Blog / Musings – Mrs Oz Cafe

February 6, 2019February 13, 2019

I Count Carbs… not Calories

Yes, I eat butter, bacon, eggs, cream and lots more yummo food to me. I get to eat the food I LOVE for a change! Foods that my body was craving… and for a reason! Now I do stray off of it sometimes, to be perfectly transparent with you. I am not a celiac so I will eat gluten sometimes in moderation, but I try to stay under 30 Net Carbs per day. (To figure that out you get the Carb Count – Fiber Count= Net Carb) Okay, if your heads swims when it comes to mathematics, I just keep under 25 carbs per meal and I will most likely be fine. To sum it up easily: We are Carb Counters, not Calorie Counters. It is so freeing too.

We have switched to using more Almond Flour, Coconut Flour, Flaxseed Meal and Xanthan Gum for thickening. We avoid Rice and rice flour because it shoots our blood glucose up to the high heavens. In our family of 6, we have two Type 2 and one Type 1 Diabetics. So food planning can be quite tricky sometimes. Then when you mix in food allergies, likes and dislikes, and a little lupus… well, at times it leaves me scratching my head when trying to convert recipes.

Some of us also have auto-immune thyroid issues. Three have Hashimoto’s and two have both Hashimoto’s and Graves. Yes. Wow. So we watch on the soy, unsaturated oils and gluten consumption for those as well.

Now that our eating is so much healthier, next I get to work on building muscle again. Yes, that makes me sigh too. It will be lots of work, but if I increase my muscle mass that I lost from the downtime from the arm surgery, it will help my body work correctly. I have a treadmill and an incumbent bike. I cannot do lots of cardio due to the Bilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis (from hence forward we will call it the ‘Throat Thingy” haha) but I can walk on the treadmill and do some toning and isometrics with at least my left arm too. Please, please pray for me as I start this up again. (approved by doc). I need to be in shape for my reverse shoulder replacement in the Fall.

When I post recipes soon, please know that I have tested and sampled these recipes over and over. Some of the first batches were not consumption worthy. But I kept trying and have some really good ones now. I will try to input my Recipe Page this coming week for you who are interested. (Let me know in the comments!!)

PRAYER CORNER

Romans 12:1-2 (Message Bible) [Place Your Life Before God]

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants form you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

Thank you Lord for my journey so far. I know that I can be quite headstrong. Please Holy Spirit, I will try to listen closer for that still small voice that has in the past resonated so loudly within me. Help me as I strengthen this temple that you have given me, so that I can effectively be a living witness all the days of my life. Amen.

Signed…. Christine

A Muse of the Remnant

February 24, 2023February 24, 2023

46 years of Gratitude ~ February 1977 & beyond ~

It is amazing to me that 46 years have transpired with Jesus at the helm of my life. I am forever grateful for what He went through on Calvary just for me… (and for you as well!)

I was raised in a home with a Catholic and a Protestant. As you can see from the graphic, the two are quite different, but at the same time, not. This made life in my home interesting, to say the least. The Catholic didn’t go to church, but adhered to us being raised that way. The Protestant was your average ‘Never go but whatever the Catholic says is just fine with them.’ Life was a pulling each way while growing up in that kind of a situation. I liked both churches! I loved the grandeur of the Catholic and the down to earth roots of the Protestant. My protestant parent would make jibes about the Catholic Processions, that they titled ‘Catholic Parades’. And the Catholic parent would try to get ‘special permission’ from the priests for us to attend the Protestant church for special things that transpired on that side of the family. I tried being the perfect sacristy girl that assisted in getting the Catholic church ready for their Masses. I just never felt like I fully belonged. I loved the openness of that particular Protestant church (Church of Christ), but there too, didn’t feel like ‘Home.’

I attended Catholic grade school through 8th grade and a college prep Catholic high school. In high school there was a religion class that I took in 11th grade that went in depth into various different religions and beliefs. We had to attend a few of their services/meetings to pass the class and write a long report on our experiences.

The first I chose was EST. EST was not officially a religion but a training program meant “to transform your ability to experience living so that the situations you have been trying to change or have been putting up with clear up just in the process of life itself,” as Erhard put it. That was in the mid 1970’s. It is now known as Landmark. Erhard Seminar Training (est) is a quasi-religious therapy developed by Werner Erhard that blends a variety of religious, philosophical, and therapeutic traditions. According to est, beings begin as pure space or context and manifest themselves through content. Every being is coextensive with all existence and therefore has created everything else. This means that individuals are the creators of their own universes and that everything that exists arises from the self. Est also asserts that individuals ultimately choose the conditions of their existence and therefore are responsible for them. TO ME this took my God out of the situation and I was not having that for even a second more!!

Next was Silva Mind Control, now known as the Silva Method. The Silva Method is a self-help and meditation program developed by José Silva. The technique aims to reach and sustain a state of mental functioning, called alpha state, where brainwave frequency is seven to fourteen Hz. Daydreaming and the transition to sleeping are alpha states. Silva claimed to have developed a program that trained people to enter certain brain states of enhanced awareness. He also claimed to have developed several systematic mental processes to use while in these states allowing a person to mentally project with a specific intent. According to Silva, once the mind is projected, a person can allegedly view distant objects or locations and connect with higher intelligence for guidance. The information received by the projected mind is then said to be perceived as thoughts, images, feelings, smells, taste and sound by the mind. The information obtained in this manner can be acted upon to solve problems. The Catholic parent wanted to go with me to this and we went to several of the weekend courses and met weekly with them for free, and that was an oddity for certain because they were all about the almighty dollar. We had learned all sorts of things like, psychic healing, mind reading, special languages, mental telepathy. All of the things that were counterfeit to what the Bible, and my God has but I did not understand it at the time. Then the dude actually started bashing God and belittling those of us who had any faith in a higher being. And that is when we figured out that we were not serving the same God. We left and shook the dust from our sandals and left, never to return!

In my heart I was searching for something more to make sense of this world and the things going on and and what we all were going through. In 1976 I graduated in 11th grade from a Catholic all-girls prep academy, and at night I had also finished up my Managing Cosmetology Licensing (Dad always said that this way I would always have something to fall back on if needed) and began attending Cleveland State University. On my weekends I worked at Art’s Parkway Market, unloading trucks, selling fresh produce and cheeses and learned so much from Art’s wife on plants and flowers. Yet, I was still in that searching mode for something that was real to believe in. In my life, people, family and friends seemed to let me down. I couldn’t trust them. The Church as I knew it, wasn’t teaching me what I needed, nor were the priests helpful when I had deep questions about beliefs and the whys and how’s of operations. In fact, I was told by the monsignor that I should NOT read the bible because it would just confuse me and that I wouldn’t understand it anyway. I argued with him that I was not confused, that I was fully literate, and asked pointed questions which just irritated him and he told me if I didn’t like it to leave. Leave the Catholic church and never come back.

A different Catholic church near to me was having a Charismatic Renewal. It sounded interesting and I snuck in the back. (Why did I sneak? I was told to never come back, and even received a letter stating that I was no longer a Catholic, so I wasn’t quite sure if I’d be hit with a lightening bolt yet.) The charismatic movement was across historic Christian churches, Catholic and Protestant alike. The Renewal has been described as a “current of grace”. It began in 1967 when Catholics from Duquesne University attended a Protestant worship service and claimed to have been “baptized in the Holy Spirit”. It is heavily influenced by American Protestantism, especially Pentecostalism, with an emphasis on having a “personal relationship with Jesus”, deep emotional experiences, and expressing the “gifts of the Holy Spirit”.

I met some people there that unabashedly worshiped God. In my mind, it must have been like King David did before the Ark of the Lord when it was brought into the City of David. You can read 2 Samuel 6:14-22 for more on that. The worship that I experienced was not only outward, but inward. It was holy. It was honoring. It was reverent. It was personal. It was authentic. The teachings were straight out of the bible and explained line by line, and we were challenged to study on our own. The first bible that I bought was a Thompson Chain Reference. It had a glossary in the back and maps and all kinds of things that I intrinsically needed to know. I studied hard too.

Then I was invited by some of the people there to a home fellowship bible study on the opposite end of Cleveland. They met once a week in a huge mansion. After a few weeks of attendance, Catholic parent came along with me to see, ‘what I was getting into this time. ‘ Both parents had seen a definite change in me for the better. I was calm and not out dancing at the clubs all the time in the evenings. I had even bought myself a guitar and taught myself how to play and was putting Bible verses to song and melody.

This eastside mansion was called Freedom House Ministries. Their bible studies opened up with that wonderful praise and worship, then a bible teaching, and their emphasis was on the occult and deliverance. Well, I knew lots of the occult already, come to find out. For a few meetings I was certain they were reading my mind and activities for my past few years, but that was impossible because they didn’t believe in clairvoyance, and they already had a book to follow along with and small pamphlets or tracts to take home. At these meetings, I began to see with my own eyes the REAL giftings of the God, not the counterfeits that I knew previously. I looked at Catholic parent and we both agreed that this was the real deal!! The next week I went up for prayer from the elders after the bible study was over. They asked what kind of prayer I wanted. I told them that I had been following along and reading and studying these past few weeks and I wanted it all! I wanted Jesus in my life in a personal way, I wanted to be delivered and forgiven for all of the occult I had been dabbling in for a few years, and I wanted the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The leader said, ‘Well, Christine, that is a lot for one night.” I said, ‘You serve a Huge God, and I am certain that He can and will do that for me. He is either Real or Not! He is either Truth or He is a Lie.’ Mr. Carlton rolled up his sleeves and said, ‘Ok.. Let’s get with it!’ Guess what…. God did it. That is the night, 46 years ago that I dedicated my life to Jesus and was set free from occult and was baptized in the the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. One of my first prayers was that all of my entire family would come to accept Jesus. I wished that I had generations behind me praying for me over the years, and there may have been. (Fast forward, and with delving into Ancestry.com, I have MANY prayer warriors in past generations!)

Catholic parent did the same a few weeks later. Then several months later, Protestant parent rededicated their life. Then brother hopped on board! Our whole little family was now serving Christ Jesus. Soon after, my grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, niece, and then my Sicilian Great Grandmother turned their life to Jesus. That’s a full 5 generations alive and living for Christ by that time. God had granted my desire to have generations behind me serving God.

I have had so many stories and anchors of hope along the way. Some wrong paths that I chose, then repented from and moved on too. One thing that has always been truth… God is Faithful and Just. And He loves me. And He loves you too.

Prayer Time

Thank you Father God for never giving up on me. You are Faithful. You are Just. And I know that you love me no matter what. I am thoroughly convinced of this in the mighty name of your son, my saviour, Jesus.

Signed, Christine
A Muse of the Remnant

November 7, 2022November 7, 2022

What I Did On My Fall Break

Himself and I were so excited to finally have the opportunity to visit CajunBelle and Ranger in Savannah!!! We would also be celebrating our 36^th Wedding Anniversary.

Himself had played the perfect game of Tetris loading the Journey for our journey eastward. It was noon on Oct 7^th, and we had one stop to make before hopping onto the highway and beginning our long-awaited trip. We stopped at QuikTrip to get some snacks and I wanted an iced tea. I love their iced tea. Upon trying to get back into the car, we were both rushed and swarmed by bees. The bees came into the car. I am allergic to bees. The bees must have smelled that, and some turned around and flew into my face and as I was swatting with one leg in the car and one out, I fell backward, and my leg got caught up and I fell backward into the car parked next to us and then landed on my left side onto the concrete. I tried moving. I could not. I got myself up to sitting, but my left leg would not comply, all the while still swatting at bees. Roy was swatting at them too, trying to keep them away from me. A QT worker came out and called EMSA for us. He also said that the bees have been horrid this year and that they have tried to rid them, but under the law they cannot kill or destroy them. He also said that they have been swarming others too.

45 mins later, an ambulance showed up. Now mind you we were only a few miles from a hospital. Not sure about all that. But finally, they arrived and took me to St. Francis South ER. More hours, x-rays and a CT scan later, it was determined that I broke my femur up close to my hip. Surgery was scheduled for the next day. I am now the owner of a titanium rod in my femur and some other rod and screws that attach it back to my hip. A week after surgery and when I could walk 5 steps assisted with a walker, I was moved to Skilled Nursing at Forest Hills Rehab to learn to walk again. They have some excellent Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy and they do not let you rest on your laurels. Yet, they are encouraging and sweet at the same time. And understanding. Oh my, understanding!! I spent 2 solid weeks there and when I was able to walk a certain distance with the walker and perform different tasks, I was released to home. Home feels so good. I do my exercises faithfully and am awaiting Home Healthcare to start this week.

I should graduate from the walker to the 4-wheel walker to the cane and then on my own. It may take a bit, but I am not the type of person to give up on anything. And I have Himself and Ms. Bunny to help me and encourage and raise their eyebrow when needed. I want to thank them for everything that they have done and are doing as well. I don’t know where I would be without them.

Himself would daily come up to my room after work and take me on trips in the wheelchair around the building and outside daily to keep me amused and stay until bedtime. On one Sunday afternoon, he brought Whataburger, which I love, and we had an outdoor picnic! Ms. Bunny came up and decorated my room for Fall. It looked beautiful! She knows how much I like that type of thing. My mom was a trooper and came up to see me even with her sciatica acting up and brought us a homemade spaghetti dinner! My brother and Carolyn came up to visit too with flowers in hand and a color book and crayons! Mr. Rational and Mrs. TwinkleEyes sent me daily pics of my grandbaby to keep me going! Ms. Chatty video called me almost every day as we tried to find places in my room that would let us connect.

I was concerned about my puppy being in a kennel all day because in her 2 years, she never has been. My mom would come to the house and stay with Brinkley several days a week and one of Ms. Chatty’s friends, Keren, would come on the other days. I had worried about that puppy, but they took those worries away for me. And at night, Brinkley was attached to Ms. Bunny. She would not leave her side.

When I returned home, Carolyn had made us a wonderful dinner that lasted 2 days and that gave Ms. Bunny and Himself a break from cooking. BTW, Ms. Bunny is an awesome cook!

So, in summary. By the grace of God, and with the prayers of some faithful Prayer Warriors, I am on the mend and home sooner than anyone thought that I would be. I still have quite the road ahead of me, and I know that my God does not heal halfway. I give him all of the glory.

With Love,

Christine
A Muse of the Remnant

p.s. I will write more later on my journey

#ButThenJesus

February 26, 2022

Happy Birthday Lauren

Dearest Lauren,

It is your birthday!! There are so many gifts in you. You are a treasure to celebrate. You are this solid warrior woman who brings the gifts of smiles and laughter to our family. It’s not a wonder that Evie smiles and giggles so much; she is emulating her sweet momma!

You are also determined, steadfast and fearless. I can see that you are a loyal and compassionate friend as well. This is going to be another amazing year for you full of brand-new adventures as this old world starts opening up again, and the greatest one is motherhood!!! Our little Miss Evelyn will keep you on your toes, keep you laughing, keep you from sleeping at times and keep you in wonderment as you watch this little girl unfold into the woman she is destined to become. She will also keep you on your knees too during this time. And thank you for making me a Gramma!!

I love you so much and I’m so grateful that you are my daughter!
(P.S. Thanks once again being the only one that did not give me stretch marks!!) hahaah

Father God, I ask you to protect Lauren this year from people that are toxic to her. Father you have instilled in her the ability to discern when people are not being straight with her and those who would do harm to her family. I pray for good friendships to evolve this year and blessings upon blessings hug her all year long. I pray for sweet sleep when she needs it and for clarity when she isn’t able to get the sleep too. Holy Spirit, wrap her up in your wings when things seem too tough, and then use those wings to gently nudge her out when it is needed. Jesus, you never leave us. You promised that. You said that you are closer than a brother. Thank you for staying close and directing her steps into blessings. Lord, I love this girl and waited a long time for her. Thank you.

Signed, Christine… Mom O
_{A muse of the remnant.}

August 8, 2021

Happy 34th Birthday Rachel

I want to shout out a very happy birthday to my firstborn, the one who made me a momma! Thank you for that.

When I think about you, the word ‘Honorable’ comes to mind. That is how I see you live out your life, honorably. You give your word, and you stick to it, even when it is not convenient to do so. Within the word, ‘Honorable,’ there is:

Integrity
Respect
Ethical
Honest
Just
Principled
Upright
Upstanding
Noble

And daughter, you are ALL of these rolled into one enchilada! (Which by the way I was surprised that you didn’t ask me to make for your Birthday Dinner.)

This past year is in your horizon, and this new year is just starting to unfold for you. Dream big, sweets!! I know that whatever you put your hand to will prosper. And how do I know this? Because you are Honorable, and completely sold out to Jesus.

Love you more than you will ever know. Go get ‘em girl!!

Love, Mom

Father God,
I pray for our Rachel. Lord she is such a blessing to me and anyone around her for 2 seconds. She generates smiles and calmness. I ask you to Bless Her about all that she can ask or think of this new year of her life. Bring in the friends and relationships that will grow her, and also allow her to mentor. She is a gem, Father. Thank you for allowing me to be her mom. I pray in the mighty name of Jesus.

Signed, Christine
A muse of the Remnant

Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

July 9, 2021July 9, 2021

My Daddy – My Hero

8 years ago today, we held my daddy’s Celebration of Life party. As I look back, it was a wonderful day with so many friends and family coming together to remember a really great guy. It seems like so long ago, but then at times, just like it was yesterday. I wanted to share this once again, so that it is officially on my blog and not just Facebook. Here we go……

I have had very few Heroes in my life. My dad was the first one.

Now, what defines a Hero to me?

A man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities (yes, I was his lil princess)
A person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal.

My dad has been a Hero to many through the years, emulating God the Father to the Fatherless. People with broken families, or where the father had abandoned them were drawn to my dad. It was amazing to watch. The Holy Spirit in him was a magnet to them. Though he was a big man, his heart was tender, he always listened first and he was always ready to jump in when needed. And he always did. Of course along with the broken kids, came the broken parents. He was always trying to keep tires on one lady’s car and we would anonymously leave food packages at other houses.

Psalm 68:5-6

New International Reader’s Version (NIRV)

5 God is in his holy temple. He is a father to those whose fathers have died. He takes care of women whose husbands have died. 6 God gives lonely people a family. He sets prisoners free, and they go out singing.

Most don’t know, but growing up in our house was quite musical. Not professionally, but relationally. Friends would just drop in for a visit and refreshments, and a jam session would break out. Then some other friends would run home and get their guitars and it was a wonderful evening of laughing, remembering, singing… and enjoying.

How many nights I went to bed with 3 very distinct thoughts:

I wished that old Shep the dog had lived
I wished that Clementine would have taken swimming lessons; I mean really, I conquered my fear of the water after taking beginners swimming lessons for 4 times, she could too!
And lastly, I hoped that those Ghost Riders in the Sky stayed out of my dreams that night.

Daddy usually played Mountain Railway and Amazing Grace as mom put us to bed those nights, because we were still so young and couldn’t keep our eyes open any longer. Then as I drifted off to sleep I could her Uncle Jimmy Whittach (Witt-Ick) and Daddy singing in the distance… lulling me off to the Land of Nod.

I was not a very good harmony singer and that disturbed me. In High School, my dad would record my part onto a tape player so that I could memorize it. That kicked it in and he taught me how to hear all the parts with one strum of the chord. He was amazing that way. And ever patient too. It took quite a while.

When we were all finally Born Again and helping to pioneer Freedom Chapel in Cleveland, I was the Music Minister and Daddy was Head Deacon and he was always there to sing a special song with me when the occasion called for it. He either played his 4 string harmony guitar which I have here today, or he would play my harmony banjo, and I would play the 6 stringer. The most fun time was the ONE when we included my mother ~ She did great, ~~only improvised, ~~ and actually made it better and funnier!!!

I remember times at home where a song would bust loose on the TV or Stereo and then next thing we knew… the whole family was up dancing around acting silly. I loved going to weddings to watch my parents jitterbug together, you could see the cares of the world drop away as he would spin her around… Or our Christmas Parties at the house on Stickney… Songs, dancing, food, friends…

Then for Daddy’s last week and a half, I had the honor of singing and dancing “My Lil Buttercup” at the hospital for him. We had to wear special yellow gowns and blue gloves to protect him, and it just made us all laugh. And we all needed to laugh.

The only way I know to finish this up is with the lyrics to a song that I have held dearly in my heart for years that reminds me of my Daddy… please listen closely to the words and you will see a glimpse of that amazing man…

I remember Daddy’s hands, folded silently in prayer And reaching out to hold me, when I had a nightmare You could read quite a story, in the calluses and lines Years of work and worry had left their mark behind

I remember Daddy’s hands, how they held my Mama tight And patted my back, for something done right There are things that I’ve forgotten, that I loved about the man But I’ll always remember the love in Daddy’s hands

I remember Daddy’s hands, working ’til they bled Sacrificed unselfishly, just to keep us all fed If I could do things over, I’d live my life again And never take for granted the love in Daddy’s hands

Daddy’s hands were soft and kind when I was cryin’ Daddy’s hands, were hard as steel when I’d done wrong Daddy’s hands, weren’t always gentle But I’ve come to understand There was always love in Daddy’s hands

With All My Love Daddy…. I miss you terribly.. Bye for Now,

Please take good care of my lil Hannah until I get there and tackle you both with hugs…

…from Christine, your Lil Princess

May 9, 2021

Happy 31st Birthday Hannah

My thoughts for you today my little angel:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

The Coming of the Lord

^“13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,^[^a^] that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

Hannah, my forever baby, I so look forward to this day, to be reunited with you and the family that has already gone before me. Know that you are loved deeply by us here on the old Earth. You are by far in the better place. See you in due time, my sweetness. Momma loves you.

Signed,

Christine (aka Mommy)
A muse of the Remnant

May 9, 2021

Happy 31st Birthday Aimee

This has been quite they year, hasn’t it?!

Through all of the diversity, change, pushing and pulling, masking, shortages, challenges, meeting people in yards, social distancing, ordering groceries online, quarantining everything from yourself to food to mail, your close friends moving across the country, just to name a few things. And in these things I have been blessed beyond measure. God gave me another year to celebrate you, and some of that year in person.

You know that I can be quite the Pollyanna of the family, always seeing the blue skies and silver linings, but you too, daughter are a bit of a PA as well! I’m not certain it is intrinsic, but hey, we will take it!!!! You have had to uproot normalcy to stay safe. But in that uprooting you have kept friendships alive via Zoom, Teams, painting, reading, and baking. You have truly shown the resiliency that lies within you. Your heart after your Savior has not changed. It has strengthened.

How about you take time on your special day to just DREAM. Dream big, dream deep and dream dreams!! Then write those dreams down and bind them to you but do remember to give them time to morph and be fluid as they unfold. We can dream, and God blesses abundantly; more than what we can ever perceive. Remember that old adage, ‘Let Go and Let God?’ In your case, let Him have control. I know, I know that is hard to do… you were birthed by a control freak… (hahahha) but I have learned not to compartmentalize or micromanage my God. When He is allowed to operate on your behalf according to His Word, things change.

I love you more than life, my youngest. Keep conquering! He formed you and fashioned you for just a time as this.

Bible Verse for the Year:

Psalms 121:5-8

⁵The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
⁶the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

⁷The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
⁸the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Father, thank you for my daughter. I am so proud of her. I love spending time with her, listening to what is on her mind. She is kind, she is loving, she is courageous, she is tender-hearted, she is a warrior princess. Keep my little princess safe wherever you may send her. Keep her heart turned toward you; that you are her main focus. Let her be blessed beyond measure this year, that whenever, whatever and wherever she goes, that blessing go before her, jump all over her and follow in her wake. Thank you again. ILHMTL.

Signed,

Christine (aka Mommy)

A muse of the Remnant

March 12, 2021March 11, 2021

Happy 32nd Birthday, Caleb!

Son, you are a blessing; not only to me, but to anyone you come into contact with. You bring this certain kind of joy with you. It is intrinsic inside of you. You make people feel comfortable and calm. You also are a great encourager. People cannot help but to smile around you. And then there is that giggle that slips out sometimes. You know, I just love that lil giggle!

You have the gift of Helps and a few others too. The person with a spiritual gift of Helps is someone who tends to work behind the scenes to get things done. The individual with this gift will often do his/her job joyfully and take the responsibilities off of others’ shoulders. Sometimes to their own detriment.

You have done this since you were much younger. You were always looking out for your sisters, friends, and classmates, making certain that everyone was okay and had their lunches or toys and that no one was being bullied. I have seen you take that Helps ministry into the secular world as an adult as well, and that is a true blessing to everyone. It also makes for a great husband too! Your daddy is the same. He is/was a good example of how to honor your wife. It blesses my heart to see you cherish your sweet bride in the same manner. Ministry always starts in the home first and then out and about. You already have that down in stone!

The nickname that I call you, ‘handsome;’ do you remember how that came to be? You were about 4 or 5. You had just received a new set of sneakers that had light up soles when you walked, and a fresh new haircut for school. I told you that you looked so handsome. And you told me, “Mommy, from now on, you may call me handsome!” And then you knighted me with a wooden sword. So, I have. (No clue which classic book I was reading to you kids at that time. Ha)

With this next year of life, I wish for you to have the rest that you need, the joy that you show to others, the time to sit and read the books that you have been putting off and the happiness that you deserve. I also wish for added wisdom and discernment to abound in your life so that nothing sneaks up on you. I only wish for these due to the crazy year we have experienced.

Handsome, you are a treasure. I love you.

Prayer Time

Lord, I thank you for my son, Caleb. Today we celebrate his birth. I pray for blessings and joy over him. You knew everything about him before his birth and You have a plan of prosperity and hope for his life! Let him feel confident and ready for the year ahead knowing that You have an order to his steps and a purpose for his life. Help him to find joy in every circumstance in life, knowing that You work all things out for good. I thank You for loving him with unconditional love, and for the promises You have spoken over his life. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Signed,

Christine (aka Mom, Mommy, Mother)
A Muse of the Remnant

February 25, 2021February 24, 2021

Happy 32nd Birthday Lauren

What a year, ‘eh? But you know what??? Today we get to celebrate the amazing gift that you are to this family! You are so full of love and compassion that you light up a room with your smile and your heart. You are setting a beautiful example to your generation! You are a true Proverbs 31 woman for this specific time in history. You are strong, you are courageous, you are tender-hearted, you are frugal with investments and finances, you take such good care of your fur-babies, you work hard at your profession, you take great care of your hubby, and most of all, you love Jesus.

Daughter, this year I wish for you all of things that make you smile and want to skip and run in the wind with hair flowing behind. I pray that this year is fun filled with many adventures. I hope that you take the time to take care of yourself and read all of the books on your list, take all of the bubble bath soaks that you want, and be waited on like you deserve.

Happy Birthday Blessings, Lauren. I love you muchly (not a word but covers what is in my heart).

Prayer Time:

Father, wonderful Creator, You rejoiced over Lauren at the foundation of the world. You knitted her together in secret and I praise You because she is awesomely and wonderfully made. You have blessed me with a daughter who continually strives to do well for her family. Help her to stand firm in the faith all the days of her life, unwavering in her devotion to the truth. I thank You for the master plan that You had for her even before she was born. She is a beam of light shining in the darkness in this old stinky world. Amen.

With love,

Mom O
_{A muse of the Remnant}

August 8, 2020August 7, 2020

August 8th – Happy Birthday Rachel Michelle

…“I am the daughter of a King that is not moved by the world. For my God is with me and goes before me. I do not fear because I am His.”…

Happy 33 wonderful years on this planet, sweets! From the moment I found out I was carrying you; I was excited about you. And guess what, that has never changed! These days, I so appreciate the friendship that has bloomed between us. Don’t get me wrong, I will always be your Momma first, but also adding ‘My friend’ to the mix is really a blessing.

I do not like the way we have to celebrate you this year! I would love to drive down to Galveston and spoil you rotten for an entire weekend or more. But Covid-19 stopped that right in its tracks. So, this year we will do a family Zoom whilst you open your presents. It’s not perfect, but it is something!!! I think and hope that you will enjoy the contents of all of those boxes! We had fun selecting things that you would like and appreciate.

I did enjoy the time that you were able to telework from here for a bit. That blessed me so much! I had my two girls sequestered with me! And all those games of Mexican Train!!! How fun is that!! But then you had to go back to Texas and get things prepared for an odd-looking school year for all of the students and staff. I know that you can do whatever needs to be done and do it with excellence. God has gifted you much in so many avenues and being an Executive Assistant to the Superintendent is right up your ally. You are organized, intelligent, industrious, diplomatic while still being transparent and speaking your mind. You have a unique way to get people all charged up and on to greater things too. Such a leader!!

More than that, you have the mind of Christ and walk daily in His blessings. You show the way to Heaven by your godly life and living. I am so proud of you. You are what my generation calls, “Sold Out’ to Jesus. Unwavering. Never Compromising. Always Thankful and Grateful. And you know His Word like the back of your hand too!! Thank you for being a good student in that aspect. I know you’ve learned so much at college, Bible College, helping plant/grow churches, taking mission teams, and then going on mission trips that you orchestrated. I also know that He gives you new things and ideas all the time that you choose not to share, but rather hold in your heart until the right time.

So today I wish for your dreams to come true and for you to have a prosperous year. I pray for good solid friends to surround you, for people that you may give into their lives, and for people that will pour good godly things into yours as well. I also pray that you and your sister will be able to go and travel safely in the next year to all of the places that you want to!

Happy Birthday my sweet firstborn. Truly I love you more than life itself.

Love, Mom

Lord,
I pray for my first born. As you know, she is an amazing woman with so many facets. Holy Spirit I ask you to hold her tightly to you today and hug her extra for me too. I know that she is more than just my babygirl; she is the daughter of the Most High God. Bless her on top of the regular blessings, and let more blessings hunt her down and jump all over her… In Jesus’ mighty name.

Signed, Christine
A muse of the Remnant.

…“Nothing is more beautiful than a woman who is brave, strong and emboldened because of who Christ is in her.”…