A Star Wars Joke

Q: What is the Star Wars character's favorite Bible verse?

A: "Praise the Lord, for he is good and his love ENDORS forever."

Created by Sawyer Kenagy on May 30th, 2016.

Prayer

Lord,

Thank you so much for the incessant giggles from my boys. To hear joyous laughter ad nauseam warms my heart.

Thank you for the smiles on my boys. Despite the trials at hand, these two smile and laugh and help out around the house.

Thank you for Dempsey's increasing strength. Thank you for your provision for the trike. His enthusiasm and competitiveness reassre me that our little guy is a FIGHTER.

Thank you for the support structure you lined up for us to rely on during this journey. It has been overwhelming surprising and uplifting.

Thank you for a life partner who picks up where I leave off and is willing to walk this rough road with me. Thank you for the way he loves our boys and fathers them.

Thank you for being IN every aspect of this trial. Knowing this journey was not your will but that you are working it out for GOOD is comforting.

Thank you for your mercies that are new every moment and visible when I stop to look for them.

Please give Dempsey another great night in a long line of them. I pray against fevers, nausea, pain, and all negative side effects for Dempsey throughout this whole journey. I pray for courage. I pray for strength. I pray for health. I ask all of this for our Dempsey, in Jesus name!

Amen

So Proud of Sawyer

Sawyer to a "T"

A friend invited us to the park today after school. We showed up after lunch and were pleasantly surprised to find a group of kiddos we know from school were there. The main reason there were so many was that a friend's daughter was having princesses make good on a birthday order. Belle and Rapunzel were there to entertain and paint faces.

Sawyer was off playing with friends most of the time. Belle started some music and she was dancing with the girls and singing. Sawyer came over to check it out. Belle was twirling the little girls, and some big girls... because that's what girls do. She asked Sawyer "Would you like to spin?" Sawyer then bowed to her, took her hand, spun, and bowed again. Two mothers told me what they saw and, with their hands on their chests and faces filled with adoration, told me how precious that was.

That's my Sawyer.

While Sawyer was waiting to get his face painted (with two roses... yes, roses) one of his peers persuaded him to get out of line and chat. It was told to me that this boy didn't understand why Sawyer wanted to hang out with the girls. This boy, Sawyer said, thinks boys are better because God made Adam first and then made Eve from Adam.

How did Sawyer respond?

Sawyer told this boy, "Well, aren't girls the only reason you're alive?" In case you read that wrong, Sawyer's sentiment was that without a girl this boy wouldn't have been born. Sawyer just doesn't miss a beat. He really gets it. There is no better than in God's world. Plus, Sawyer loves all people and enjoys being around all people. It's a blessing and something I hope we can foster within him throughout his life.

Love my boy!

Happy 9th Birthday Sawyer

This incredible life form is 9 today!! What an amazing journey it is being his mama. He has been my rock since he was born. His mere existence makes my life exponentially better and worth living. He is such a wonderful human. He has been annointed since conception and started making the world a better place the moment he was born. He challenges me in many ways... one of which is growing my grace-giving skills. His person disarms even the crankiest of creatures and makes them instant friends. He desperately wants to do what is right and is super hard on himself when he "messes up". He blesses me with his unconditional love and randomly-timed compliments. HE CHOSE to attend church WITH ME this Sunday all on his own. It was magical. He loves better than I ever could. He inspires me!

I LOVE YOU, SAWYER!! Happy Birthday, son. 🎊🎁🎉

Sawyer's Amazon Wish List

A Cuddle Joke

He was watching Creatures of the Deep from the BBC's Planet Earth series. The segment was on cuttlefish. It happened to be the mating scenes when he said

Q: do you know why they do this?

I said, "because God programmed them that way."

A: that and because they're cuddlefish (cuttlefish).

This kid. Always looking for the joke.

A Nervous Joke

Q: why do animals get scared sometimes?

A. because they have a nervous system.

I asked Sawyer, did you hear that somewhere or make it up. He said, "With the help of the words nervous system I made it up."

Happy Mother's Day

As I start receiving loving messages of "Happy Mother's Day" this morning, I pause to survey my emotions.

Joy.
Love.
Gratitude.
Thankfulness.
Sadness.
Grief.

I'm sure there's more, too.

Joy because I have the most amazing husband who helped make me a mama- twice. The most perfect helpmate and life partner this woman could have. Two incredible sons that are already changing the world for the better. One who has been sent to me, in part, to be my rock and reason for for staying "present" in life. The other has been sent, in part, to bring me life-changing, heart wall demolishing, faith-building growth and more. I pray that I leave a legacy of love with and for these three gifts from God- my husband and two sons.

Love. Man! I have never been the center of so much love if you add my whole life together as I am right now. Love from family. Love from friends recent and long ago. Love from strangers to me. Love with prayer. Love with food. Love with gifts. Love with words. Love with presence. Love. Love is not only an amorous feeling. Love is not always easy. Love is a choice. It's choosing to care for someone when it's easy AND when it's hard. And boy, I'm I loved.

For all that love, I am grateful. God has opened my eyes and my heart in new ways. Ways that make it impossible to return to who I was. Too much width and depth between me then and me now. I am grateful. Gratfeul for God's faithfulness in joyful times and in times of despair. Grateful that He placed an incredible support structure around me to carry me through such a surreal journey. Grateful for everything I have and even what I don't have- because I have just what I need.

For me, being thankful is being able to find the good in bad situations and be glad about it. When I harness this I find strength in even dark seasons. I wasn't always a thankful person. It took time and practice for me to cultivate this in a genuine manner. Thankfulness is more than a fleeting "Thank you" out of obligation because, of course, manners. It comes from a place deep inside that realizes my life is not by accident and that my God-given job is not to be happy but obedient. When my focus is on the Lord, knowing HE knows what I need... thankfulness abounds.

Sadness because life is hard right now. Sadness because some relationships aren't as I expected. Sadness because there is pain and struggle. Sadness because I don't know where "normal" went. Sadness because my heart is aching. I think where there is true joy there will also be sadness.

Why grief? Because of loved ones gone, never to return. Because when things change in a shocking way I have to process through some tough stuff and those stages have been labeled "grief". Because there are circumstances currently at play that are so far beyond my realm of control. Because I survey the lives of dear friends and loved ones and see such profound pain. Grief happens. It's okay. I lean into it, work to feel it, and know I will emerge triumphant one day.

Be blessed today and everday my friends! YOU are worth celebrating EVERY DAY. People are worth celebrating every day.

New Joke

Q: What type of building will you find at the end of my name [Sawyer]?

A: an ER (emergency room)

Love it!!