Whispering to My heart

Life is busy around here. Life is chaotic around here. I have so many things that need done that I can't even comprehend them all. I have literally 1000s of pictures that need proofed and edited that are burning in me to share with you, I have stories and blessings from the last few days to share, I have a house that is such a mess and ore work to do than I can even figure out, but God stopped me in my tracks this morning with my morning devotional reading and I HAVE to share it with you. Have to more than anything else right now. God does that you know? He says these are your priorities and this is my agenda, which are you going to follow? It is the desire of my heart to ALWAYS set my agendas aside and be obedient to Him.

So without further to do, here is an excerpt from my Daily Devotional, The Word For You Today!

"Those you allow to remain will become.... thorns in your sides." Nu 33:55 NIV

KNOWING WHO BELONGS IN YOUR LIFE

Earthquakes result from two tectonic plates on a fault line shifting against one another then lurching in opposite directions. And that's what happens when you bond with the wrong people. It's why God instructed the Israelite concerning the hostile nations to the Promised Land: "Those you allow to remain will become.... thorns in your sides." When a relationship is not working, when your efforts to rehabilitate it have failed, acknowledge it. Sometimes you just have to swallow your pride and admit that instead of lifting the up, they're dragging you down. Releasing somebody doesn't mean they'll never improve, it just means God is better suited to the job. Be careful around those who are always trying to make you feel guilty for not "being there". Only God can always be there! There's a difference between helping somebody and carrying them. Your help may actually be a hindrance. Why should they even try if you're always there to do it for them? Your need to be needed could be getting in the way of their need to grow. Step back and let them walk on their own. Not everybody will be happy when you do that, but they're not supposed to be. Jesus said, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you" (Lk 6:26 NKJV). Don't let fear of criticism overwhelm your common sense. People don't take confrontation well, but this is a matter of survival. Every relationship is for a reason, and a season. Discern those who belong in your past, from those who belong in your life now."

This passage spoke straight to my heart. I have been in this season of changing my life for many months, and I have been attacked from many angles during it. Often I feel beaten down and frustrated that so many look and judge me, yet in my heart and in my everyday life I see God's blessing and provision for the path that we are on. This passage reminds me that what God wants us to do and what is right is often not what society sees as good or right. It is validation to me that what God calls me to do is more important and right than what the world wants. There are just times that God knows that our hearts need these words of validation and encouragement. His power and control of every tiny detail of my life amazes me!

I can't tell you how important reading God's word every morning changes my life and sets my day on the right track. Do you have a great devotional that speaks to your heart in simple words? If not I would love to share the one from our church with you, just leave me a comment with an email address and I will contact you :)

Have a day filled with God's wondrous ways!

Nat's Birthday Party!!

We had a bouncing good time at Nat's birthday party Friday night!! Doesn't dinner look yummy?

Yes, we were all a little tired after surfing all day (it was so worth it!), but we pulled together and team Soares-Gallagher threw a great party! Bri and Jo helped decorate outside.

Nathaniel chose a Basketball party. Fun and easy theme :) (and WAYYYY easier than last year's miniature golf course! If you missed that one you can check it out here... )

Aunt Faline and I did pretty good with Basketball cakes don't you think? They were fun, but Faline really doubted that we could make the shape of a basketball out of plain round cakes! I proved her wrong :)

I was afraid we were going to have birthday melt down again when only 2 families RSVPed, but we actually had a very good turn out!

And there was LOTS of hoop shooting going on, which made for a VERY happy Nathaniel!

Then it was time for cake and candles, which Nat WOULD NOT allow me to take pictures of (he was sure that the camera would make his wish not come true...)

When it came time to eat cake there were no forks left. I was annoyed by this, but then I reminded people if they had CALLED to RSVP then I would have know to have enough forks, and they were just darned lucky that there was enough food to go around! Geesh... some people, don't let you know that they are coming, but then expect you to have things for them! WHAT has happened to manners??

After some sweets it was time to open some presents!

Excited boy, complete with the trademark Nathaniel tongue!

Bri very sweetly helped Nat read his cards and Nat did a GREAT job of remembering to thank his friends as he opened his gifts!

The stomp rockets were a HUGE hit!!!

And they came from this sweet friend from school. He has been in class with Nat for the last 4 years and it is so great to see how much he has grown! 4 years ago he would FREAK when Nat touched him, now they hug like crazy :)

I was a little amazed at how many children fit in the play room.... CRAZY!

Overall this was one HAPPY birthday boy!

Rock for Surf!!

Project Surf Camp is AMAZING!!!! We love them beyond words and won't miss this fundraiser for ANYTHING! :)

And we were blessed to get to go surfing with PSC on Friday.... and get filmed by the NBC crew for the Today Show!!!! Watch the Today show on July 1 at 8 am and 9 am California time to see if we made it in any of the footage used and to learn more about the AMAZING organization!

Project Surf Camp is an AMAZING group of individuals that volunteer their time, energy and passion to bettering the lives of special children and their families. We are so blessed by the folks at PSC every time we see them and interact with them!

Nat is thinking "maybe if I am REALLY good we can get this game on the road quicker..."

Some of the SUPERB hearts behind Project Surf Camp!

Another huge hearted volunteer and board member taking a few minutes to chat with Audrey.

Matt was AMAZING with Nathaniel today (not that we have ever had a volunteer that was less than fabulous..)

I didn't catch this guy's name, but Audrey LOVES him... she wants to know if we can bring him home...

Nope.... not excited or happy at all!

The volunteer from PSC give so freely of their hearts, knowledge, time and energy in a society that is often so self centered. There is nothing self centered about this group! Every one of the volunteers that we have met in the time that our family has been involved with PSC has been EXCEPTIONAL! These people REALLY care and it shows in everything that they do. It is so refreshing to meet a group of people that honestly care about a group of children that is so often overlooked in our society.It melts my heart every time that we hang out with these folks!

Nat has paddled before and was doing great....

But Matt had much bigger plans for him! This is the little boy with Spina Bifida that doctors told me would never stand or walk.... Isn't God amazing??

The classic Nat tongue...

One of the missions of PSC is to embrace the whole family and I can't tell you how much that means to our whole family! It is rare and unusual for me to be able to find something that all of my kids can do together.PSC is all about getting my special needs son out there and doing a "normal" activity, but they do not leave my "normal" girls in the dust! At PSC ALL of my children have an opportunity to do something that they love and can bond over. I cry tears of joy EVERY TIME I see them out there surfing together! And you can see their pure joy in the pictures that go along with this post!

Nat wasn't the only one who got to stand up and surf today... both Audrey and Josie did too!

One of the other things that touches my heart about PSC is that they believe that nothing is impossible with my special child! When Nathaniel was diagnosed before he was born I was told that he would not stand on his own and he would never walk. But by the grace of God, my son CAN stand and CAN walk, but still many look at him and only see what he can not do. This is not the case at PSC. At PSC my son is encourages to try new things, his special needs are embraced and they teach him how to do things in spite of his needs, and at PSC my son is moved just the way that God made him! Through the love, teaching, encouragement and devotion of the special team at PSC my son stood up and rode his first waves while standing on Friday! This would NOT have been a reality for him without the team at PSC!

I am so thankful that there is a group as devoted and wonderful as Project Surf Camp in our community to serve special needs children and their families! I wish that every special needs child in the world could come to Project Surf Camp and be blessed by these exceptional folks that we love so much! I pray that PSC is able to continue blessing families everywhere!

Because looks of pure joy like this are RARE on my son!

AMAZING man!!!

A man, who if he was in his uniform would have terrified Audrey, playing with 2 of my girls and making them feel like the most special girls in the world!

Yes Josie!!!! Way to go girl!

Can anyone say "Christmas Card picture"???

WE LOVE PROJECT SURF CAMP!!!!

end of the school year pictures!

RIGHT at bedtime the night before school ended I realized ....
"Oh CRUD!!! I got teacher gifts, but we forgot to make cards!"

My kids were having a BAD night.
Tantrums.
Diva Tudes.
Fighting.
Ugh!

But I decided to take pictures to make cards.....

And was simply AMAZED at the fabulous pictures we came up with!!!

Rockets Rockets Rockets!

Another fun thing that the fourth graders at our school do is study the science behind explosions, then they build rockets and launch them to have a hands on FUN time learning :) Mr B is AWESOME!!!! And 4th Grade rocket launch is a tradition around here.... So Nat got to do it this year, and I think that the pictures speak for themselves!

So excited!

Most of the classes come out to watch at some point.

Full on happy dances!

SO MUCH FUN!!!!