* Warning! You might want to consider shutting off the audio on this family clip.

While watching this 45 second video clip of Eva Cate’s first steps..close your ears when you hear  a “hyena laugh“- it’s (unfortunately) coming from me…plus (that is the key word) the Boo was having a particularly bad “hair” day and “plus” a puffy day. ( Feel free to laugh)

May, 2011

Eva Cate’s 1st Steps – YouTube

Have you ever noticed, as demonstrated by Eva Cate, that we, as babies, don’t take a first step…we take several “first” steps. It is the only way to keep our balance when learning to walk.

I think that is true throughout life. Once we plant our foot down…the other one is ready for its turn and so on and so on and so on…off we go into the world!

When we are down or in a scary situation….the hardest part is putting that first foot down…When starting chemo for the first time back in 2010…I remember waking up that morning and swinging my feet onto the floor…but when I went to stand up…one foot went under…just collapsed under me.

I flopped back down and prayer harder than I had ever prayed since the night before the first surgery….not only for the chemo session to be “tolerable” but for me to be able to walk into the room and then out of the room without falling. I was as close to God as I could be and knew He needed to help me walk the “walk” that day.

In fact….I felt like Moses. When he first came face to face with God…he said:

If thy presence go not with me, carry us up not hence” (Exodus 33:15). In other words he was saying, “Lord, if your presence is not with me, then I’m not going anywhere. I won’t take a single step unless I’m assured you’re with me!”

Moses…I know the feeling. God got me back up that morning and this time both feet held firm….I had already known  (since God’s visit that night before the surgery in 2008)….that God was holding my hand….and I would need that reassurance to face all the medical obstacles looming ahead.

Do you remember God’s response to Moses’ declaration ( the first sit-down strike) of not going anywhere without His presence? You are going to like it.

“…My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest” (verse 14). What an incredible promise! The Hebrew word for “rest” here is “a comfortable, quiet rest.” God was saying, “No matter what enemies or trials you face, you’ll always be able to find a quiet rest…a sense of peace… in me!”

(Resource: “The Power of the Lord’s Presence”-David Wilkerson)

Now that is a powerful and poignant response in one….from my experiences…also true! Every time the going has gotten tough….I have found the peace within to deal with it…because God placed it there. A calm comes over me and then a feeling… like a warm wave playing and pulling at me…diminishes my fear of the future…the unknown.

These days my greatest fear is losing sight of God, losing sight of His Presence….because, like Moses, I know I can’t take a single step without Him accompanying me along my journey.

How many times have we discovered with ourselves and also with loved ones (parents, peers, friends, children, grandchildren) that a walk can settle the “waters” better than any other kind of therapy?

Many times we return from a walk with that calming sense of peace (God promised) where once anger and frustration reigned.

So these days I try to listen extra hard….to God’s invitation to “Come take a walk with Me“….I love walking and holding hands..don’t you?

So until tomorrow…. Father…please let Your Presence be felt as we all walk the walk of the unknown. Guide us, lead us, and help us stay present to your Presence.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* A lot of “kudos” came in yesterday….a shout-out in the form of a Happy Birthday for Bill and Sis Kinney….they will celebrate a dual birthday this Saturday. (That is also when Miss Eva Cate will have her birthday party…hoping the rain holds off.)

Anne and I shared a “kudos” lunch ….Praise Oscars….we were wolfing the food down! And another special “Kudos” to Anne who figured out how to get this extremely annoying picture I accidentally hit …(that became my screen saver) off my desktop!

It was a picture of some old Christmas floral decoration and I couldn’t find the photos for the blog because they were lost in the flower arrangement sitting smack dab in the middle of the screen.

But Anne, a.k.a. Sherlock Holmes, was on it and Anne met with success….awful picture is now gone…replaced by a beautiful greenish teal background, with vivid photos for the blog popping out… making my old eyes very happy!

Anne got my first “Extra”  pack of chewing gum from the “Kudos Bowl” for being “extra” kind to a computer bimbo.

KUDOS MY FRIEND!!!!!

* Mollie just added this one month old adorable picture of Lachlan (though she said he is actually 5 weeks now) on Facebook….wanted to share it with you.

* Today, April 24, is also Jakie’s 7th month birthday. ( I know Mandy hasn’t had a minute to take a 7 months picture either with her art show she had Wednesday at school and Eva Cate’s birthday party tomorrow. But here is our sweetie pie Jakie!)