Sharing Life

I cannot count the times I've sat at the table for lunch longing to share a tuna fish sandwich with someone. It wasn't because I was bored or home alone. Quite the opposite. My home is always bustling with noise and boredom doesn't exist due to the many sewing and quilting projects.

The longing I have is more than sharing a sandwich, but it's sharing life. As I look around at the different blogs, I see an influx of young women with a Titus 2 heart and a passion to learn how to be a Proverbs 31 woman. Recently, I've had the honor of connecting with them outside blogland. Some are still in there teens.


While reading the Titus 2 passage of Scripture, I often wonder where is the missing link. Are the younger women looking for us older women and we are no where to be found? Are the older women waiting for an opportunity to pour life's wisdom into younger women but they are so busy running to and fro thus not allowing time to glean? Maybe it's neither, but a fear of being transparent.


When we are transparent, we are made visible by a light shining through us. The result of transparency is exposure. When we are exposed, it simply means that others can see through us. 


I know there are things in the lives of women that we just don't want to expose. For me, there were things that I kept hidden for years. I was fearful. Didn't want to be transparent because that meant that other people would know "my business" and those secret things would be exposed. 


What I didn't realize, it's those very things I kept hidden were the very things that God used to set other women free. 


For years I wouldn't talk about my child birthing experiences. I didn't want other women to know that I felt like a failure. I felt as though I failed as a woman because I didn't birth my children naturally. It wasn't until I had a private conversation with a young woman who confided that she felt as though her body betrayed her too. Exposing how I felt about my experience brought freedom to her. Now when I meet women who birthed by cesarean section, I jokingly ask them if they want to join the "C Club." 


Sharing life. Sharing a transparent life. A life unashamed for all to see because the light that's shining through me is the light of Jesus Christ.

Trae It's Your 18th Birthday!

Where has time gone? When I got up this morning and realized that your a young man now. I had so many emotions at the thought of you turning 18 today. Today is special in so many ways.

I thought you were going to be born before May 2, 1991 because of all the complications during my pregnancy with you. During the last trimester of my pregnancy I started having severe abdominal pain. The doctors and specialist couldn't figure out at first what was wrong. I found myself at the hospital multiple times before they found out what was causing the pain. It was the incision from the c-section that I had the prior year. I had an amniocentesis which revealed that your lungs weren't developed. I choose not to have until your lungs were fully developed. The doctors advised me against that, but I didn't want to take a chance with your life. I knew in my heart that God had a plan and a purpose for you. So I decided to go on bed rest and it was the best decision I ever made. You were born so strong and healthy.

You were always so independent, but yet you knew when to call mommy. You may not remember that day you were sitting in the highchair, but I do. I was trying to feed you a peanut butter & jelly sandwich for lunch. You kept turning your head and wouldn't eat. I then turned to Ruthie and put her in the booster chair. When I looked around, you had picked up your sandwich and started feeding yourself. That was a milestone and a memory that I will cherish forever.

Now look at you. You're this wonderful God fearing young man whose passion is to preach the Gospel. You make us proud for taking a stand for what's right.

After years of homeschooling you, you decided you wanted to go and make an impact on your classmates. We were so confident that if anybody could do it, it's you. I love that fact that you decided not to be a closet Christian on campus. You've followed our advice to live the life and just love the people. I'm amazed at the testimonies you share with me about who you witness to and how they respond. God has given you such an open during your last year in high school. You've spread your wings so wide and soared beyond my wildest dreams. Mommy is crying as I write this. I never regret for one moment all the years I spent at home raising you guys. Yes we gave up a lot living on one income, but we've gained so much more. The time I spent with you was well worth it.

You graduate in less than a month, May 30th. You're such a testimony to our family that hasn't come to know Jesus as their Savior. You are the first male in my family to graduate high school. Your aunts, uncles, cousins, sisters and brothers are all rooting for you. As you know Dad and I are you're biggest cheerleaders. We say "you go TJ!"

Son I also want to encourage you and let you know that there's a girl out there praying for you. She's singing that song by Rebecca St. James. She's keeping herself for you, just as you're keeping yourself for her. She will come in God's timing.
BTW.....Congratulations again on becoming the 2009 Lewiston High School Prom King!

A Birthday Letter To My Firstborn

My Dearest Sweetie,

Fond memories of you will flood my mind today. Today is a special day because it's your birthday. This birthday is the first birthday that we will not get to celebrate together because you're at Bible College. Oh how I miss you today and everyday, but you are answering the call of God on your life. For that I say Amen!

In late August of 1989, I cried with joy as I sat on the edge of the examining table. I couldn't believe what I just heard, "The pregnancy test come back positive." I was shocked. I knew something had change with my body, but the 3 home pregnancy test all came back negative. It wasn't until a blood test confirmed it. What was even more shocking is that fact that I was pregnant. I was told early in life that it would be hard for me to conceive.

It scared me the first time I felt you flutter. I was so young and had so many questions. I was told it was normal and as time goes on I would start to feel you kick. When you started kicking, I was in such awe that I would just lay across the bed and savor the moments.

A week before you were born I started having contraction. I remember standing in line at Big 8 talking to a friend I hadn't seen in a long time. She asked how far apart were my contractions. I answered so proudly, "12 minutes and it doesn't even hurt like they said it would." She informed me a had a long way to go. I didn't understand until 5 days later.

After laboring with you for over 44 hours I received the worst news. There was a shift change at 11:00 pm and a new nurse came in and called the doctor because something was deathly wrong. She asked why had I not pushed the call button for a nurse to come in. I told her that the last nurse had taken away the call button. The doctor came in and said, "We have to do an emergency c-section right now!" Then he started saying a few choice words to the nurses because I had been neglected. I wasn't sure about a lot of things that happened during labor. I was in and out of consciousness. You were born April 23, at 11:37 pm.

While in the hospital, you cried so much. I could not stop you from crying. A nurse came in and asked what was wrong. I told her I didn't think I was a good mother because I couldn't stop you from crying. She asked when did I last feed you. I told her I fed you breakfast at 6 this morning and it was too early for lunch because it was only 10:00. She informed me that nursing babies had to eat about every 2-3 hours. I didn't know. I thought you would eat 3 meals a day like me. Glad I didn't nurse you just 3 times a day......I can laugh about it now, but not then.

When you came home from the hospital I couldn't put you down. My family said that I would "spoil" you by holding you all the time. I couldn't comprehend that because what I was doing seemed so natural. Today when I reflect back, I'm so glad I held you all the time. I don't regret carrying you while I did chores around the house. I became a pro at doing dishes and scrubbing the sink with 1 hand.

I remember your first day of school. It was such a big ordeal. The whole family went. I'm still not sure who cried more me or Dad. I do remember that I always wanted you to look your best when you went to school. Everything had to match.

Then one day you grew up and decided to start doing your own hair and picking out your own clothes. It was so hard for me to let go. You were growing up so fast. I was afraid that you wouldn't need me anymore. Boy that was far from the truth.

Most parents hate the teen years. Not me. During this stage of your life, I enjoyed the time we had as a homeschool family. Some people didn't understand why we would homeschool teenagers. We understood and that's what mattered. Homeschooling was so much fun. I will always remember how would dance all afternoon and call it PE.

When you did go back to public school, you made us proud. We sat back with confidence knowing that you were strong in the Word and you knew who you were in Jesus. We raised you to be confident and compassionate. You graduated with honors and told so many of your friends about Jesus. You lead so many to the Lord and now you want to fulfill the Great commission. We bless you Sweetie to go into the world and take the saving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ into all the nations and make disciples.

Ruth is currently attending Portland Bible College majoring in Worship Music.
http://www.myspace.com/ruthieking23

Happy Birthday "Buddy" Ben

On April 22, 1994, at 8:02 am, I heard Dr. Kelley say, "Yes it's a boy!" I wasn't surprised at all. We knew that we were having a boy. All of the many ultrasounds revealed that. What the ultrasound didn't reveal was how beautiful and strong he was going to be.

I was on bed rest for the last trimester of the my pregnancy with Benjamin. I wanted to go somewhere so bad that I talked a 16 year old young lady from church to take me to KMart. She was so scared. She said, "Sister King I'm going to get in trouble if I do." I promised her that no one will ever know and that it would be our secret.

I got up and put on this cute maternity outfit that I hadn't gotten a chance to wear. I had to wear my house slippers because my feet were swollen. Actually I hadn't feel my feet for some time now, but she told me that they were big. I was smiling the whole time. Everything looked so pretty outside.

We were back by the time Don and the other kids got home from church. He realized something had changed about me. I was way too happy. After the young lady left I confessed. I was knotty and when I went to the doctor on Tuesday they chewed me out. (I was glad when that appointment was over.)

When Benjamin was born, Don and I both couldn't stop crying. The nurses almost had to pry Ben out of Don's hand to continue with their testing. Don kept his face glued to the nursery window. Still crying. He said the nurses kept staring at him. Don must have cried for at least another hour. He had so much joy that he couldn't express it through words.

Ben has blessed our lives in so many ways. He's our athlete. He plays football, basketball, wrestle and runs track. It never fails that whenever we see him on the field or the mat, we get weepy. We weep because of what God has done in his life and how far God has brought him. If you would have asked us 10 years ago if Ben would ever play sports, we would have said no way. God has healed Ben. God has also healed our daughter Ruth whose birthday is tomorrow. One day I will write about their healings.

Happy Birthday Buddy!

Benjamin is a Hebrew name which means "Son of the right hand."















Ben & I having fun :)