21, 20:24, 21:30) so I trust this is all part of my journey.  Our journey.  I'm so thankful you are on this journey with me, by the way.  Even those who are only a virtual part, thanks for praying and sharing in our joys and jarrings.  

And what else has come from all this?  Blooms .... precious seeded, watered and weeded blooms.

                 

Don't all little boys get pedicures?

 Every little girl needs some Pipi in their life!

 These 2 pictures melt my heart ... the top, it is as if Patton is protecting Kirby ... with love... the way someone stands behind those they cherish.  The bottom Kirby is so cautiously walking him through the pretend rain storm they dreamt up.  She carefully made sure he was more out of the "rain" than her own person.  

And the biggest news of all ....

this momma learned how to drive the tractor to put out hay.  This is one of those mundane jobs that has to be done, but can end up taking a lot of time, especially during harvest when we are already really busy.  So I thought, "teach me now while you have time, so that when I need to, I can take care of this!"  Intimidating, yes, but remember, you never truly grow (regardless of how silly of a thing it may seem) unless you get out there and strengthen your roots first.  You can have some artificial sprouts, but if the root is shallow, you will not blossom to your potential.  Bloom where you are planted my friends.  And I was purposefully planted here.  

"There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord."  Proverbs 21:31

Bored lately? Go lead a Bible Study

or something along those lines ... do something that is completely out of your comfort zone and gets the devil and his army on high alert and stirred up like crazy.  Like if satan doesn't stop you, God is going to be getting a whole lot of glory and people are going to see Him on his throne and the devil wants none of that.  Just reading your Bible for the first time or more than usual, that is enough to get him knocked out of his socks and ready to come after you.  If you do not believe in spiritual warfare and the devil pulling all stops to get his agenda seen, just check out our last 4 weeks.  

When I got home from our very first Wednesday night of the Bible study, Children of the Day, that a friend of mine and I are leading at our church, Bowen had a 102 fever.  Sweet CR had stayed home with him and Patton so that they could get to bed at a decent time and when I saw Bowen I knew he was not well.  The next day the fever was still there and he was refusing to eat more than about 2 ounces of formula within a 5 hour period.  That afternoon I took him in and the doctor said he had an ear infection and virus, don't be too concerned about him not eating, throat red so probably hurts, etc. Well this game went on for almost 2 weeks with him.  That following Sunday Kirby came down with the virus, with a little bit higher fever that wouldn't break.  She also had an ear infection and by day 6 of the fever, we finally saw some relief.  Next it was my turn.  Then back to Bowen.  This time around he was really getting puny so I took him in on a Sunday, nothing they could do, fluid in ears but no longer infected ... but by Tuesday they were definitely infected, doctor called in a stronger antibiotic, follow course.  The next day as I was preparing to load my car up for Bible study, Bowen got extremely fussy and then finally calmed down ... picked him up and he had, lets just say, a 10 of a diaper on the scale of nasty.  When I opened it I could not believe by eyes.  Fear drenched my entire body.  I will save you the picture, but it was one of the scariest mom moments of my life.  It appeared to be a diaper full of blood.  I asked CR his opinion and he said it looked like a diaper full of blood and so did my father-in-law.  Thats when I began to get clammy and really nervous.  I don't "freak out" but this was freak out worthy and I was borderline.  We called the pediatrician and were advised to get him to the children's ER as soon as possible to have an ultrasound of his bowels and tests run.  Diaper in suit, we loaded up and flew to Corpus.  A few hours later we find out red stools is a side effect of the new antibiotic he was on.  Praise the Lord, but I was peeved none the less ... I missed my night to give a testimony.  Continue on to this week, CR had to be in San Antonio for a few days and low and behold on Tuesday Kirby showed signs of having a UTI.  Scheduled an appointment for her the next morning along with Bowen's 6 month check up that was already on the board.   And as I was getting Patton to bed, I noticed he was warm, took his temperature and would you believe HE had spiked a fever?   I thought to myself, "Oh boy, tomorrow is going to be one for the books!"

I prayed most of Tuesday night for a smooth day.  Knowing that I was going to have a 5 year old doll, 3 year old wild hair, and 6 month old booger in tow at the doctors office I was a little anxious.  But I woke up Wednesday morning with this incredible peace that could only come from Him.  I made sure to get in a workout and listened to a sermon while pumping iron because I knew I needed both to survive the day.  Single moms and military wives, I applaud you daily.  I just had to do this for a few days, when I think about doing it all the time I get a twitch ... I know too, though, that God has a way to get you through it.  

I tell you what, we have been blessed with some awesome kiddos.  I don't brag on them much but I will now ... what I thought was going to be a disaster, ended up blessing my heart more than any other day we have had yet.  We were in the car, doctors office, lab office, car again, and church from 9-5 and I did not have a single blow up or nervous breakdown.  Holla!  Only by the power of God!  I asked Dr. Guthrie when he came in, "Do we sound like a funny farm from out there?"  He laughed and said, "Not at all ... sounds much better than most and like y'all are having a good time."  I mean y'all, I had all 3 in a bathroom with me trying to get little doll to pee in a cup.  Can you even imagine the hilarity?  And the inquisitive look from Patton as I did such task???  And then when I told him it was his turn to go potty .... heavens, he thought he was having to pee in a cup, too.  Moments for the cookie jar indeed.

Kirby ended up having a pretty hardcore UTI, and Bowen ... poor thing ... still has the dang ear infections.  Possibly RSV, too.  The swab from the week and a half before was negative, but every other sign lines up with that so, there you go.  6 trips to the doctor and 1 to the ER all within 4 weeks of each other.  Praise the Lord for providing an insurance plan with copays.  Aye yae yae.

Want to know what I have learned thus far from all of this?  I know this pales in to comparison what some go through with kiddos and being sick.  I have a long list of children that are terminally ill that I continuously pray for, but that doesn't mean that this isn't hard in and of itself.  In Matthew 18:3 it says,  "And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."  So, that is the lesson ...

Yesterday when we got out of the car, the long day behind us, Kirby and Patton ran around in our yard with pink flamingoes that had appeared 2 days before.  Kirby asked if she could go in and get her super hero cape (from my awesome bestie Bethany!).  When she came out I asked her what it was for and she looked at me (like how do you NOT know this mom) and said, "Because I am a super-hero-flamingo-trainer!"  And her and Patton proceeded to pretend to train and heard the plastic pink birds.  I just sat there, holding Bowen in the wooden rocking chair and took it all in.  My mind slightly raced to what I was supposed to be doing (opening up in prayer at our Bible study) but then came back to what was before me.  Innocence, pure delight, joy, not a care in the world, wide-eyed inspiration and imagination.  Fully knowing that I was there to watch them and protect them, just like I knew God was fully there watching, protecting and guiding me along this time of tested patience and endurance.  I had to become like a little child these last few weeks and fully, fully rely on His power to sustain me.  Sleep is completely a luxury far gone, caffeine and workouts help for the most part, but I full well know that the only way I have gotten through and will continue to get through this life is with Him.  But I daily have to humble myself like a little child, come to him stripped of my guilty shame, humble and meek and say, "Guide me, heck carry me through this day."  I will not hand over my joy, innocence, and life to satan ... he can throw kinks, but my God is bigger.  

 Bowen at 6 months, Patton at 5.  I see Ray on the left, and Nick on the right.  

 How is it that this happened so quickly?

 She had a 103 fever here ... whoda thunk it?

 Kirby in a nutshell ... 

 Why yes, those are pajamas, fleece pajamas on our little doll ... while they feed cows.

 Patton lines his cows up like this everyday ... everyday...

 Poor Patton ... Daddy tried to give him a haircut ... with pig shears .... and granny cried.  A new country album debuting this song coming soon ...

 She was being a flamingo, however, she seems to be doing the Heisman. 

 We work out to stay sane together!

   “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! "

1 John 3:1