Love Thugs

**another excerpt from my diary blog.. written August 14, 2013

He sends me

The children don't watch much television. We used to only watch on Saturday, but that became too difficult to ensure.. so we watch quite randomly. We, means the kids.. I have some favorite shows that I do watch in the evenings as I foam at the mouth from the day's happenings...Anyway.. every time a cartoon was on, there would be an elephant in the episode somewhere... I started to say to Myles "God sends you elephants every time you watch" and "He loves you so much" .. could it be that simple to relay the LOVE of our Father in that way to our precious boy?? It became such a regular occurrence, Myles began noticing on his own and announcing it.. " God loves me.. He sends me elephants" ... "Yes sweet boy.. He does"     and He Loves each of us in His beautiful unique way..in ways that we will hear..and see..and feel.. perfectly designed so that we KNOW it is from HIM.. for me it is in hearts.. like the shape of a heart found on a leaf.. or in the morning sink from schloop that formed into a heart.. or after a huge tree gets cut down in our yard.. and the remaining stump LOOKS LIKE A HEART!! 

Yes! He sends Myles elephants.. and He sends me hearts..

When Myles was born, I had this overwhelming feeling, as every Mommy probably has, that part of my heart was no longer inside my chest.. that it was outside of me.. I found a heart charm that symbolized that for me.. ((envision just the outside of a drawn heart..not solid))  I would wear it and Myles would play with it as I held him.. I started to say to him.. "is that Mommy's heart?".... and continue in my response to him... " ....Noooooo... cause YOU'RE my HEART! You're my heart! You're my heart"..

All three of my boy's know this exchange.. They each have always responded in some way.. eye contact.. a glance.. a giggle..a tiny voice saying "nooooo"... or drawing their bodies closer to get a little tickle.. They are my HEART!! My boys.

He sends me HEARTS.. such an obvious sign.

He also LOVES on me in disguise too...in not so obvious ways in the depths..in the trenches.. with no "hearts" to be seen or heard.. my signs of love.. my boys..my hearts.. ARE here.. the way they are.. not broken. or wrong. or not better. or less.. in the whirlwind..in the deafening silence.

We are helping them. ((which would leave you believing that they must have a need))
Their need is only LOVE.
They are helping us. ((which would leave you believing that we must have a need as well))
Our need is only LOVE.

This is unconditional. I fall short often. I am reminded of HIS LOVE... and the HEARTS that were given to me were so purposefully placed.. to teach me to LOVE better. to show me how limiting my thoughts have been..to show the expanse of my heart's potential..it's intended purpose.. to allow my heart to grow to fullness.. to see that I become the person I was intended to be all along.

My hearts.

He sends me hearts.

I know He loves me.

No matter the circumstances.

My heart is humble~full with this awareness.this knowing.
My heart is JOY~filled with the hope LOVE has to offer.
My heart is THANKS~over flowing with PEACE.

He sends Myles elephants.
He sends me hearts.

 Fast forward to today...

As you know, Brandi was here for our outreach  a couple weeks ago from the Autism Treatment Center of America...I shared with her how much I love finding ((receiving)) hearts throughout my days. She had posted on Facebook a few weeks prior about her calling into her work.. and how she truly "followed her heart" down this path to helping hundreds of children with autism learn how to receive love in such a profound way through the Son~Rise approach!! Instantly connected we were ((in my best Yoda voice!!)) On our way back to the airport we were chatting it up and I saw a heart spray painted on the street..right in the middle of the road.. we were both excited!! I dropped her off and on the way back..there was another graffiti heart on a stop sign coming away from the airport!! I immediately sent Brandi a message when I got home telling her of this great find!!

Could there be a gang spreading symbols of love around the town??

Imagine the hazing!! ((sign me up))

We messaged a couple more times and concluded that "Love Thugs"  would be a perfect name for our awesome gang!!

I did not get a picture of the stop sign, yet, but I did just make this lovely collage of recent heart findings I have received in my days!!

I may or may not have already made my first "Love Thugs" shirt.. ahem..

There is so much more to this little story..

stay tuned..



Joyfully His..
me

ps.. do you find hearts too?? tell me more..

The Invitation

3 weeks into 2014.. so far it's off to a beautiful start!!

I have pondered my thought/word for this new grouping of days in my life..

Invitation is what I am choosing to lead the way through this next year..

Invite:

1.	to ask (a person or persons) in a friendly or polite way (to do something, attend an event, etc)
2.	to make a request for, esp publicly or formally
3.	to bring on or provoke; give occasion for
4.	to welcome or tempt
Yes!! Invitation.. I am going to actively Invite more into my life.. Yes!! I see me looking ahead and making plans with my dear friends and family. Yes!! I imagine requesting my children.. INVITING them... to play our games one more glorious time!!  Of course!! I can give occasion for a celebration of any kind.. (( hint: Love Thugs)) I ultimately plan on welcoming visitors to our home.. people who have not ever been here..friends who haven't been here in a long time.. I will break the comfort of set times and places... directions.. schedules.. I will invite this change into my life.. I will invite the opportunity to have new perspectives..the change will in itself be comforting. I am experiencing, already the gift this can be. That moving furniture around thing has the right idea!! ((so.very.tempting.)) Our children are making improvements in their little lives daily. Hypothetical furniture is being moved around in their minds.. they are seeing things differently.. they are LOOKING at us with new eyes all the time.. we are hearing them use words that have been held captive for years.. Changing it up!! This completely amazes me all day and is truly blessing upon blessing being heaped onto our hearts!! We had a phenomenal weekend during our outreach from the Autism Treatment Center of America last weekend!! Brandi came to our house ((from Massachusetts..INVITE)) and worked with Myles and Sammy.. and was so useful in refreshing our perspective of their needs and their program goals!! We are really looking forward to the next outreach opportunity we can receive..perhaps in the summer or early fall!!The total goal for the next outreach will be $4000.00  covering the cost of TWO AMAZING child facilitators to come to our home!! This will require more fundraising!! *We most likely will have another HUMONGOUS yard sale in the spring!! *I am thinking of ideas for large canvases to display ((and sell)) where the boys go to speech therapy. *We have our GoFundMe page that I will need to spruce up a bit. I am excited to get back at the fundraising again!! It was so much hard work last year, but it proved to be ever fruitful in our journey to have this life we have always imagined...the one we are living at this very moment!! I have also been uploading videos of our playroom time on a new YouTube channel! I INVITE you to come take a look and see what we have been up to! Do you have a word/thought for this new year?? How has it been going so far? Much love.. Joyfully His