Silence for Sandy Hook

There simply are no words. . .

Twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38
when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate.
their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.
they could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.
they were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say.
they remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
"where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.
"this is heaven." declared a small boy. "we're spending Christmas at God's house."
when what to their wondering eyes did appear,
but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.
He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.
then He opened His arms and He called them by name.
and in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring
those children all flew into the arms of their King
and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,
one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.
and as if He could read all the questions she had
He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."
then He looked down on earth, the world far below
He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe
then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
"Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"
"may this country be delivered from the hands of fools"
"I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!"
then He and the children stood up without a sound.
"come now my children, let me show you around."
excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.
all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
and i heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
"in the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT."


Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA

God's Little Blessings

I absolutely could NOT resist posting this!!

Yesterday, as part of my Sunday School lesson, I provided my second graders with a picture of a turkey that looked similar to this one:

I asked them to fill in each feather with something they are thankful for.

So, as I'm looking over their shoulders to see some of the things they wrote, I noticed that one child had written, very plainly, "My Allergys." (her spelling, not mine)

After some thought, this was the conversation that followed:

Me:  Ummm. . ., Sweet Girl, you are thankful for your allergies??

Sweet Girl:  Oh, yes, Mrs. Lynn!!

Me:  Ummmm. . .that's kind of unusual.  Do you mind telling me WHY
        you are thankful for your allergies??

Sweet Girl:  Becaaauuussseeeee. . .when you have allergies, and you go
                    to DisneyWorld, you get special desserts!!!

(Said in her best, WELL, DUH voice. . .)

Geez, I should've known!!

What a blessing that God could make even something as yucky as allergies be a blessing through the eyes of a child.

Oh, how I love her!!!  :-)

A Thousand Shades of Blue

November 14, 2012

If I had to sum up my life in one color, it would definitely have to be. . .

Blue.

My life is so filled with shades of blue that it almost isn't funny.

Hmmm. . .where to start??

1)  Midnight blue.

The shade of blue that hinders on black, but is just enough on the lighter side to keep it blue.  The shade of blue that is a constant reminder to me of something that has always been lacking in my life.  The author of my current Bible study, Kelly Minter, sums it up like this:

"the kind of friendships your heart always holds out hope for, but that you're not sure you'll ever find.  They aren't perfect friendships, but they are lifelong, deep, and full of whatever says 'home'."




I've always longed for one of those friends. . .you know, the kind that will go shopping with you, will share your deepest secrets, and knows your faults but loves you anyway. 

Friendships throughout my life have always been superficial. . .kind of like the icing without the cake--they are great people and I love them dearly, but I just miss that one extra step. . .you know. . .just a little deeper.

2)  Deep sky blue.

The kind of blue that runs through my veins.

THIS blue:

Oh, how I LOVE me some Carolina TarHeels!!  And basketball season is now in full swing--Yippee!!

3)  Baby blue.

The kind that reminds me of this guy:

Oh, how I love this kid!!  He's smart.  He's funny.  He keeps me on my toes!!

And he loves the Lord with all his heart. . .

God truly blessed me with Tyler. . .

He brightens my days.

4)  Denim.

Yes, denim.

And not because I am a fan of blue jeans.

I am a fan of comfort, though, and most people around work relate comfort to one thing--JEAN DAY!! 

I like my comfort zone.  I like cozying up with a blanket and a good book.  I like hot soup and chicken n' dumplings. 

Comfort.

I don't like to wander too far out of my comfort zone, but I have learned that in order to please God, I sometimes must take a leap of faith.

And I have learned to embrace change through that.

Well.

Maybe not embrace exactly.

5)  Blue-gray.

Like the color of the sky when it is time for. . .

SNOW!!!!

Which I am praying for LOTS of this year!!  :-)

Aahhhh. . . what a beautiful sight!!

6)  Mayan blue.

(It really is a color--check Wikipedia!!)

The color of all of my nightclothes except for one set of pj's.

I don't know why I just thought of that, but it fits, and I'm sure you'll feel better knowing that I sleep in some form of Mayan blue jammies every night!  :P

And that's it. . .my truly blue life!

What's your color??

Ramblings of an Emotional Female

What.

A.

Day.

What a totally, unbelievably emotional day.

I just have so many things troubling my heart lately, if I don't soon unload, I am going to burst.

I know that God is in control.  He has it all in His hands.

But I must admit. . .my name is Lynn Mull, and I tend to have control issues.

I want to "fix" things.

I want to erase hurt.

I have a dear friend who is watching her son slowly succomb to cancer--a disease that is cruel at best.  I've spent many hours praying for both of them, thinking of the horror I would feel at having to bury my child.

Then I go to church only to find out that a young man that I baby-sat from the time he was born passed away this morning.  Out of the blue.  And, what's so unbelievable is that his mother and I were JUST discussing him as a child while waiting for service to start.

Yet he was dying. . .

I don't understand God's sense of humor.

I didn't hear much of the message after that announcement.

And while I am still trying to wrap my mind around all of that, I run into a friend in the parking lot on the way out.

She proceeds to share with me what a blessing and an encouragement I have been to her.  I want soooo badly to look around behind me to see who she is talking to.  Me???????  If I'm her source of encouragement, that is sooooo scary!  I know I turned a hundred shades of red.  I don't do compliments well.  I guess it is because growing up, I wasn't used to getting them.

I'm so unworthy yet I must admit, it really felt good to have someone say those things to me.

Secret Encouragers have come to an end.  Sigh.  I have sooooooooooo enjoyed spoiling my "Secret Friend" (I hope she's reading this!!)  I have just about decided to ignore the rules and just keep spoiling her anyway. . .chocolate, books, candy corn, all her faves. . .hmmmm.

And to top off my super-emotional day, MY BOY IS HOME!!!!!  He has been to Camp Sonseeker for three days.  He always has such a great time, but MAN, do I miss him!!!  I just want to cuddle up with both of my babies tonight and shelter them from the world.

Deep breath.

Sigh.

God is in control.

Think Before You Speak

The really sad thing about me having a blog is that I feel like once I decide to post, it is for a cause or a complaint.

Today is no different. . .hear me out.

I've testified numerous times that God has taken and used certain things in my life, brought them together when they didn't really "fit" together, and worked his little puzzle of magic. . .

That was confusing, wasn't it??

Let me start at the beginning.

Scene 1:  There is a situation going on at school that I am very unhappy about disappointed with.  There is a special needs student involved, and I cannot divulge any further details.  I will say, though, that we are trying to do what is best for the student.  My heart is breaking for the mom--no one wants to hear that something is "wrong" with your child.  That's where we as teachers have to make sure we can put on our "compassion" hats and be able to take care of the family as well as the child. 

Anyway, in the midst of mom asking questions (which she should), being in denial (I would be, too), and requesting further meetings from the teachers (she should do this, too), people have begun talking.

Making remarks.

Not kind remarks.

What if this was your child?  What if this was your situation?  What if you found out that your child has special needs?

How would you feel to know there were people that were huffing, heaving deep sighs, and making complaints about having to "deal with" the situation? 

You don't even have to answer.

Scene 2:  A sweet friend of mine is getting ready to embark on a journey that she is NOT looking forward to.  Her life is going to change dramatically, and she isn't the least bit excited about it.  She's sad.  She's frustrated.  She's trying to be positive surviving.

You would need to understand, this person DOES NOT COMPLAIN.  She takes everything in stride.  She is a Godly woman in the truest sense of the word.  Her faith in Him is unwavering. 

But people. . .

are saying things. . .

not necessarily to be unkind. . .

but without thinking.

Kind of like scene 1.

"It's not that bad."  "People go through this all the time."  "Oh, I remember when I had to do that--you'll get over it."
Maybe.

But that's not what someone wants to hear in the middle of a life-altering event.

I guess I've said all of that to say this. . .

God's word reminds us that our words are MORE POWERFUL THAN A TWO-EDGED SWORD.  That's pretty powerful.

And, once those "darts" have been released, they cannot be taken back.

Maybe you have been there, done that, and moved on.

Great!

But how about having a little compassion for those who haven't! 

Go back in your mind and think REALLY HARD about how you felt BEFORE the situation.  What did people say to you that made you angry???

Think before you speak.

Use your words to lift others up, not tear them down.

Be compassionate.

If you aren't sure what to say, don't say anything.  Just pray for that person & let them know that you are doing so.

To my sweet friend that I am sure will see this at some point, I love you.  I have no idea what you are going through.  But I know someone who truly does know all of your inner secrets.  I'm asking Him to give you exactly what you need over the coming weeks.  You know that I am here if you ever need anything.

Spiritual Warfare

I had the funniest thing happen to me tonight.

Someone stopped me at church & actually told me that they MISSED my blog posts!!  Seriously?  My totally boring, totally non-happening life??  They MISS that??? 

Well regardless, I felt the love, and I have been wanting to post for a week or so but didn't want to come across as a whiner.

God gave me liberty to do that in tonight's service.

I have come to the conclusion that I have been in a Spiritual Funk lately.  (I looked that word up & the American Heritage Dictionary refers to "funk" as a state of severe depression, a panic, a state of cowardly fright)  I don't know about the "cowardly fright" part, but the rest rings true.

The past few weeks have just been completely draining. 
       --finishing school
       --baseball games twice a week
       --and practice on Saturdays
       --meetings, meetings, more meetings
       --parent conferences
       --kids with strep throat

I'll spare you the rest of the list.

Anyway.

I've been in this slump.  Just tired.  Restless.  Very "I-don't-care-ish"  (I made that word up--you like it??)

And I had basically quit going to church.  I even came home this past week from teaching Sunday School and asked myself, "Why bother?  I only had one kid there." 

But tonight, Preacher Dale focused in on spiritual warfare.  Reminders of things I have heard many, many times, but that I need to begin reinforcing on a more regular basis.

The enemy LOVES it when I get into spells like this.  Because once I've missed a few services, it gets easier and easier to miss a few more.

Then I begin to allow the world to take over.

And thus begins my downward spiral into my funk.

GOD IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS.
GOD CAN DO WHAT HE SAYS HE CAN DO.
I AM WHO HE SAYS I AM.
I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH HIM.
GOD'S WORD IS ALIVE AND ACTIVE IN ME.

I'M BELIEVING GOD!!!

Only 16 days to go. . . .

Back off Satan, I'm baaaaccckkkk!!!!!

FLASHBACK: December 2008 (A Journey in Pictures)

Spring is in the Air

Wow. . .Spring crept up quickly and summer is almost upon us.

Some photos that show the Mulls are ready for some summertime!! 

Cooking out on the grill. . .



















Watching the sun set AFTER the 6 o'clock news. . .




















The Credit Union parking lot. . .




















Bringing up the Springtime Flower arrangement for the dining room. . .




















And opening up the swimming pool!!!

Iron Chef America--Play D*h Style

Have you ever wondered what your kids and your husband do when you are away from home?

Well, mine have an Iron Chef showdown, just like on the Food Network.

Except. . .

Well. . .

They don't actually cook. . .

Take a look:

Too bad there really isn't a $10,000 prize!!

Must All Good Things REALLY Come to an End??

Uggggg!!!!!!
Only one more day, then back to the grind.
Where does time go?  Seriously. . .I want to find it and bring it back!

We had a great spring break--doing not much of anything, but enjoying it all the same.

Here's the quick breakdown:

First, there was Easter Sunday. . .the kids were so cute.  They refused to pose for their picture without our newest family addition, Tippy.



After church on Sunday at our home church, Winkler's Grove, we went to Mount Home in Morganton to see the Hoppers, one of my favorite singing groups!! 




We hadn't heard them in a very long time, so we felt quite blessed to be there.








Of course, you can't possibly have an entire week off without spending at least one Mommy Day with the princess!!  We hung out all day, did a little shopping, spent some time with the coloring books, then headed to C*Ci's for dinner. 



She is growing up wayyyyy to fast!!!

And, of course there was four-wheeling. . .

I think what I will miss most, though, are all of the mornings spend sleeping in!!

Aahhhh. . .the life!

Summer is just around the corner. . . .  :D

Seeing Life Through God's Eyes

As you probably remember, I'm working on (and actually finishing up) my most recent Bible study, "Believing God" by Beth Moore.

And, I am so far behind that I am almost ashamed to show up every Monday.  That's sad, isn't it?

Anyway, Beth had this brilliant idea (please note the sarcasm) that we should get our life story on paper in order to leave a heritage for our children.

I really did think it was a neat idea to begin with. . .honest.

Until I got started.

You know, there are some things in my past that I prefer to leave as memories for a reason. 

But, Beth insisted that I carry through.  So, I diligently began answering her questions and slowly I started to have some interesting thought run through my mind.

I lost my dad at a really early age~~I was only five.

Although I don't have lots of memories of him, I remember enough to know that my world revolved around him and I thought the sun rose and set in him.

I didn't know what the paper bag he carried with him everywhere he went contained.

I didn't know that he wasn't the best husband to my mom.

There were lots of things I didn't understand at five.

But, even at 35, there are some things I just prefer to deny.  Or ignore.  Or pretend just didn't exist.

Anyway, I don't remember mourning. . .I don't remember being lost or distraught.  I guess I've either hidden those memories or I was just to young to really understand at the time, and as I grew older, having life as just mom and me was the only thing I knew.

As I continued to answer Beth's questions about how God has worked in my life (and understand, I'm only up to age 14 at this point), I had a startling realization.

As far back as I can remember, I always liked to be alone~~play alone, ride my bike alone, hide behind the piano and read alone.

Yet, I was never really alone.

I had more imaginary friends than I could count on my fingers and toes.  I had imaginary children in my classroom.  I had dolls that "talked."  I had imaginary patients in my "hospital."  Everywhere I went, I had some make-believe someone to fill my time.

Anyway, as I was working through Beth's questions, the thought crossed my mind, what if all of those imaginary "friends" weren't so imaginary after all?  What if they really were God's tender voice giving me the comfort and support that I needed and craved?

The first time the thought crossed my mind, I really believed I had gone off the deep end. . .

But the more I think about it. . .

It just makes sense.

Maybe I'm crazy.  Maybe I've added 2+2 and gotten 263.  But, then again, maybe I'm on to something.

Either way, it's such a comfort to know that God is right there with me, no matter how he chooses to talk to me.

I'm Back. . .

Ha!  I say that as though I've actually been missed!

You know the old song, "Even in the valley, God is good. . ."?


Wow!  The valleys I've gone through lately, the mountains I've climbed, and now, I'm at the peak, looking down & seeing all of God's glory through it all!



I won't bore you with the details, especially since they really don't even seem important now. . .just know that I'm so thankful that I have my health, I am so thankful that God gives his wisdom to others to use, I am so thankful for healthy kids and a wonderful hubby (even though his mood hasn't been too great lately). 

I'm blessed with "Mommy days" to share with my Princess, and with my Kindle download so that Tyler & I can read the same book together : )

I'm blessed that I can be back at church. . .the crud and a nasty sinus infection really had me down for a while.  (I'm also blessed that God gave us antibiotics!)


And I'm really blessed that the most recent full moon is behind us and that we have a vacation day coming up next week--the kids and I need a break from each other!!!

I'm also extremely blessed to have a new member in my family.  One that I have prayed about for four years and that Randy has adamantly said "no" to.  We finally adopted two weeks ago and we are all so head-over-heels in love that it really isn't funny.

Here's a photo of our new baby girl:





Her name is Tippy.  She's wonderful.  Just wonderful.

Life is good.

No. . .with God, life is Grand!!