Queenies Little Kingdom

Pastor Bob preached on angels today. It was really good. I’m a big believer in angels. I have them around my house (no, not in shrine fashion!)…. I just love them. At lunch, Ally really wanted to discuss the sermon. So she did what any curious 15 year old does…..”Dad, do we believe in angels?”. Funny how she needed help knowing what she believes, huh?
She’s hilarious!

No offense, Pastor Bob. I think what she may have been thinking is….”Does Pastor Bob know what he’s talking about?”. Poor PK’s. They don’t ever want to get theologically sidetracked. 🙂
Still, we laughed at her question and reassured her. Yes! We do believe in angels. And, no it’s not weird to talk about or acknowledge them. Then we discussed the scriptures that were mentioned in the service and other’s that we could recall that pointed to God creating angels. Ahh, she felt comfortable then. Poor kid, hasn’t she seen enough angel stuff around her house? Does she think I’m theologically OUT THERE?

We spent the afternoon putting a little Christmas up around our house. We aren’t going to be home for Christmas this year….and really, we didn’t want to go all out decorating. It’s just not us to have a plain house at Christmas though. So, we dug out boxes and strung some lights (making a wreck of the whole house doing it). We decorated a smaller pine tree in our living room that stays up all year round and plan to just be simple this year. Then we found it……a gaudy fiber-optic angel! It was in a box in our storage room. I couldn’t remember why……..WHY WOULD I HAVE A TACKY FIBER-OPTIC ANGEL??? It’s just not theologically sound, ya’ll!

I plugged her in…..just to see what she would look like (I was feeling extra angellic from the morning’s sermon) and everyone of my teenager’s grumbled…….”No way, Mom!, That is NOT cool!”. I decided then, we had to do it. She must be placed in our family room, proudly! Don’t you agree? Since this is a little different year for us….we certainly need some fun Christmas cheer. What better way to do it than by having a funny angel decoration in your house? Everyone agreed, and now she is lovingly lighting up that spot in our home. I’m going to smile every time I see her. I hope the rest of my family does too.

I’m also going to remember the angels that God created and used in scripture to accomplish important tasks. Dear sweet Gabriel…..who visited old Zechariah at the altar. What amazing news he came bearing (so much so…that it boggled Zechariah’s mind). The angel of the Lord appearing to the shepherds in the fields….announcing the news of a Savior being born not too far away in the town of David. Time and again, I can think of angels. I’m sure there are angels among us today. I have a little story about my husband and an angel that I’ll have to share soon. It’s a cutey!

I hope God sends an angel your way to bless you this week. He can do it!

Hebrews 1:14 “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”.

I love this blog. She not only has super cool book reviews. She has excellent giveaway’s. Hop on over there and see for yourself. This has to be one of the most fabulous items ever. Hurry, ends Dec. 15th.

Oh….perfect for a day like today. It’s 27 degrees outside and snowing! Looks pretty! 🙂

Precious John Romine passed away around 3:00pm today. They wanted to have him home (his physical home) but they didn’t quite make it. The plan was to transport him to Columbus Indiana’s hospice facility today. Obviously, God had made other arrangements. My sweet friend, Carol (John’s mother) just called to let me know. She sounded like any mother whose been fighting straight for months would. Tired, empty, sad, numb!

Pray for her and this family. The impact this young man had on this world has been incredible! He loved the Lord and lived that way out loud. He was a leader in all ways. John didn’t follow the crowd to be cool. He was careful and protective of himself. He was playing the game….by the rules. For those of you that are parents….he was the kid every parent dreams of having. Obedient, loving, caring, hard-working and determined.

This world is a better place because of people like John Romine. God, we thank you for sharing him with us for the last 22 years. We’ll miss him…..but not forever. Thanks to you, Lord. Amen.

Habakkuk 2:19 ” The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.”

Every day I walk upon this earth……I find myself more amazed at the depravity of this crazy world. I read on Dr. Mohler’s blog (Death by Gift Certificate)this week about the latest brilliant happening from our Planned Parenthood of Indiana program. It seems these helpful and caring people are giving out gift certificates for services ranging from basic health screenings to birth control to abortions. Oh….how thoughtful, don’t you think?

WHAT? Are you kidding me? I am appalled! I should no better. These people are the largest provider in our nation for abortions. Why should this be so shocking? Still, what in the world?! The state of Indiana’s health commissioner refers to the gift certificates as “really a meaningful gift”! Huh? Are you crazy? I have to agree with the good Dr. Mohler on this one……meaningful for whom? It’s total hogwash, people! Keep your ears peeled for this one. It’s been blasted over the Fox News waves, so you may have already heard this little gem. We have work praying to do!

God,
We see clearly that your word values life. You the one who created everything…..how it breaks our hearts to hear such nonsense. I can only imagine what you must feel. I’m so sorry God that many in our world do not place any value on the unborn. Help us as we stand for what is right and fight for those that have no voice. Stop the madness of abortion and the freedom to make getting one so easy. We need you, O Lord……we cannot win without you.
Help us….in your name, Jesus.
Amen.

That’s the only way I can describe the way I feel. My heart is so heavy and burdened. I’m having one of those moments where I realize I am not in control! God YOU ARE! But, I don’t understand the logic behind the happenings. Why? Why God? Don’t let it be this way….that’s all I can think to say. I am not one to question God normally. This is just one of those times. Maybe we all have them, I don’t know. I just don’t want it to be this way. It hurts so bad.

But I trust you Lord. Help me to see. Forgive me for being so selfish. I can see your glory in so many ways through this child and his life. Thank you for sharing him with me and this world. Someday I’ll see him again. You made that possible. What more can I ask?

John Romine is my sweet friend Carol’s only son. We work together at the high school. I share some sweet memories with her. She’s one of the most loving and caring people I know. She would fight off lions for you. That’s just the kind of lady she is. Loyal and real! I love her.

I blogged about John not too long ago. He’s been searching for a donor for months. Hodgkin’s had invaded his precious young body. He was doing everything to come out of this disease healed and finish living his exciting new life. John is a senior at Purdue (a farm boy). He was training to live out his lifelong dream.

Before I could leave for the game yesterday…another friend from work called to let me know….John would not be coming home. He had gone into Riley hospital on Sunday with what they thought was a lung infection. Once there, more bad news. No lung infection….just cancer, everywhere! Devastation! How do you deal with that? At 22? As a mom, how do you stand there listening to that? Oh my, how my heart aches! I knew where we had to be.

I’m so glad we went. During the course of the evening more than 100 people came to see John. The hopsital administration had to close down the largest waiting room which was on the 4th floor just for the overflow of visitors. John was in ICU on the 2nd floor. The steady stream of people was the most incredible testimony of his wonderful life I could have ever imagined. I know that for this sweet family it was empowering. I watched in awe as Mark (John’s dad/Carol’s hubs) and Carol shared John so lovingly with all of us. What a lovely thing to do. I thought of my own boy….ready to take off and live his life….and if it were him…..how could I let anyone else near? Pure graciousness, Carol!

Tonight as I sit here, I can’t help but think about how much longer? When we were leaving him last night, we held him and touched him….we told him how proud we were of him and how we loved him. He was so precious (he still looked like the healthy strappin young farm boy to us)….but his tears and struggle to breathe told …not much longer. There is no easy way to let go. Even knowing what we know. Heaven is our home.

Please pray for the Romine’s. They’ve been through so much. I’m waiting for that call any moment. By God’s sweet mercy are they hanging on. No parent wants to journey this road yet they are. Lift them up and ask God to surround them with His peace and comfort.
For John….no more pain, no more struggling to breathe. God is the ultimate physician and healer.
Thank you, friends.

We’ll miss you John, Boiler up! http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/johnromine

We wanted to take Gavin and Allison somewhere fun. So, when I heard the radio auction announce they had tickets for the Pacer’s games….I pounced! Even cooler was the fact that they had tickets to the Laker’s night. We don’t get out much! 🙂

Allison is a basketball player for South Decatur High School and so we were sure she would like a trip like this. Some girls….not so much. But for Allison, it was great! Which is way cool with us. We have been excitedly awaiting for Dec. 2 @7:00pm. All the way to Indy on a Tuesday night is not the most responsible parent thing to do. But hey, these are two 18 year old seniors….not 5th graders! They can handle missing a little shut-eye. By the looks on their happy faces….I think it was worth it.

The Pacer’s beat the Laker’s 119-118 in the very last second of the game. It was wild! We would love to go do this again. Next time, Don and I may actually join them. Thank you guys for being such good sports about the evening. It’s wonderful having kids who “get it”! Life is precious!