Resilient In All Seasons

Resilient In All Seasons

June 12, 2022

Our focus in the last weeks in kid’s church where I am a small group leader has been resilience.  We define resilience as the ability to bounce back, to get up when it appears impossible, because with Jesus in us, there is nothing that is impossible.  We have been highlighting Bible stories about resilient heroes.  We learn they were just like us.  Sometimes scared, sometimes old, sometimes young, sometimes underappreciated, sometimes unjustly accused, sometimes hurt yet did nothing wrong… the list goes on and on.  We’ve been learning that in this world, we will have trouble but through Jesus, we have overcome the world.

Read that again. 

In this world, we will have trouble but through Jesus, we have overcome the world. 

Resilience means standing back up when the world knocks you down.

Resilience is showing the truth even when you know it is unpopular or unsafe.  A resilient disciple is one who understands they will trip and fall sometimes, make ungodly decisions, and speak unkind words, but they will also confess, ask for forgiveness, help to shine for Jesus better, and bounce back from their fall.  It also means we can bounce back from difficult times.

On Saturday, our WGV Gymnastics competitive team had their banquet.  The Bronze team’s coach spoke about the resilience of the Bronze girls because they had several coaches over their competition season (she was out with an injury for a while).  I couldn’t help but smile because Jillian has been hearing that word in kid’s church for weeks and now from her coach whom she loves.

Resilience is something that I’m having to purposefully remind myself that I have.  I continually remind myself this financial challenging time my family is in is stretching our resilience muscles.  God always helps us bounce back.  He always helps us keep going in the direction he wants for us. 

For me, it’s easier to leave the big things like my salvation, seeing my loved ones in heaven, and health to God.  It’s far harder to leave what my brain argues are “small” or “non spiritual” things like finances 100% to God; I figure He’s given us brains and opportunities to make our own way.  But my actual experience with life from my first “jobs” babysitting and such, has taught me that God is always in control of everything and has a planned path He knows is best for us.  He shapes and directs our path in everything if we allow it; He gives us gifts and areas of interest to shape our studying and careers resulting in our enjoyment of learning and work.  He whispers to take the back roads, or to make one last move, or to look up in the rear-view mirror, or some other something that seems so trite, but when we listen, our path is shaped in a significant way.

When I think about my life, the power of how Jesus has helped me bounce back from all kinds of challenges shows up loudly. 

One of my favorite keys to refocusing on Jesus is joy.  Better said: Gratitude. 

When I find my brain trying to focus on what is negative, what “trouble” messes with my family’s happiness, I turn my thoughts to the many blessings God has given us. 

Gratitude is choosing to be thankful.  From focusing on things to be grateful for, I find my joy returning. 

Today, I was super excited to get a t-shirt with one of my favorite verses on it! 

It reads “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on winds like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31” The front reads, “Make Resilient Disciples” and that is just what (only with Jesus’ help, thank you!) I’m doing!

Thank you for reading,

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

Mama Bear Baby Wear

Mama Bear Baby Wear

Throwback Story from (October 30, 2021)

I rarely do shout-outs that are unrequested; but this one?  Oh my goodness! 

About thirteen years ago, I was looking for a handmade option to the discontinued Gerber squares I had been using for cloth diapers and found the story of the shop (discovered it online while researching PUL fabric) called “Mama Bear Baby Wear.”  The story made me cry.  The products were really neat.  I was researched PUL fabric because we had been using four washable chux from my work (a nursing home, at that time) for nighttime bedwetter pads – they worked amazing and though my work had thrown them out, we got years more life out of them!

The research on PUL fabric led to super expensive designer washable diapers made with PUL fabric, with lots of reviews about how looooong it took to dry them.  Mama Bear Baby Wear sold “washable training pants” with mixed reviews, mostly good for what I was looking for.  I wanted a washable “oh no mom!” because we don’t do disposable, she was super independent and waiting for us to get to her and remove diaper pins was just “too much,” and I didn’t like cleaning up the baby seat.  Washable training pants that held a small amount of “oops” yet were NOT “comfortable” (aka, whisked the pee away so the toddler never learns that wet is uncomfortable!) were exactly what I was looking for. 

I ordered a four pack of “odds” – bargain training pants in assorted colors that were a dollar and a half less each than the pick-a-color training pants.  See the yellow, red, and one green in that picture?  Yes, those are three of the four original pack!  I loved them and ordered the green and blues (three not pictured were washing) as part of a six pack four years later. 

 Just so you know, these weren’t “occasionally” used.  I literally used all four of them every other day for almost three months, washed with my cloth diapers (I had a toddler potty training and watched a toddler who used my cloth diapers) on hot water with regular detergent (NO softener) and line dried in the Florida sun. 

Skip to next potty-trainer.

Washed and line dried every other day again for about eight months.

Skip to next potty-trainer.  My husband started using them like diapers because we had a magician who escaped from pins but loved the training pants.  I purchased the additional six so we now had ten working pairs of Mama Bear Baby Wear washable training pants. 

Now we had a dryer!  They were washed and dried on high heat every other day or every third day with the diaper squares that we now used as spit rags.  This bout lasted almost a year and a half because we moved twice and toddler reset her potty training every time we moved.

Skip to next potty-trainer.  A friend gave me thirty washable cloth diapers with the snaps (or I would have purchased them from Mama Bear) when our son was born.  I used those until he was potty training and I switched him up to the same training pants his sisters had all used.  No dryer.  They were washed and line dried every other day for almost six months. 

Skip to current potty-trainer.  We again have a dryer!  She started potty training early and we used the same batch of washable diapers (minus a few retired ones, stash started for her with twenty-three) and nine of the ten Mama Bear Baby Wear training pants.  We wash on hot and dry on high with regular detergent (NO fabric softener or dryer sheets) every other to every third day for about eight months.  We are using them now only for gym school because I work at gym and don’t want any “mom, I forgot to quit playing and go potty” accidents to mess up the floor… she’s been potty trained for almost a year.

Still using the same nine of ten!!  Only seven of the ten are in “giveaway” condition (see the worn areas near the snaps?  Those three I consider unacceptable hand-me-down material as I only give away great condition stuff) but all of them are still fully intact and waterproof!  Five of the ten are in what I consider excellent condition! Thank you, Mama Bear Baby Wear for a dependable, perfect potty-training “pull-up” alternative that has served us for nine and thirteen years, respectively – and if we have another potty-trainer or another to hand them down to, will continue!

Thank you for reading! (Check out Mama Bear Baby Wear’s shop!)

~Type at you next time!

~Nancy Tart

Exploring Big Sister’s Campus

I love watching the younglings do something new; why I love just walking and exploring. We can always find something to enjoy when we slow down and ignore the overbearing stresses of life. Take a break. Make yourself take a break.

Exploring Big Sister’s Campus

Throwback Story from (October 24, 2021)

I am sitting with Thea at the side of a pool on the Embry-Riddle campus because we chose to ride down with Christina for her Sunday afternoon flight block.  Thea is laughing at pictures “Anastasia and the Bunny-Bear” from Easter at gym.  (The Bunny-Bear is the Easter Bunny outfit Jaquline & Kimberly wore.)  “The Bunny-Bear loves my gymnastics!” Thea says and laughs.

She jumps around; we’ve already walked the campus and she’s pointed out “safe” lizards (I told her here the lizards are not allowed to be chased) and flowers and bumble bees and honeybees and “boys and girls at Christina’s school.”  She’s asked me almost everyone’s name.  “What’s that boy’s name?” “Who is that girl?” “Are they all Christina’s friends at school?” (She goes to gym-school and all of those participants are her friends, so she assumes everyone at the school you go to are your friends.)

After listening to my stressed-out teenagers discussing life in the early afternoon, I’m convinced I didn’t do a great job of teaching them how to enjoy life and be grateful for the moment they are in.  Sometimes that is really, really hard.  Sometimes life’s circumstances don’t seem good.  Sometimes it’s hard to be grateful – but you have to!  I usually feel like I’m enjoying what I am in.  I am grateful for the life I have; I love my family, my job, my church – those are the important things!  I am so happy for the amazing things God keeps doing in our lives!

Christina and her educational journey is a continuing story of how God keeps answering prayers!

I’m so thankful for the people God has put and keeps putting in the path of my teenagers and young children through church, gym, and friendships.  Becky has learned so much from the mentors in her life.  Kimberly has positive role models who keep encouraging her. 

Our journey has been full of ups and downs like any life story.  We have to find the positive and focus on that.  Like right now.  Thea is running around on the “Water-bridge” after touching the “scary man” (metal statue of Wilber Wright) tentatively.  She’s singing something I can’t figure, likely made up, and I’m typing. 

Perfect contentment while exploring the strange surroundings that are Christina’s school.  I’m sure I’ll hear lots of stories about the man, the critters, and the “boys and girls” she discovered. 

I love watching the younglings do something new; why I love just walking and exploring.  We can always find something to enjoy when we slow down and ignore the overbearing stresses of life.  Take a break.  Make yourself take a break. 

Enjoy the slow down.

It makes life more fun!

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

Challenge of Transport

I have plenty to be grateful for; challenge of transportation will not get me down!

Challenge of Transport

May 23, 2022

Once upon a time, when we lived 2.4 miles from the sunshine bus stop long before the mask and partition requirements, I didn’t have a working vehicle.  The kids and I bicycled to the Buzz Mart, parked our bikes & trailer, and loaded into the bus with exact change we’d pulled out of the taxis cleaning them.  We’d make the hour ride into town, unload at Wildwood Drive & SR207 and stroll along to the homeschool co-op meeting place – which is now our church home!  Any doctor’s visit or important thing like getting books from the library happened on that day and along the bus route.  We even took the bus to two end-of-year evaluations at the south branch library! 

Some of those days were the most fun outings our family had!  I was able to dispatch (work) while we were about our errands.  We played a million games of scrabble twist and catch phrase.  We met amazing people and listened to their stories.  We learned patience and gratefulness.  We kept some strong legs up too!

Now, we don’t live along the bus route, which is okay.  We also went from three vehicles in the family to one, then two – but now our two equals our passenger capacity.  When we all go to church, we have to take both cars.  I’m thankful one dependable hand-me-down (and totally amazing) 4Runner that is Christina’s car that gets her safely to and from Daytona’s Embry Riddle University.  Christina actually named him Old Blue.

I’m thankful Louis isn’t hurt from the crumpled Toyota Prius with 400K miles (loved that car).  He now drives a Buick Encore (He got talked into a new one… don’t get one, it’s been in and out of the shop with “unknown” problems that ended up being the entire transmission!  We are “waiting on” a replacement transmission – and we’ve only had it 4 months.  Problems and shaking started at month 2.)  At least he has a car.  We were supposed to buy a vehicle outright this time around… oh well.

Our new rental is only 4.8 miles from my work (and Christina & Kimberly’s) so we have biked a few times.  I’m constantly being dropped off early to match someone else’s schedule.  Everything within me is constantly trying to keep telling my own head: find the positive!

I have to keep a positive attitude as chief mood officer in our house.  That is seriously a challenge when more than half my children are over twelve years old and super hormonal.   

Finding the positive in only having enough seats only if we caravan?  Actually, the skinny butts can share a buckle and learn to get along.  At least there are only two workplaces among the five of us who do regular work.  Becky and Christina babysit and along with Kimberly do odd jobs and raise parakeets and Guinea Pigs so sometimes there’s another workplace to toss in. 

Finding the positive in every situation is challenging.  My 2nd and 3rd graders learned that this Sunday!  Paul and Silas praised God even when they were in a horrible situation, being punished by the Roman government for a crime they didn’t even do!  Of course, in real life, not petty third world “problems” like having four drivers and nine people share two cars, God shows up to do amazing stuff like break chains, send an earthquake that rattles the foundations of the prison and leaves all the doors open, and results in the freedom of everyone and the salvation of the jailor and his entire household! 

When I think about what is making it hard for me to find positives and compare that with anything real, I have to laugh.  The things causing my frustration like intermittent internet at work, having to wait an hour after work was supposed to be over to get a ride home, or the vystar app crashing, seem unimportant.  We are so conditioned to expect smooth sailing that bumps become mountains.  I have to smile; we have a rental (roof), transportation to amazing jobs (it’s only an hour and a half walk if we really had to), food (that’s another story), and family!  We have plenty to say thank you for.  Then there are the bigger things we never really notice like oxygen for our lungs, humor to make us laugh, beauty in the sunrises and sunsets, clean water to drink, and love to make life worth living. 

I have plenty to be grateful for; challenge of transportation will not get me down! 

Thank you for reading!

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

A Slice of Love

Respect for an honorable man my family loved #SethMichaelPlant #ThousandsOfSmallGestures #PayingRespectToAHero #GreaterLove #SliceOfLove #FuneralProcession #HonoringHisLife

A Slice of Love

May 26, 2022

Monday I stood at the corner of State Road 206 and US Highway 1.  It’s called “Dupont Center.”  It’s where fifteen years ago I almost lost my little brother to another youth whose car ran a red light and crashed into my brother’s motorcycle.  It’s the road we used for fourteen years to go from our house to the beach.  It’s the road from the beach back to Louis’ house when we were dating.  Today I was holding an American flag, squatting in the sun, with Thea holding her flag and sitting on my lap, waiting for the funeral procession bringing a family friend through his hometown and favorite places on his way to the funeral home. 

Seth Michael Plant was coming home.

He was thirty.  He and my other brother Charley are the same age.  I remember the two of them in kid’s church when Louis and I were dating.  My sisters matched his sisters’ ages.  His father was a friend and mentor to my husband before we met.  His mother took time to speak wisdom into my life.  Our families were friends.  I loved them all and prayed for them as they navigated life’s hills and potholes. 

Yet I only knew a slice of his life. 

My heart rips at me for his older sisters.  My heart felt plucked from my chest and shredded when my baby sister died.  I have never been able to say “I understand the hole left in your heart.”  I hoped I’d never have to because I didn’t want anyone else to lose a baby sibling like I did.  The hole never fills. 

We move on because we have hope.  We know that we know that we will be together again in heaven with Jesus.  That is why I stopped screaming “why!” in the car after hearing about my sister’s death.  My soul still hurts because I miss her.  I remember anger because I thought her life too short.  I saw things she would never see on Earth.  Her baby girl in her prom dress.  Her children marching in cap and gown.  Her boys dancing with her in the kitchen, “mom, teach me to dance with a girl!” 

This world is broken by sin; that is why bad things happen.  God cradles those who are forced to leave in his arms.  God’s original plan never included death.  Our souls are eternal.  Hope in eternity together with Jesus.  This is what comforts me now.

I cried for Seth’s family as part of my family waited for the motorcade.  I could see their faces in my heart and remember their laughter together.  Weddings, children’s births, church services & events, my baby sister’s funeral; our families have seen each other what feels like too few times but so many vital points in our stories.  I prayed for their comfort and peace.  I prayed for Seth’s story to be kept alive for his nieces and nephew.  I prayed for all of those whose hearts were closer to his than mine.  Like I said, I only knew a slice of his love.  Sometimes we see people as we first knew them; I still saw Seth as Charley’s friend in kid’s church even though I’d rejoiced with his family as he graduated, started following his dreams, got promoted, and grew into the man he was.

My mind kept saying, “what a tiny silly gesture to show you cared.”  (Standing on a corner holding a flag and praying)  I remembered how special it felt to me with each picture someone shared on social media when Mary died.  Little stories about how Mary touched their lives.  I didn’t know Seth very well; but he was a brother in Christ.  I loved him because of that. 

The police motorcycles caught Lucas’ attention and Kimberly came over to record the motorcade as it passed.  Louis’ boss hollered at him from where he was stopped about to turn onto 206.  I picked Thea up and stood with our flags.  It may be a tiny gesture, but it was something I could do. 

People on the side of 206 as far down as we could see were doing the same thing – standing with their flags, shirts, banners, some saluting, some waving, most crying.  It was so moving to see.  This is how we love.  Taking time from our lives to stand.  In other times, we take time to talk, listen, help, visit, hug.  This was several thousand people all along the route stopping to give respect to an honorable man who sacrificed for others – to touch the family with a tiny slice of their love. 

Thank you, Seth, for protecting those you love.  Greater Love has no man than this; that he would give up his life for his friend.

Rest in peace with Jesus, friend.  Until we meet again in heaven.  I will continue to pray for your family still here. 

~Love and Prayers,

~Nancy Tart

Summer Plans? Gymnastics…

What to do with bouncy kids over summer? #WGVGymnasticsCamp

Summer Plans? Gymnastics…

March 22, 2022

Do you have any summer plans?

How about spending a few days trying out a fantastic gymnastics camp? At WGV Gymnastics, our 9 weeks of summer is split into 9 individual themes starting with Super Hero week on June 6th to Wacky Water Week kicking off the final camp week of August 1st.

Fun & games, crafts, tumbling, learning new skills, making new friends! Come join us!

Most 12 o’clockers beg to stay til 3pm or even 5pm so as not to miss anything! Our gym is such a magical place that no one ever wants to leave…

Camps start at 9am and end between noon and 5pm (choose your end time when you register online) and camper ages start at 3 years old and up.

Lucas loves camp! His best-friends-on-earth-that-arent-brother-cousins go to camp. Jillian loves to practice her gymnastics skills and dance moves (there’s usually some dance party time hidden somewhere in the week!).

Check out our website, register online for camp, or join us for open gyms every Friday noon to 1pm or Parents’ Night Out every third Saturday! Summer activity, check! Lots of workout = tired kiddos, check!

We have it all!

Type at you later,

~Nancy Tart

Boy Hair Day

March 20, 2022 (Timewarp story from February 21, 2022)

Boy Hair Day

Every so often, Lucas decides that when Daddy gets a haircut, Lucas will also get a haircut! This day was one of those days. Lucas’ hair was long enough for a ponytail. Louis says, “hey, want a big boy haircut again?”

Lucas says, “no,” as he runs his fingers in his hair. His brother cousins are visiting and Isaac laughs as Lucas’ fingers catch a tangle. “Maybe.” Lucas shrugs.

Maybe turns into all three boys watching Louis’ hair get trimmed. Then Lucas says, “I want Dad’s haircut!”

He is soooo much more wiggly at 6 than he was at 3!

Louis gels his hair up in the style he wanted. He gels Isaac and JJ’s hair too.

And Lucas’ hair…

The evening turns into boy hair play day! Cute pictures following…

I love when the brother-cousins get to hang out and do goofy stuff that makes lots of fun memories!

Type at you next time!

~Nancy Tart

The Day of Coincidences

The Day of Coincidences

March 18, 2022

It’s 4am, I’m jumping out of bed to the not alarm because one of the youngers turned the phone (aka alarm) on silent, and racing to start a cup of coffee. Ran the water through yesterday’s grounds to get slightly colored water – oops. Christina had to catch a flight out of JAX at 6am (Actually, 6:15, but you know) for her Women-In-Aviation conference in Nashville. Louis goes, “it’s only a 45 minute drive, you only need 30 minutes at the airport, not an hour.”

All my ECO-Ride experience and I’ve never left less than an hour of time from airport drop-off to plane departure, but you know, he drives now, not me.

New, real, coffee to make my shakeology.

Grandma, Christina, and I load up, ride to JAX, and she’s there before 5:10am. Sweet.

Not.

TSA stopped her for a box of business cards. Released from that line five minutes after her flight left.

She’s now on standby for the next flight to Baltimore because there she could possibly catch a standby for Nashville (the next direct to Nashville was at 9pm). Next possible to Baltimore is after 10am.

I go to leave for gym and Grandma sees Christina’s CAP cover in the yard. I start check-in, tell my boss we have to go back to JAX, wait til Grandma cleans said cover and loads the youngest two passengers, transfer everyone to the 4Runner, and we drive the CAP cover up to Christina with Thea singing in the backseat, “no job too big, no Thea too small.”

Two adults in the car allows for Grandma to race the cap to Christina and I’m not leaving the car unattended for a few seconds in the departing lane… Christina gets back into the airport.

Flight time comes, TSA says “we don’t like your lotion.” (It passed through inspection 4 hours ago??)

She misses this standby by 12 minutes.

Third standby… oops, we forgot to deep check your foot powder that passed inspection at 6am and at 10am… so TSA pulls her out of line again!… but for this one, she makes the plane with 1 minute to spare.

Thank you, Jesus!

She’s in Baltimore, next possible to Nashville leaves at 1645. Take a breath. A nice lady there helps her, upgrades her from standby to boarding and makes sure she gets on the plane.

Finally, I get a text at 1917. She’s in Nashville and has to find her luggage that arrived at her original arrival time of 0635.

Delays and coincidences? I don’t believe in coincidences. Everything happens for a reason. Maybe it was just to make sure that my CAP pilot had her cover so she was in full regs… maybe it was to teach her patience… to teach us not to worry… to show my fully independent young woman how capable she is… for whatever reason, through more than a long workday at Jacksonville International Airport and a short shift at Baltimore, she made it to her destination intact.

Originally, I was very upset with myself because, even with the TSA delays, she would have made the first plane if I hadn’t taken the extra time to brew a real cup of coffee… but then how would we have gotten her cover to her?

First passenger I’d ever driven to the airport who had missed their flight – I’d even had a woman who had to have a potty break every exit and we got turned around in GA headed for the JAX airport and she still made her flight. My brain screamed at me about that…

God’s timing. He knew the cover didn’t make it in her carry-on. He knew it was important. He knew who would be watching, who would be encouraged, by this story both as it unfolded and as you read it now.

I take a breath, remind myself to always move forward and never beat myself up for the past – If we can trust God to keep the world spinning what is hard about trusting for tiny things like airport timing and CAP covers? (oh, and my books showed up in person while we were out!)

Thank you, Jesus, for little adventures like this that remind me how everything always works out just as it should when we keep calm, move forward, and trust.

Hope you have a lovely day!

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

It’s Here! In Person!

New Release!! The Secret Locker, Bunnies in the Orchard Lands – come see it in person at WGV Gymnastics’ Pro Shop!

It’s Here! In Person!

March 16, 2022

“Haven’t you ever wanted to meet bunnies who can do gymnastics, especially vault?” Asks Bonnie. (from “Bunnies in the Orchard Lands“)

I am over-the-moon excited about this project I’ve been heavily working on!

Let me introduce you to “The Secret Locker,” a series of illustrated children’s books based on the wonderful imaginations of the gymnasts at my gym! (okay, not my gym, but I coach here and would like to think of it as mine) Each book follows a group of gymnasts as they explore or go on adventures.

The first one (just released!!) is “Bunnies in the Orchard Lands.” In these fun pages, we meet Jilly Beanie, Lizi, and Bonnie and follow them into an enchanted place called “The Orchard Lands” where they meet bunnies who can do gymnastics!

Can you wait to see the bunny siblings? Moon, Star, Blob, Rose, and Dally… maybe just a glimpse of hmm… The apple blossoms!

Oh yes, The Orchard Lands have apple blossoms all over! Didn’t my illustrator, Rebeccah Tart, do a great job? I love her art!

If you are close to St Augustine, Florida, come to my gym’s Pro Shop at 135 Center Place Way, Saint Augustine, FL and buy a copy (if I’m at the desk, I’ll sign it for you) and support our gym!! Otherwise, you can buy it online and still support our gym because a portion of all sales from “The Secret Locker” series goes to WGV Gymnastics!

I’m so super excited!! Rebeccah and I have two more books in “The Secret Locker” series being produced now and many more ideas coming! All thanks to little gymnasts with BIG imaginations!

Type at you next time!

~Nancy Tart

Powerfully Thankful!

Have you ever been so overwhelmed with thankfulness that it makes you cry? #AwesomeBirthdayPresent #HealingMiracle #JesusTheGreatPhysician #Reflection

February 23, 2022

Powerfully Thankful!

Have you ever had a day that blew you away with the power of God and made you cry because you are thankful?

I’ve had quite a few since December 1st. God keeps doing amazing miracles and making me thankful – like December 10, 2021 when God saved Louis from being crushed in an accident on the interstate and December 11, 2021 when God saved my sister from dying in an accident.

Today, I’m just so thankful! A young man my family is very close to got sick on Monday – we all prayed for him. Last night (actually early morning today just after midnight), Louis led us praying that when the doctors went to do surgery, they’d find that he was healed. He asked God to touch his body and heal him completely as He is The Great Physician.

This morning, we were told he was waiting for final testing and would go into surgery. It made me so sad – I could only think of how my heart would be ripped apart if this was my Kimberly I was praying for. I love this young man and have seen God constantly work in his life. I know God can heal everything – he made the entire universe with words he spoke; He can touch a human body and repair it. In His will. That is the toughest part for me as a mom; my mind and heart fight over why God would think that my baby sister dying or a child being seriously injured or a young man slowly withering away because of a genetic disease is in God’s will.

Faith. Trust. Hope.

My faith reminds me that if I can trust God for salvation, if I can trust that the gravity and physics he set up will remain, then I need to trust His will in my life and, yes, my children’s lives and my friend’s children’s lives. Trust and pray in everything.

I have hope in that I know I will see my baby sister in heaven. I know I will see Gideon and my Daddy running and jumping and playing dodgeball and kickball in heaven. (Hey, those were favorite games so why not?) My hope is in Jesus.

When the report came back, this young man’s test came back with healthy! No surgery. Healthy on other tests for other organs! I was so happy! God, what an amazing, perfect birthday present!

I’m so thankful for healing, for life, for love, for family, for friends. So many things God has given us to enjoy – beautiful days (I bicycled to work Monday morning, we finally hung the Christmas gift swing yesterday), discovery (finding shoes Lucas hid because he prefers being barefoot), goofy games (trying to keep assorted Thea birthday balloons in the tiny square made by the couches and the wall by batting them with longer balloons), amazing gifts (homemade sugar-type m&m cookies are my favorite and I LOVE roses), traveling mercies (thankful Louis and Becca are alive), late night giggles (my favorite sounds even though I have to say, “girls, go to bed!”), healing (too many times to list!)… this list is endless.

Thank you, Jesus, for your amazing miracles!

Today, I’m so thankful, I cried.

Reflect on what amazing miracles God has done in your life and that will surely make you smile too!

Type at you later,

~Nancy Tart

Follow me!

Get my latest posts delivered to your email: