Modern Day Muellers

George Mueller (1805-1898)

Philippians 4:6-7 says to "be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." The first person that comes to mind when I hear these verses is George Mueller. He was a man of great faith that trusted God for everything. He fully relied on God to meet his needs and those of the orphans he cared for, and God never let them down. He always blessed them in extraordinary ways that could only be explained through faith and God.
Many things have changed for us in the past few years. We started out with huge plans of building our two story dream home and having three or four kids.
The first change came when, after having two precious boys, we were advised not to conceive again,  but God had already been at work in our hearts planting the seeds of adoption.
Our second big change came when Matthew (shortly followed by Gabe) was diagnosed with Autism. God first blessed us with a church family that has a wonderful children's ministry and a heart for special needs children.  Then, God came through in a mighty way in the selling of our house that had been on the market for six years.  This enabled us to move and enroll Matthew in the best ever preschool. We have since watched him grow, learn and meet and exceed goals. We also look forward to Gabe starting to preschool with Matthew around his 3rd birthday in January.
The third and biggest game changer occurred when Mike had a heart attack during a training exercise at work. This has actually led to a roller coaster of changes. First, Mike was actually diagnosed with a heart condition which can not be fixed by surgery. He can only attempt to prevent a repeat heart attack through avoiding strenuous activities and taking blood pressure medications. This diagnosis led to the determination that Mike is no longer eligible to be a firefighter. The uncertainty gave us cause to put a hold on our house building. Shortly after, Mike did in fact receive notice of the decision to terminate his employment with his final day then being about three weeks out. Since that day, Mike has filed forms for medial retirement, as well as cashing out certain other retirement plans he has paid into while working. All of which we don't expect to amount to his full paycheck as a firefighter. Knowing this, last week we contacted the builders and closed the file for our house. The next day, we were in Dothan and started noticing the mobile home lots. We actually liked one of the double wides we could see from the road.  We were impressed that it was bigger than what we thought typical double wides are,so we pulled in and inquired. We were then pleased to find out that we could get a 5 bed 3 bath for less (actually half) the price we were planning to build for. We can even raise the pitch of the roof, add porches ad brick around the bottom and still come in well under original budget, so we had pretty much talked ourselves into doing this. We planned to use the money from cashing out Mike's retirement to clear and site prep our land and install the well and septic. Great! Thank you God for providing us with a new direction. Enter next change... today. When we checked the mail, we unknowingly opened a letter that was not to us but to the actual home owner. We think God intended it to happen though to give us a head start. The letter was a notice that the homeowner has defaulted on the mortgage. He has not made a mortgage payment since March. This makes us feel very uneasy. Our rental contract was actually up two weeks ago. We didn't re-sign because we were hoping to move onto our land soon and didn't want to be locked into another contract. We pay a month in advance as a safety net in case of hard times, so we are actually already paid up through the month of June.
So here we are... from birthing to adopting, from federal firefighter to unemployed and uncertain of future funds, from two story home to NICE mobile home. This has definitely been one of those cases of "If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans." Through it all, we have learned patience. We have learned to sit and listen for what God says to do next. We have learned that we have no control, that God alone holds the future. We have learned to lean not on our own understanding, because God's thoughts and plans are much higher and better than our own. But most of all, we have seen and felt God's love for us, that with all the billions of people in the world, He knows us, loves us and is steadily meeting our needs and providing for our future. Even before we know there is a problem, He already has the answer. Everyone has struggles. No one can make it on their own. We can fool ourselves thinking we have everything under control, but it is only temporary. Everyone needs God. Faith in Him and salvation through Jesus Christ are the only way. That is what George Mueller knew too. Let God direct your paths, because where He leads He also provides. The course may not be easy, but when God is with you, you can have peace in knowing that everything is going to be alright.

Just Five Days Till Everything Changes

Just 5 days left till everything changes. As of that day, Mike will no longer be a firefighter, and at this point we don't know what to expect. We will be without insurance. Mike has filed so many forms already, and we still have more to file that we can't until he is officially unemployed. It is going to be a very busy and uncertain time for us as we get everything figured out as best we can. We really aren't worried at this point, because we know God holds the future and is already there. His hands are all over our lives, and it's actually a little exciting to see what they are shaping our future into. I know the nerves and panic will likely increase in the days ahead. The uncertainty is unsettling, and we are going to need patience, peace and prayers. We thank you all for having kept us in your prayers through all of this already. God blessed us with some truly great family and friends.

An Update / Prayer Request

As many of you know, Mike suffered a heart attack at work on 10/29/2013. On 2/13/2014, a similar incident occurred while again at work. He has since been deemed medically unqualified to perform the duties of Firefighter. What most of you don't know is that recently he was given a "Proposed Letter of Removal". Basically it states that within no more than 30 days from that letter's date he would be out of the job. We have about two weeks left in that time frame. He filed for reasonable accommodation efforts (to find another job for him) but was denied.
Our current situation is this:
Mike has filed all appropriate forms for medical retirement benefits, but they could take up to 9 months to hear from. Only having 2 weeks of actual employment left, that is a bit scary to consider the potential 8+ months in between. In order to keep his current insurance, he must stay in the federal system. With Mike's medications and Gabe's therapies and vitamins, we need the benefits his insurance has been providing. Job hunting efforts have been unsuccessful to say the least. Even getting another job, he wouldn't make as much as he was making as a Federal Firefighter. We know that unemployment won't come near what he was making either. So the next several months are going to be tight until he hears from his retirement, which we pray goes through.
To say we aren't a little nervous would be a lie. We are. But we also have a great peace in knowing that none of this took God by surprise. We know that everything is going to work out to the glory of God. We have faith. We are still holding tight to our adoption plans. House building is very much on hold for the time being, and that's OK. It will happen when it is meant to. We know that great things are coming. God will provide all of our needs according to His will.
Through this, we would GREATLY appreciate it if you would keep us in your prayers. God has heard and answered so many of the prayers of ours and our prayer warriors, and we know that He will do no less with this situation. Thank you all.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone! Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and on the third day He rose from the grave conquering death. Now He reigns in Heaven. Our Savior is risen, and one day He will come again to take His children home. If you don't know Jesus, I pray today is the day you change that. Embrace a relationship with the One who paid it all for you, for everyone, while we were but sinners. He took our punishment and became sin so that our sin would be washed away. We have the victory in his name. No greater love.

Sorting It All Out

Due to changes in Mike's working conditions and uncertainties in his employment/income, we have put our house building process on hold for the time being. However, we are making lemonade from these lemons. We had hoped to have our house built in time for our new addition, but circumstances change. We intend to make the best of the house we are currently in. We are cleaning out our bonus (storage) room and going to turn it into our 4th bedroom. It's going to take alot seeing as how we have ALOT of storage and the previous tenants took the room door off the hinges and disposed of it, but junk can be sold and doors can be replaced. Just please keep us in your prayers as we realign and sort through the details. We know God has everything under control, and we are praying and seeking His will in all situations. We feel strongly that He means for us to keep pressing on, and He will prepare our path ahead just as He has always done. One day at a time, we are going to get there. Thank you all, and God bless.

Prayer Please

Please be in prayer for our family. God is at work in several areas of our lives. So much has happened the past few weeks, and we know great things are coming. Our prayer is for patience and wisdom as He works, that we will not hinder His Will but be a positive testimony of His works, love and compassion. Please also be in prayer for our extended family. Several of our family members are sick, battles ranging from aches and pains to cancer. Many are experiencing emotional trials also. Nothing is too big OR too small for our God. Thank you all for your love, support and prayers.

Valentines Day, Hearts and Love

For those who do not know, Mike had another episode with his heart at work on February 13th and had to be taken to the E.R. via ambulance. We ended up spending the night in the E.R. Observation Unit. Our Valentines Day started out with us waking up in the hospital. No breakfast. Mike was told he couldn't eat just in case they needed to order any certain tests that required that. Out of love and respect I didn't eat either. Around 1:00 they finally brought Mike a tray as it was determined there was no test they could run that he hadn't already had done in the past few months. Since he had food I went down to the cafeteria to get a plate and brought it back to eat with my Valentine. Mike was released shortly after finishing lunch. We went and picked up Mike's truck at his work and got his new prescriptions filled on the way home. We got home, shortly followed by Mama bringing the boys home. Then came supper, which was hamburger helper and steamed corn courtesy of Mike, followed by Finding Nemo (twice). There was no romantic getaway or dinner for two or flowers or candles. There were no expensive gifts. In fact, Mike and I didn't get each other gifts at all (just treats for the boys). And that is OK. We had each other and we were together. We came home and enjoyed family time together. It's the little things. Nothing says love like knowing you have nothing to give but yourself, nothing to do but talk and watch game shows and reruns and nothing to cook but hamburger helper and knowing that is ENOUGH. There is no where else I would rather have been than with my Valentine on Valentines Day... for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health as long as we both shall live. You are stuck with me, Michael Laramore. I love you.

Gabe's Treasure

Today is a new day, and we just wanted to share another huge milestone Gabe has made. :) The blessings just keep on flowing.
A few months back, Gabe would have had absolutely NO interest in this toy, or any other toy for that matter. He showed no signs of functional play. He wouldn't have wanted this toy anywhere near him. The only thing he would really do is sit quietly, hold his blanky and suck his thumb.
Then he went through a "chew on everything" phase. Everything went to his mouth to chew or lick. He would likely have pushed the chest aside and just chewed on the coins and threw them behind his back when he was done with them. We are still working on keeping toys out of his mouth, but now he will stop when we tell him.
What you will see in this video has been a very recent accomplishment. He now sees this toy and will immediately go to inserting the coins into it. He shows GREAT joint attention skills, which is a big thing we have been working on. He sat still in his chair the entire time, and when he was done he handed the treasure chest to me as opposed to just dumping it out of his lap. We have watched this video over and over, because it just makes us smile to remember where he was just months ago and to see how far he has come. Enjoy. :)
 

Five Days

On January 27th, Gabe celebrated his 2nd birthday. It is amazing and incredible to say that it feels like God flipped some switch in Gabe and everything is suddenly coming together and he is making so much progress in just these five days.

Here's a little summary:
Monday - Gabe started out by shocking us completely when he said "Dada, get cake" on his birthday followed be repeating 'cake' over and over and even pointing to and identifying the slice of cake his Daddy placed on the table before him. The biggest part of this is that not only did he talk, but he made a request... a request that is a three-word phrase AND his first ever three word phrase to be exact. This was a HUGE breakthrough moment!!
Tuesday - Gabe had a speech therapy session and literally blew everyone away by saying word after word and even saying cake again. It helped that there were two slices sitting on the desk beside him  ;) , but still. Getting Gabe to say words has proven tricky, but getting him to say them again after that has felt down right impossible at times. We have literally heard a word and went a month before thinking we might have possibly overheard it again. We have to keep our ears open, because you just might miss it. So the fact that he said 'cake' two days in a row was extremely encouraging.
Wednesday (Snow Ice Day) - After and afternoon of exploring the ice which Gabe liked to feel crunch under his feet as he walked, we came in to warm up and start supper. Mike was feeding Gabe his supper and asked me to pour him up a cup, that he had forgot to make it before he sat down.  For those who don't know Gabe personally, there are two things you should ALWAYS have on hand: 1.) his blanky and 2.) a full, ready and waiting sippy cup especially after feeding him. Just as Gabe was taking in the last bite, I was twisting on the lid of the sippy.  Gabe looked at me. Mike asked him if he was ready for his cup. Gabe looked at us both, reached out toward his approaching treasure and said 'cup'. We were floored.  Gabe usually just doesn't say 'cup'.  He knows what it is, but won't say it.  We have been told to up the ante and make him have to say it before giving it to him, but the truth is that Gabe is stubborn and would likely thirst to death before conforming. So the fact that he said 'cup' without actually being prompted or pressured was such an amazing moment.
Thursday - Mike returned to work, so it was just me and the boys at home. I was changing Gabe's diaper and let me just say it was awful.  It was so bad that Matthew walked into the room, probably got one maybe two good breaths in before catching wind of the odor and announcing "YUCK, Gabe, you stink". After which he ran to his room and closed the door. I think I heard some coughing going on also... Anyway, I always take diaper changing time (no matter how awful) as a time to get in so good face time. It's a great time to work on joint attention, eye contact and just have fun. That's what I was doing before Matthew walked in.  Gabe couldn't help but laugh at Matthew. I started telling Gabe that he was just a little stink bug.  This made Gabe laugh at me. I finished his diaper and picked him up.  He was so locked in on my face that I kept talking to him. I lifted him up over my head like I was throwing him into the air saying 'stink bug' every time he went up. He laughed hysterically while staying completely focused. I brought him back down to my hip. He looked me in the eyes and said 'tink boog'.  (Yay!) I decided to milk the situation for everything I could. I tossed him up a few more times saying 'stink bug' and brought him back down to my hip.  He looked at me, started bouncing on my hip and again said 'tink boog'. Keep in mind, this was quite random so it was the first time we have done this.  Most things he says have been been repeated and drilled in over and over for months. The fact that he was repeating this little phrase after only five minutes of diaper time fun was worth celebrating with more jumping around.
Today (Friday) - We are having a lazy day in watching Up. The cat came and jumped up onto the ottoman in front of me.  Gabe came over to look at her.  He reached out to pet her. She apparently looks funny to him because he just laughed and laughed. I took advantage of the moment and started prompting him to say 'kitty', and guess what? He started saying 'meow'.  Then, he said 'kitty'. I grabbed my camera as fast as I could, and thankfully Gabe kept talking, so I do have proof!  :)



Then Grandma came to visit.  She came bearing the gift of cookies.  Obviously the way to Gabe's heart is through his tummy, because when she showed him the cookie and prompted him to say 'cookie', he did... gladly. And guess what? I grabbed my camera and got even more proof!!  :)



To all the moms and dads that are anxiously waiting to hear the sweet voices of their children with speech delays I say 'STAY STRONG'. You are being heard. Everything you say is being absorbed. You are making a difference, and when you least expect it, they will surprise you with the blessing of hearing their voice. Do not give up. Success could be just around the corner. Gabe's sweet speech therapist said that her professor had told her to look at children like cups.  You keep pouring into them and there is only so much they can hold before they start to overflow.  Gabe's cup is filling up fast, and we are only seeing a few drop of his potential, but we are going to keep flowing until his little cup turns into an artisan well, continually flowing. We are so proud of our little man and can't wait to see what each new day brings.

Got Cake??

After the huge surprise Gabe gave us for his birthday yesterday, we were bursting at the seems to share it. Gabe's speech therapist through Early Intervention called to schedule his next appointment, so I told her. She was super excited. Then I messaged his private speech therapist Mrs. Kim and told her. She was super excited too. It just so happened that he was scheduled for a session with her this morning, so she suggested bringing cake to see if he would repeat his request for cake. Gabe is well known for making his accomplishments in private. He will do things when no one is around but us, and they simply have to take our word that it happened. Not today! We took some cake with us to his appointment and sat it on Mrs. Kim's desk. The session was going along. Gabe was playing with toys, which is also a pretty big deal! He was interacting. We could see he was eyeing the cake but even with prompting he was staying quiet about it. Then Mike suggested I get some on the spoon and offer it to him. He opened his little mouth up and I sat there repeating 'cake' to him, holding the spoon in line with my mouth so as to direct his sight to my mouth and what I was saying. He sat there pitifully, mouth open waiting for me to feed it to him. Yes, I caved. The second attempt I held out a little longer before giving in to him. The third time, we could see the shape of the word forming on his lips. Then he said 'cake'.  :)  After hugs and kisses from Mrs. Kim and much praise, he was confident and said 'cake' a few more times. He actually decided to show off and said 'Mama', 'Dada', 'Ickey' (Mickey Mouse), 'blank' (blanket) and 'bye bye'. He also said and signed his own version of 'more' to ask for more cake. In his version, Gabe uses his right hand to tap half of the sign (sometimes just one or two fingers of it) on his table instead of both hands together. Gabe gave hugs and engaged in functional play and seemed to really enjoy it. Today was another blessing.
Gabe's third year is already proving to be exciting, eventful and productive, and we are only two days in! We are so thankful for this gift God gave us. It is such a blessing to be hearing Gabe's little voice more and more every day. We are thankful for all the precious people that God has given us to love and support Gabe and our family. We know that none of this would be possible without God and his provision in our lives. We are humbled and thankful that He is answering our prayers.

Did Someone Say 'Cake'???

This evening Gabe was sitting in his highchair beside me in the kitchen. He had a very clear view of the kitchen counter AND his birthday cake box that was sitting on it. He had just finished eating supper, and I was busy filling out adoption paperwork. Mike was at the sink washing dishes. I suddenly noticed that Gabe was saying something, not just babbling, so I called Mike over. We were shocked! Gabe had finally found something worth talking for: cake. Gabe was saying, "Dada, get cake." FYI: This was Gabe's FIRST three word phrase. In our shock we stood there and listened while he repeated his request over and over.  We finally decided we better honor his request before he gave up. Mike cut Gabe a slice of cake and placed it in front of him. Gabe looked at it with a huge smile. Then he looked up at us and said, "Cake! Cake, cake, cake cake, cake!" It was complete music to our ears. I created the "art" above as just a cute caption to go with the picture taken of him trying his birthday cake at his party. I had no idea when I wrote, "Did someone say cake???" two days ago that I would actually be sitting here now saying, "Yes, Gabe said CAKE." Happy birthday to us from Gabe. :)

Happy Birthday, Gabe!!

On January 27, 2012 at 2:42pm, we went from a family of three to a family of four as God blessed us with the early arrival of our 7 lb 8 oz miracle that we named John Gabriel Laramore. Gabe has been a blessing to our family. To know him is to know why we lovingly call him "sweet baby Gabe", though Matthew prefers to call him "Gabers". He is a little ray of sunshine with that shy and often mischievous little smile. He surprises us every day with how far he has come and all the progress he continues to make. We know God has a bright future planned for him and look forward to being with him every step of the way. Happy birthday, Gabe! We love you sooooo much!

Diaper Blessings

To the casual observer, this is just a pack of diapers.  To a frugal shopper, this would be a steal of a deal, but to us, this pack of diapers was nothing short of a blessing. Let me explain. The boys and I had spent the day in Dothan with Grandma (my mama) today.  When we got home, I went to change Gabe's diaper only to find that we were down to the very last few diapers. I was doing the math to see if between the few left in his room and what was left in the diaper bag we would have enough to last till tomorrow after church or if I was about to have to get two small children out for a trip to the store. I got distracted and suddenly remembered that I hadn't checked the mail and decided to walk to the mailbox.  It was already dark outside, so I couldn't see anything in the cave of a mailbox, BUT I stuck my hand right on in. What I felt surprised me. It was a package. I say "package"... what I mean is that the contents were loosely wrapped in a black plastic bag, sealed with a strip of tape and postage attached. It wasn't hard to guess what the contents were seeing as how we have bought probably a thousand packs of these over the past four years. Yes, it was a pack of diapers. The story of how they came to be in our mailbox is not so marvelous. I had redeemed our Huggies points for a free pack. Free diapers equals a frugal mom's dream! The amazing part is that they were supposed to take between six and eight weeks to arrive, and I had only submitted the claim last week! But the true blessing is in all of events combined. I only redeemed our points last week on a prize that should have taken six to eight weeks to arrive but miraculously arrived five weeks early and on the day we needed them most. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a God thing! He is in time, on time, every time. He meets our needs. Trust Him with your needs, and put your faith in Him. He will meet your needs in ways you cannot possibly imagine.  Whether it be the surprise package of diapers in your mailbox, a mysterious $20 in your wallet in a low-cash week, reconciliation in relationships that were once thought to be nothing but burned bridges, new relationships when you need them most, healing in your body or peace to make it through the day, God will provide everything according to His will.

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 NLT