Life as a Lewis

Where to begin? Let's start with our whirlwind trip to Little Rock for the annual denominational convention, which included youth competition in areas such as music, art, drama, and multiple Bible categories. Rory competed in a children's choir and individual drama. Camden competed in Bible memorization and vocal solo. Becky and her boys (along with a large group from her church) were present and competed in many categories. We spent 2 days running back and forth between competition rooms. Our hotel rooms were miraculously side by side. I have no idea how that happened, but it was awfully convenient! I'm not sure how we missed taking a picture, but we did - only a quick (but cute) one of the cousins. Brian is officially not  a teacher, is  a full-time pastor, and is  a bus driver after passing his test Friday. The county's previous record was 21 days of training, but Brian completed it in a mere 17 days. This was not an easy process, and I am so proud o...

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.  Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy. -Psalm 34:4-5 I am desperately behind in blogging because summers are bananas. What happened to lounging around? Binge watching your favorite show? Eating ice cream every night.? Okay, we've actually got that one down. I'm just going to hit a few summer favorites and call it good. Eating . . .  Anyone else having a hard time cooking in this heat? We've been pulling out cheese, summer sausage, crackers with some fruit and veggies multiple times a week. And Rory is baking. Babysitting  . . . As a thank you to some friends, we've done a little childcare these past few weeks. Our kids have had a blast playing and so have we. It's also a good reminder that I'm not sad we're past the younger stage. Camden couldn't be there one night so he left out his legos for the boys. :) Surviving . . .  We...

I've never given much thought to psychology, counseling, or therapy. Not until my oncologist suggested I might benefit from talking to a professional, that is. Maybe the fact that I stopped taking medication without permission and increasingly spent my time crying and feeling incredibly anxious were her first clues? She sent me to a psychologist who specializes in oncology.  I showed up to my first session with absolutely no expectations. I know very few people who have utilized counseling. I didn't have negative feelings; counseling was just a complete unknown. I walked away from that first 1-hour session with every single bit of my makeup cried off but feeling 100 pounds lighter. I didn't realize how much I had been withdrawing from everyone around me, how much I was hiding from my family and my doctors, how many tears I was shedding. Riding the ups and downs of cancer has never been easy, but I've managed fairly well until recently. As Dr. PC walked through vari...

Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses. -Proverbs 10:12 1. Our lives changed pretty dramatically Sunday, when 180 Church offered Brian the job of pastor. This means he will no longer be teaching but will instead be a pastor and part-time bus driver (in order to keep our very excellent insurance through the school system). Way back in 2004 when we brought home an adorable 8-month old Camden, I was devastated to return to work and leave him in daycare. We decided there would be no more additions to the Lewis family until we could figure out a way for me to be a stay at home mom. At the time I was working at a college (our alma mater) and Brian could take classes tuition-free. So he returned to college for an additional 2 years to complete requirements for certification to teach in Tennessee. He taught his first class in fall 2007, and I will always be so grateful for the way God provided a way for me to stay at home with the kiddos. When he started the proces...

For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed. He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. -Deuteronomy 10:17-19 The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked. -Psalms 146:9 1. Brian, Camden, and Rory have been at camp all week, which means I have had all the quiet time in the world. Brian was the camp director; it's Rory's age group, and Camden was just along for the ride. I've heard so many good reports about Camden's servant spirit this week, and it makes me so happy. While they were gone, I accomplished absolutely nothing and would be embarrassed to admit how much TV I consumed. Th...

I am enjoying a quiet Saturday morning complete with birds chirping outside the window, a good book and a hot cup of coffee. As I was writing my daily Scripture (I use this blog's monthly plan ) and recording my list of things to be thankful, I decided to share them here. Both kids have been especially joyful this week. Rory had friends here Tuesday for a sleepover and not only did the 3 girls giggle non-stop, but Camden was a sweet host and also played along. So many big grins as Rory anticipated the evening and then so many giggles in the midst. Camden has also been especially excited this week because the World Cup began Thursday. He's a huge soccer fan (okay, actually a sports fan in general) and he is so happy to watch the games. We celebrated Liz's birthday last weekend. There are so many of us in Tennessee these days that we have a standing birthday celebration each month. And, tomorrow, we'll celebrate Father's Day together. This week at wor...

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.  (The Message - Matthew 6:34) 1. We dropped Camden off at our alma mater for basketball camp on Sunday and then spent most of the day Wednesday picking him up. He came home tired and a little grumpy and with a whole bunch of nasty blisters on his already blistery feet (his feet have never really recovered from cross country in the fall). Rory spent Sunday and Monday with grandparents. and I'm certain she enjoyed not sharing the time with Camden. 2. He has the job of mowing our pastor's yard for the next month. It's amazing the motivation a little money brings to the table. He's certainly never been so eager to mow our own yard! ;) 3. Anxiety over quitting chemo is a pretty common emotion in the cancer world. There's something about knowing you...