Power to Overcome!

Bound? Need a break through? Not sure how to get it? I've been there, in fact, I am there. I don't believe that God wants me to go through life feeling down, bound, and defeated. But sometimes I do just that. I forget WHO I am. Or, really, WHOSE I am. I am a child of the King of Kings, and His royal blood flows through my veins! As you know, a King has power. There is no one with more authority. He rules and reigns over everything and everyone. And since I made the decision to serve the King, He now lives inside of me. According to His word (Galatians 2:20), "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." Now that He, the King, lives inside of me I have power too. Luke 10:19 says that He's given me power over the enemy. Without knowing Him, you're powerless and bound to the enemy. So, if you are His and He is yours know that you are bound, or binded together, with the King of Authority. And now, inside of you is the same authority over the enemy. But just because I'm a Child of God doesn't mean that the enemy won't come my way. I Peter 5:8 says that the devils walks around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. The enemy will tempt us. He even tempted Jesus. Read Matthew 4. You'll see that each time Jesus was tempted of the devil, He responded with Scripture. I believe that is our example to follow. We all have weaknesses and areas of our lives where we are vulnerable. And those are the areas where the devil tries to sneak in and according to John 10:10 he will attempt to, "steal and kill and destroy" us. The enemy is deceitful, crafty, and cunning. He knows that tempting me with alcohol would be pointless. It's not a weakness for me. But my thoughts, are a weakness. And the enemy knows that putting thoughts of negativity or corrupting my mind with fear will possibly cause me to stumble. I've been battling this for awhile. So, to help me overcome, I've been studying Scripture. Just like Jesus responded to the enemy with Scripture, we must too. And there are times when I feel like I'm not strong enough to overcome because I'm not armed properly or prepared for battle. The Bible says in Ephesians 6 to "put on the full armor of God, so that we can stand against the devils schemes." If you read that chapter it tells us that the Word of God, or Scripture, is our sword. When in battle, you know that a sword is significant. It is protection and defense against the opposing force. Without a sword in hand, you'd easily be wounded or even killed. In spiritual warfare, we need our sword to fight and overcome the enemy. Without it, we could be wounded or even defeated. So, it's very important to know Scripture. And use it to defeat the enemy. When the enemy puts thoughts of fear in my mind I quote 1 Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." And sometimes, I have to say it out loud. For me, speaking the Scripture puts the enemy in his place and let's him know that I MEAN BUSINESS and that "no weapon formed against me will prosper (Isaiah 54:17)" James 4:7 says to, "Resist the devil and he will flee."

So, are you bound? In battle? Don't be defeated. If you are a Child of the King, put on your armour. Get that sword (Bible) in your hand, and fight! You are an overcomer! Romans 12:21 says, "Do not be overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Quote scripture to the enemy and let him know that you will not be defeated. You are a child of the King of Kings and you have been given power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. And NOTHING shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19).

PS. I didn't write this because I have it all figured out. It's through my own spiritual battles that I'm learning to fight. I feel like a wounded soldier whose sword was barely in reach and picking up my sword wasn't easy or favorable to the world. But now, it's in my hand and I'm not letting go. I'm learning how to hold it and how to use it to fight and defend myself in battle against the enemy.

Listen to this song. Let it bless and encourage you.

I like this poem by Eric Piott too.

I’m Too Blessed To Be Stressed,

Too Anointed To Be Disappointed

I refuse to be discouraged,

to be sad or to cry.

I refuse to be downhearted

and here’s the reason why:

I have a God who is almighty;

who is sovereign and supreme;

I have a God who loves me,

and I am on His team.

He is all wise and powerful;

Jesus is His Name;

though everything else is changeable,

My God remains the same.

I refuse to be defeated!

My eyes are on my God!

He has promised to be with me,

as through this life I trod.

I am looking past my circumstances

to Heaven’s Throne above.

My prayers have reached the heart of God.

I am resting in His Love.

I give thanks to Him in everything.

My eyes are on His face.

The battle is His; the victory is mine;

He will help me win the race.

Ohhhhhh Toot!

Dear Hallie,

When I grew up and became a teacher it didn't shock many people. Because as a young child I would line up all of my stuffed animals, stand in front of them, and teach on my dry-erase board. Now, you're little (20 months old), and I wonder who and what you'll grow up to be. Your personality shines so big! Something you get from daddy. You know what you like, what you don't, and you make it known. You're quite fashionable and like stylish things. Believe it or not, you know the difference between trendy and not. It surprises me. For Christmas, you opened a pair of houndstooth and pink rain boots and said, "Ohhhhhh toot!" Toot means cute. You had to put them on right then and you wore them the rest of the day with your pajamas! And last night, while you were eating, I added some decor to your bathroom. Later, you walked by and the change caught your attention. Your face lit up, just like it did when you opened that pair of boots on Christmas morning. I could tell you liked it. You didn't have to say anything to tell me that you approved. Of course, you did. And you said, "Ohhhhhh toot, momma!!" Being the indecisive person that I am, I was unsure of the new-look. For some crazy reason, having the "okay" of a 20-month old gave me confidence. Amazing how much you influence my life. Little one, you are stylish and fashionable- a prissy, girly- girl. And if I could guess, it's what your future holds. Wherever this life takes you, I know you'll be fashionable! It's just in you...

Miss Priss, Mommy loves you dearly.

Change...

Finding time to blog is not as easy as it once was! Just when I thought I was getting the hang of being "mommy to Irish twins"-- it got tough again! We were on a perfect schedule (which for me is a MUST) until sickness, teething, and mobility entered our lives. EVERYTHING CHANGED. After the holidays, both babies had RSV and passed it to Mommy and Daddy. It is not a virus that I'd wish for again. The symptoms linger and no medication helps. Three weeks later, we are finally back to normal. Then when normalcy entered our lives again, teething decided to pay us a visit. Gabe started waking up once in the middle of the night and rising before 7am. Which has taken a toll on mommy. I must have my sleep. And uninterrupted sleep. I'll admit it makes me a little ill when I don't get enough. Even 30 minutes makes a difference. I'm hoping it's due to teething and things will get back to normal soon. My Gabe man is the proud owner of a brand new front tooth! Teething is no fun for my little man. It is a slow and painful process for him. Complete opposite from Hallie. She cut teeth fast and seemed to handle the pain well. Gabe is cutting his second bottom tooth now. On another note, He is making the switch from three to two naps a day. So, we are having to adjust our schedule. I love for the babies to nap at the same time. That gives me a little bit of downtime or a chance to take a nap myself. But I can't seem to time it right with Gabe man's naps transitioning. Hopefully we will get it figured out soon! This really is the month of change for my sweet boy. He's started scooting and going after toys. It's absolutely adorable and makes me smile so big. I'm proud of him! This has been a huge challenge for Hallie bug. He's beginning to move around and play with "her" toys and she doesn't like it one bit! I know she's just a baby herself and doesn't understand the sharing concept yet. So, I'm trying to be patient and teach her how to deal with her outbursts. She wants to take every toy away from Gabe and sometimes tries to kick him (usually when he gets close to Wocket). I don't know what it is about that stuffed animal that my babies love! But I've noticed improvement. Hallie took a toy away from him today and glanced at me after she did it. All I had to do was give her a look and she handed it right back to him. Then planted a huge kiss on his forehead! For the most part, she is such a sweet big sister. Hallie has learned to twist the door knobs and open doors! And this has lead to many of Gabes naps being shortened! One day, I walked in his room to find her standing at his crib saying, "Hey Day, Hey!" He was grinning from ear to ear. One more thing- then I'll wrap things up. Lately, I've seen so much of Aus and me in Hallie. We both like things to be clean and organized. Neither a fan of clutter or messes! Austin is more OCD about it- but has changed a lot since we've been married. He no longer carries around Germ-x in his front pocket! Anyway, Hallie is not a fan of messes either. Today, she touched her mouth after eating a bite of oatmeal and her hands got sticky! By her reaction, you would've thought it were something way worse than sticky hands! She screamed in fright as she began to shake and wipe her hands. I couldn't help but laugh and think there's no doubt whose child she is! She likes things organized too. The other day, we brought several of her toys from her room into the living room. When we were finished playing I asked her to take the toys back to her room. The perfectionist in me knew that I'd have to go behind her and put the toys back in their exact spot. Boy was I shocked! She returned every toy to its place. I couldn't believe she'd paid enough attention and remembered where I'd placed each toy in her room. I'm excited at the thought of having her help at keeping the house clean. She tries to help me sweep and mop. And seems to enjoy it way more than I do! She's a big help at unloading the dish washer and doing laundry too! Such a big girl. And I enjoy seeing her little personality (I mean BIG personality) shine! Wow! Definitely Type-A like her daddy. I think that covers my "list of things to document!" I'll be back, blogging again, sooner than later!

Prissy Miss!

Standing up like a big boy!

Sitting up from a lying position for the first time.

Push ups! His favorite thing to do!

After 10 in a row- they were getting harder and he was getting tired!

Alabama vs. LSU- GO BAMA!

My angels!

Dreaming of a National Championship! && dream come true :)

Eating his first "nana"

I do realize that I have more pictures of Gabe. Hallie is a busy little girl & rarely stops long enough for me to snap a picture-- unless, of course, she is prissing in front of a mirror! :) OR, watching TV. Something my 3 loves really, really enjoy. A topic worthy of it's own blog- for another time.

Engrossed.

Update!

Well, well. The past couple of months have been eventful for the Tanner family. We moved. AGAIN. This week, we are living in Saraland, Alabama. Be sure to call before you visit, because we might not be here next week! No, I'm kidding. We are so very, Very, VERY happy to be "home" (where I was raised and where we met & married). Not to mention that we are much closer to family than we've ever been. It's wonderful having my parents only 10 minutes away. :) In case you're wondering what brought us here-- Aus opened a car lot, TNT Auto Sales! The Grand Opening was December 10th. It was quite a success and they even sold a car that day. Here are a few pictures.

With my best friend- passing out popcorn and cotton candy to the public!

We grilled hamburers and hot dogs for all of our friends and family who helped us out that day!

The week prior to the Grand Opening, Hallie had her first hospital stay. It was quite a scare for our family. Since September, she'd been having symptoms of an intolerance to milk. I noticed this and switched her to soy milk. Things seemed to be getting better. Until a few weeks ago. The symptoms started back and worsened. I knew something wasn't right, so we took her to the ER on a Friday night. Her doctor called us and told us that there wasn't any need in keeping her in the ER and to have her at the doctor's office first thing the next morning. This was a LONG night for me. I know something was wrong with my baby and waiting to find out wasn't something I wanted to do. Since I couldn't sleep, I documented everything that had happened in the past 2 months. Not leaving anything out. I printed it and took to the doctor that morning. They sent us straight to USA Children and Womens Hospital where she was admitted. After many tests and a two-night stay, we still didn't have the answers we needed. All of her tests came back normal, and we were thankful for that but still didn't know what was hurting our baby girl. The doctors narrowed it down to a virus. But I knew that wasn't the case. They released us on Monday and gave us a follow up appointment with a GI doctor for the following Wednesday. The GI examined Hallie and scheduled a colonoscopy. She assured me that this procedure would give us answers and that there was more to her symptoms than a two-month long virus. After the colonoscopy, we found out that Hallie had a severe milk/soy protein intolerance. Exactly what I'd diagnosed from the beginning, but didn't realize that the soy was hurting her too. We've completely changed her diet and she is doing wonderful! We are so thankful. God had his arms around our baby girl the entire time and we owe all the praise to Him! Here are a few pictures from her stay.


My girl napping with Wocket.

Thank goodness for puzzles! They kept her still for a little while!

A liquid diet. :(

In the crib, where we slept for two nights. And I had MANY leg cramps!

Two of Hallie's best friends, Caleb & Mallory Lassiter, visited her.

She was very happy to see them!

She was very happy to get home and to see her little brother!

Speaking of Gabe, he is 8 months now. And almost crawling! I suspect he will be cutting his first tooth in the next couple of weeks too. Gabe is the sweetest, happiest, little boy. Mommy adores her little man! Isn't he the cutest?

Isn't she lovely?

Dear Hallie Elizabeth,

"Isn't she lovely?
Isn't she wonderful?
Isn't she precious?"

Yes, baby girl, you are. ALL of those. And more. Everyday you make me feel so special and blessed to be your mommy. Lately, you haven't felt too great. Through process of elimination, we've concluded that milk is hurting your little tummy. Last night, I wanted to be right by your side in case you were hurting or needed me throughout the night. So, I let you snuggle with mommy in her big bed. It made you so happy. You tried every way you knew to show that you loved me and were thankful that I didn't make you sleep by yourself. First, you wrapped one arm around my neck and squeezed tight. I squeezed you back. Then, you wrapped both arms around my neck and squeezed tighter. I squeezed you back even tighter. Next, you kissed me. I smiled and kissed you back. And finally, you took Wocket and made him kiss me! I know that Wocket is your best friend, and you're a little selfish when it comes to his kisses. So, the fact that you let him kiss me made me beam from ear to ear! You, sweetie, are lovely, wonderful, and precious.

I love you beautiful girl,
Mommy

Together Again!

2am. Can't sleep. What to do? Blog, right? Sure. Beside me, holding my hand, is my best friend. He's sleeping peacefully. And rightfully, he should be. After driving almost 20 straight hours from NY- he's home. And what a surprise it was! Somehow, he managed to pull that one off. But really, I knew. All along- I thought he may surprise us. That's just the way he does things. He loves it. And I do too. But he said it'd be Monday.

Let's go back- 12pm, yesterday. Usually around the time he wakes up. Aus has his days and nights mixed up. He's been staying up late and working until around 4am. So, he sleeps in. I always talk to him before the babies' naptime. Yesterday, I didn't. Waking up from our nap to no missed calls or texts from Aus worried me. I called him several times. No answer. I had thoughts of calling the hotel and getting them to transfer me to his room telephone (do people even use that word anymore? Telephone?). Instead, I waited. Then, a thought entered my mind. Is he on his way home? Not wanting me to know? Wanting to surprise us? Strange. After only 4 years together we know each other so well. He calls it being on the same wave length, radio station, etc. I know him. He knows me. That's what I love about us. We're one.

3pm. The alarm sounded. Front door opened. Immediately, I knew. I jumped off the bed, Gabe in arms, and hustled to the front door. Grinning big! Kisses. Hugs. And smiles. Taking Gabe from my arms, he couldn't believe how much he'd grown in just a month and a half. We woke Hallie up from her nap. Still halfway asleep, she starred at him emotionless. Then, it hit her. I'm not dreaming. Daddy is here. In my room. She lit up! Smiled so big. And wrapped them tiny arms around his neck. She pulled back to look at him again. As if to make sure it were really him. And she smiled even bigger. Oh, she missed him! Her heart truly belongs to dada. That was the moment I'd longed for since he left. Not a day went by that she didn't go to the door to look for him or call his name.

Back to my reason for blogging. Sleeplessness. And you won't hear me say that often. Hardly ever, actually. The person that falls asleep in the theater and doesn't wake up once- that's me. I've always been able to sleep anywhere, anytime. But not tonight. Something's different. There's a man in my bed ;) Who could complain? Not me. I missed fighting for covers, his tossing and turning, and especially his sleep "talking" (He'll probably say that I didn't have to include that). But it's true- we've had many morning laughs because of his nightly conversations! Hopefully, in a few more nights I'll get used to having a bed partner again. :)

Hallie- Sliding on your own!

Dear Hallie,


Everything that you do amazes me. This weekend you learned to slide all by yourself! Aunt Robin and Anna visited us, and we spent the afternoon at the park. You always enjoy playing with Anna and following her around! This day wasn't any different. The first few times that you went down the slide, we stood at the bottom and caught you in our arms. Then, after watching Anna slide by herself you decided that you would give it a try! From that moment on, you didn't want anyone to catch you. Over the course of the next few days, we spent a LOT of time sliding in the backyard. I even took you to the park again. After all of the practice, it wasn't long before you began to climb up the steps on your own! It was a bittersweet moment for mommy. I beamed with excitement that my baby girl learned to slide on her own but was a little sad at the very fact that you didn't need my help anymore. I'm proud of you, Hallie bug.


I love you beautiful girl,

Mommy