MIRACLE ON THE MAT!

OK... something funny just happened.

When my husband is out of town, I sleep on the couch, so I can be closer to all the children to rescue them if a bad guy breaks in.  Yes... I 'm a bit paranoid.

Last night, Jackson, my 11 yr. old, left his cell phone on the couch, and his alarm went off at midnight.  I turned it off and noticed that not only had he set the alarm for midnight, but he also set it for 12:30am, 1:00am, and 1:30am!  What in the world????  I asked him this morning why he would do that.

His response:  "Oh yeah!  I was going to hide the phone and trick myself during the night.  I would groan and be like, 'Oh I'm so tired.'  I would make myself frustrated and then wake up the next morning and laugh about it."  Hahahahahaha!!!!!!!!  I can't stop laughing!!   The minds of children crack-me-up!!  I do have to confess though that in college I used to hide my treats in hopes that I wouldn't eat them all in one day.  That didn't work either... for some reason I kept finding them. :-)

My daily miracle has nothing to do with any of that... I just couldn't stop laughing, so I had to write it down.

As a 6th grader, Jackson only had 2 wrestling tournaments the whole season, and he had been practicing every day since the beginning of December.  He had a hand-full of matches in that time, but yesterday was the last of the 2 big tournaments.

Yesterday was also Jordan's first theater class; he's 7 yrs. old.  Since I home-school him, this was the only class he had ever taken that his siblings don't also take with him.  He was so excited, and I wanted to make this a special event for him as well.

Since my husband was out of town, I had to try to time it just right to try make it back and forth to the theater class (which was 25 minutes away) in between the wrestling matches.

The Bishop of our church also had a son wrestling yesterday, so I asked him to keep an eye out for when Jackson would wrestle.  I was on my way back from dropping Jordan off at his theater class when my Bishop sent a text saying that Jackson was up to wrestle next!  The snow was blowing hard, and I was still 13 minutes away.  I prayed harder to make it in time.  I could see that I wasn't going to make it, but it just seemed unfair that I would miss it by only a couple of minutes!

Right then, the thought came into my mind, "His Bishop is cheering for him.  If his parents can't be there, who better to cheer for him?"  Just as I was pulling in, I received another text from our Bishop, "He just finished.  Fought hard and should have won but lost on points 13-10 at the last minute."

My heart sunk.  I rushed in and quickly scanned the crowd to find my little Jackson.  There he was, being comforted by his Bishop... his church father.   My heart felt so much gratitude; our Bishop had cheered loudly and had taken video of his whole match.  God gave our family a tender mercy through our Bishop, but the miracle continued that day.

I was able to watch him win a match by pinning his opponent before I had to leave again to pick up Jordan from his play practice.

 I ran through the parking lot with babies hanging on each arm through the snow storm, piled in the van, and took off as fast as we could to make it there and back in time to watch Jackson's next match.  Then, again, just as I was almost back after driving for almost an hour, I received a text saying that Jackson was wrestling on the next available mat.

My heart sunk.  Being at these events for my children is what I do!  This is my life right now!  I didn't want to miss another one... especially since I was so close and trying so hard to be there.  Oh I prayed even harder this time.  I prayed with all my heart.

I parked the van, grabbed the baby, told Jordan to carry Juliana and run in with Mariah while I sprinted into the school.  I saw the Bishop, he pointed to the mat, and I pointed to the parking lot.  I squatted down right as Jackson walked onto the mat, and our Bishop ran outside to ensure the children made it in safely.  Before our Bishop could even come back in with my children, Jackson's match was over.

I thank God I was there because I was able to comfort him through the worst loss he'd ever had.  His opponent, which was also his teammate, pinned Jackson in 10 seconds.

Jackson's coach lifted both of the boys' arms as winners and then gave Jackson a big hug.  What a wonderful coach he is...

As we walked through the crowd after his loss, some parents were laughing about the match saying, "He didn't even have a chance... took him in 10 seconds flat!!"  Of course that hurt to hear especially since they were parents from his team!

Jackson and I left for a moment to have a special talk about losing and winning.  I had been consoling him, when his brothers found us.  They sprinted over to him yelling, "There you are!!"  They tackled  him and then lifted Jackson high in the air by grabbing each of his legs as if he were a champion.  Because to them, he was the champion!!!

It's so hard for a mother to see a child lose because we don't want them to feel bad about themselves, but God gave Jackson 3 miracles of love to buoy him up.

*Our Bishop literally was the father of his congregation and "fathered" our son when we could not at that moment.  What a blessing for Jackson to have his Bishop give him such one-on-one time of Christlike love.

*The Lord helped me to make it in the nick of time to be a support for the most devastating wrestling match of Jackson's short little career.  If I would have arrived 10 seconds later, I would have missed it all.

*To see Jackson's coach lift his arm up and his brothers literally lift him up was a miracle to me.  That was something I hadn't thought of doing.  I was comforting him, which is important, but they didn't see the loss... they saw the champion that he was despite of the loss.  That demonstration of love was more powerful than a win on the mat would have ever been.

Team Mills Miracle

Jayden is only 11 months old, but he is the most active child I have ever seen.

At 2 months old, the doctor said he had never ever seen such a strong baby at that age.  The doctor expressed his great anticipation to see him develop because he also couldn't believe how interactive he was.  Jayden took his first steps at 7 months old.  Now at 11 months old, his legs never stop moving!!!

I set him down, and he's off!  I realize that most babies are busy, but he adds an extra talent of being able to see things on shelves from a distance and grab and fling without ever any hesitation in his legs' forward movement.  It's like watching someone at a grocery store who has just won a shopping extravaganza... they just haphazardly pull everything they can off the shelf without even pausing to think about it- yep that's my cute little Jayden.

Last week, Jayden snatched my phone off my desk, hid it behind his back, and literally sprinted to the toilet, and -yes he did- threw it into the toilet.  Accident???  No way!!  Jackson, my 11 year old, and I were right next to him and didn't even realize what had happened until the splash and the infamous giggle.  

He's told not to go near the stairs.  We have a gate up to protect him, but he sticks his head over the edge of the gate, wiggles his body as close as he can to the corner closest to the stairs, and yells, "Hey!!".... and then Jayden looks around with the brightest, happiest eyes to see which sibling or parent is going to stop him. 

I can hear him saying in his mind after his naughty deed, "Wait for it.... wait for it...."  And then, right on cue, one of us always comes running to him, to swoop him up to safety.  Our precious little baby has the happiest little heart trying to get the most out of life; I couldn't help but think how much I adore him no matter how much of a mess he has left behind in the house.

Tonight, with Abe out of town, I hurried to clean up the messes and get all 6 kids ready for bed.  After a long day of transferring children to and from wrestling, basketball, band, and play practice, I felt pretty good to see them in their pajamas sitting in a circle with their arms folded, teeth brushed, cleaned rooms, and potty breaks finished.

 Just as Mariah was about to say the family prayer to end the lovely day, Jayden spewed his whole bottle of milk in a high-reaching arch so that pretty much every surface could be covered.  All the children split in opposite directions grabbing new pajamas, new onsies, wet wipes, and rags.  

I just froze- partly from shock and partly because I was covered in throw-up.  Jayden, however, did not freeze.  He stood up, started his cutest little giggle and began to run around the room with throw-up dripping down the front of him.   

Amidst the chaos, the miracle had taken place.  I didn't see it right away because I was covered in throw-up.  I also didn't see it because my sweet children had, in their effort to help, mistakenly thrown Jayden's clean change of clothes into the throw-up.  

As I read my scriptures later, I read in the book of Mosiah "...and their hearts were knit together in unity and in love one towards another."  It hit me.  Those kids were a team!  When the throw-up hit, nobody got mad because of the mess; they took care of their youngest teammate.  Their hearts were knit together!

While I was watching my kids play basketball earlier that night, a stranger had said to me, "How many children are your own?"  I knew what she meant; I knew she wanted to know who was biological and who was adopted, but that's not what her words said.  I simply gave her a big smile and said, "That is an interesting question; all 6 children are 'my own.'"  

People often look at our large group of kids and say, "Wow!  You could start your own team!"  I now realize we have!!  Team Mills... knit together in unity... 

I believe God has given us the opportunity to be on lots of teams throughout our life; the trick may be to see the unity when the chaos hits. 

Perfect Man For Me

I loved spending alone time with my husband for Valentine's Day...   My miracle is short tonight because I'm looking forward to more date time yet tonight. :-)  

I thank God for my husband.  My heart was touched tonight watching him sprint to open my doors in Michigan's cold, harsh weather.  Abe always tells me that all he wants is for me to be happy!  I believe him!  He tries so hard!  

When Abe and I were dating, I made a comparison list of the reasons I would marry him instead of the other guys I was dating at the time.  (He hadn't proposed yet, but I wanted to be ready with my reasons should the opportunity arise.)  

There were all kinds of reasons that I loved Abe, but these 2 simple reasons made Abe stand apart from the rest in my mind at that time:

*He tried so hard at everything he did.  I knew he would never give up on our marriage or the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I knew he would endure any hardship.  

*He would be a wonderful father.  He played with every child he saw, and children were drawn to him. I felt his genuine love for them. 

As a young woman, I made a list of the qualities I wanted in my future husband.  After Abe and I started to date seriously, I found that list.  I was shocked to see that he fit into every qualification I had set... even down to the physical description of being dark and handsome. :-) 

Some day I'll post our love story.  People always ask us about our beginnings, and I would love to write it down.  Let me just say... our very first date was to the temple!  I knew I had a good catch from the beginning. :-)

My miracle is that God helped me to find the perfect man for me to marry... but only because I had already decided as a young girl what kind of man that would be.  I didn't have to settle for anything less.

I love you forever, my wonderful Abe.

Miracles of My Parents' Love

Valentine's Day tomorrow!!  What a great holiday... a time to think about those I love!!!
As my mother called me today with advice and made me laugh, I was reminded of my parents' enduring love.

I was also reminded of two miracles that taught me greatly about how their powerful love calmed my troubled heart... thousands of miles away... several years ago.

Miracle #1:  Gift of Laughter- Miracle With My Mother

I served a mission in Bolivia.  I know I posted about Bolivia before, but I did not share this story yet.  

My first few months in Bolivia were very difficult for me because my Spanish was horrible.  One day while my Bolivian companion and I were teaching a young girl; the girl said something funny, and they both started to laugh hysterically.  I wanted to laugh with them, but I had no clue what they were saying.  

That night in my prayers, I told my Heavenly Father how sad I was that I couldn't truly laugh with those sisters.  I wasn't around anyone that spoke English, and I wanted to laugh.  I said, "Heavenly Father, since I can't understand Spanish yet, will you please tell me a joke in my language?"  

That night, God sent me the funniest dreams I've ever had in my life!  They were of my mom in Bolivia!!

My mom makes me laugh harder than anyone else in the world.  There is just something about her dramatic style that gives my whole body the giggles.  

In my dream, God sent me visions of my mom doing silly things in Bolivia- all... night... long!  Her crazy antics made me laugh so hard.  I literally woke up that morning in audible laughter.  In fact, I laughed all day every time I saw tidbits of that dream in my mind again!  My companion looked at me strangely for my laughter.  I tried to explain to her that God had told me a joke during the night.  Being able to watch my mom in my dreams was the language that communicated humor to me more than anything else could have at that time.

At the end of my mission, my mother decided to come to Bolivia, and I quickly realized my dream was coming true.  Mom and I spent an entire month-just the two of us- making crazy, funny, and beautiful memories exploring both Bolivia and Peru!  Everyone adored her!  

I watched the youth stand in circles around her laughing at her attempts at Spanish and hugging her for her happy heart.  I fell out of my chair once because I was laughing so hard as she complimented the cook for a delicious meal.  All I can say is that in her broken Spanish, she did not compliment her or mention food at all.  

We went river rafting on the Urubamba, but the raft got a hole in it.  We went canoeing, but our canoe also had a hole in it... caymans were close by.... but we survived... with laughter.

Then, to top it off, Mom insisted we dress up for our arrival to America.  Honest to goodness, this is how we traveled!!  This picture was taken at the airport in the United States!!

I'm grateful that God sent such a miraculous dream- that my need for laughter was important to HIM, and I'm forever grateful for the miracles my mother works in my heart (and many others' hearts) because of her joyful spirit. 

Miracle #2:  Gift of Strength- Miracle With My Father

During my freshman year of college, I became a balloon entertainer!!  That's right!  Even to this day, I'm often called "The Balloon Lady."  I learned how to make a huge list of balloon animals and then traveled to a variety of predetermined restaurants to make the balloons for the customers for a tip.  

As with the start of any balloon career, you're bound to pop a lot of balloons!  My very first night on the job was tough.  Even though the people liked me, I spent a little too much time at the tables making the balloons.  The manager at the restaurant pulled me to the kitchen of the restaurant and started to yell at me in front of everyone for being too slow.  It was my very first night working!  Surprised at my own response, I answered respectfully and calmly.  I only said, "Yes sir; I'm so sorry sir."  

After he was done yelling at me, he turned around and walked away.  I took a deep breath to clear my mind in order to return to the customers with a happy face.  Maybe he heard my deep breath and took it the wrong way- I'm not sure, but he turned back around and began to yell at me some more... for being too slow.

After he was done with his 2nd bout of yelling, I actually felt strengthened-which was really strange for me.  Usually if someone clearly disrespects me, I either stand up for myself or I break down and cry.  I did neither of these; I felt strong.  I returned to work, put on a happy face, and made the balloons even faster. 

When I returned to my dorm, my dad called shortly after.  He asked me how I was doing.  I told him about my experience.  Then he asked if it was around 9:15; a bit shocked that he knew the time, I told him it was.  

My dad told me he had been at the movie theaters with my mom when a very strong feeling came over him to pray for one of his children.  He didn't know which one, so he left the movie and went to the lobby.  He asked God, "Is it Julie?  No... Is it Jared?  No..."  He continued to ask God about each one of my siblings.  When he came to my name, he knew that I was the one that needed the prayer.  He had no idea why- just that I needed an extra prayer at that moment.  

Thinking about how badly I needed that prayer and how grateful I was that my father left his movie to follow a prompting to pray for one of his children makes me cry again now... 17 years later.  

That is a miracle.  

What a miracle that my Heavenly Father loved me enough to send a message to my Earthly Father to pray for me to be strong.  I love knowing that something as simple as succeeding at my first day of work was important to my Heavenly Father.  HIS love for us is just that great!!!

Valentine's Miracle

As much as I adore my children, I love it when they're all finally asleep.  A few nights ago, I kept hearing whispers, so I went into the big boys' room to find 4 of the children in a huddle discussing something with a flashlight.  I quickly dispersed their little band and sent them to bed. 

The next day, my four oldest children confessed their "crimes" of the previous night.  Apparently, they had been trying for several hours to sneak past me to the basement to put up the Valentines decorations.  They wanted to surprise me in the morning with a house full of hearts.  They had been devising a plan all evening on exactly how they would do the secret deed.

I was oblivious to their plans, but I had noticed they wore some strange black clothes underneath their pajamas.  I just assumed it was extra cold to them, so they were layering up; I had no idea it was their spy gear! 

I realized I had seen their actions so differently.  I thought they were being naughty and just not going to bed.  What a difference in perspective! 

Again tonight, my eyes were opened to a different perspective.  I was trying extra hard to get all the laundry done in the house.  That is a HUGE feat with 6 children.  All the children were having trouble staying motivated, but I kept having to ask Tyson to leave the computer and finish the laundry.  Several times, he would do a chore and then ask, "Now can I go to the computer?"  Finally... the chores were done, and I could let him go.  

One might think that he was begging to go to the computer to play.  Nope!  He wanted to write what was in his heart.  I had scolded him for not staying on task, yet he never let my words distract him from the love he was feeling in his heart.  My perspective changed and my heart melted when I read the words he wrote tonight.


LOVE

Love is a really important thing to me.
You should also love those who are
mean to you. It is also important to
not just to walk up to people and tell
them you love them or just say hi. But
really get to know them.

In “Mathew 5-44” it says, “ But I say
unto you, love your enemies, bless
them that curse you, do good to them
that hate you, and pray for them which
despite fully use you, and persecute
you.”
I know Jesus loves us. I am great full
for the gospel.Love.

~Tyson

In honor of Valentine's Day approaching, I feel like I need to remember the miracle of a child's innocent love.  What a miracle that children can love so easily.  What a miracle that children can forgive so easily. What a miracle that children can see who we are despite our many faults.

I want to be more like a child. It will surely require a change in perspective.

Miracle of Turning Down an Opportunity

Last week I received exciting news!  The local theater department sent me a personal email strongly suggesting that I audition for the lead role for a play this spring.  There were only 4 actors in the entire production, so I felt very honored that they thought I was talented enough to take the lead.  They were actually recruiting me!!

I had the lead role in plays in high school and in church productions, but I have never had the opportunity to have the lead role on a big stage.  I glanced at the audition packet and decided that I would wait until the kids' weekend activities died down for me to truly delve into the characters.

I absolutely LOVE Theater!!  We have lots of theatrical productions in the home,

                             

but I hadn't done something that was truly just for me in years.  This was my chance to fulfill one of my dreams.  My husband and children were highly supportive.  They wanted me to do something that was just for me too!!  It was a very short rehearsal time, so it wouldn't take very much time away from the family.  It all seemed so perfect!

Last night, I finally took the time to really read through the script.  To my surprise, just about every profane word was in the script!!  At first it was just a couple of minor words and most of the words were said by the other characters.  I thought, "Well, maybe I can get away with saying a word close to it... not the real swear word."  Then, I realized some of the topics discussed in the dialogue were inappropriate.  As I continued to read, I discovered that the profanity was getting worse.  I toyed with the idea of going to the audition and performing so well that they would have to omit the swear words just to have me in the play.

As I realized I was going to have to turn down this opportunity, I began to cry.  Why did they have to ruin a perfectly good script?  It wasn't necessary!!!  To many, it could seem like a no-brainer... just don't do it; but for me, it was my opportunity... my chance to do something great.  Abe, my husband, has had lots of opportunities to be in plays, movies, and commercials; this was my one chance, and I felt like I would never have another chance again... ever.  Of course I knew that I couldn't participate in something so profane, but it was just so hard to let go of the opportunity.  I decided that my children would not be able to even watch my performance if I were in the play.

In an effort to console me, Abe said, "Rachel, this was not a missed opportunity.  It's not something you would feel comfortable doing, so it was never even an opportunity to begin with."

Just a few days ago, Tyson came to my desk and said, "Mommy, when you do hard things, God helps you, and they become easier... and then God blesses you to be able to do even harder things later."  Something inside of me told me that I would need to remember his sweet words of wisdom.

Even though I knew they were both right, I still felt horrible inside.  I knelt down to pray to feel better, and then I finally sent the email withdrawing my audition time.  I expressed my gratitude for the opportunity, and I expressed my disappointment that the language had to be included.

Something amazing happened the moment I clicked "send" on my computer.  My heavy heart and my deep sadness for missed opportunities left immediately.  I felt at peace, and I was able to return to my joy in my present situation.

What a miracle that my sadness could leave so quickly just by following through with a decision to support cleanliness and push away profanity.  God definitely supported me in my trial, but I wasn't able to feel it until I had taken a step on my own, sacrificed my own desires, and turned my choices fully toward HIM.

I believe the second miracle will be even longer lasting.  My children watched my whole range of emotions this weekend as I went from excitement, to sadness, to choosing God's path even though it was hard.  I believe they will be able to look on that experience as a guide for them when they are faced with difficult decisions.

At first, I felt upset that I felt so good about auditioning last week when I found out shortly after that it was such a wrong thing for me to do.  I believe God wanted me to live the range of emotions so that my children could have a stronger example for them to follow.  Looking back, I'd do it again and again if it helps them stay on the path of righteousness.

God loves us so much and wants us to be happy.  I trust that HE will provide another opportunity when the situation is right.

Miracle For a Dear Friend

I just returned from a beautiful baptism of a dear friend.  She had gone through many hard challenges in the past few years, and it lifted my heart to see her turn to God through these challenges.

Her brave, teenage daughter was baptized a year and a half ago, but my friend waited until she knew she was truly ready to make this covenant with God.  As the speakers gave their messages, I observed my friend's daughter for a while.  She radiated with beauty; her mother would soon be joining her on this journey of baptism and taking upon herself the name of Christ.

As I watched my friend go completely under the water to be baptized by immersion- just as Jesus was- I thought about the man who performed the baptism.  He had received the priesthood of God by the laying on of hands.  I thought about why it was that she chose this man to baptize her.  He had served her and been there for her throughout her times of need even when it wasn't easy to do so.  He had magnified his duties as a priesthood holder.

As I pondered the power of the priesthood, I heard the most precious words that brought tears to my eyes.  

My friend's sweet little 4 year old son quietly whispered, "That's my Mommy."

He said it as if he were in awe of the beauty of his mother.  This child was so proud of his mother, and I believe he was feeling a confirmation in his heart just like the rest of us that this was exactly where Jesus wanted us all to be tonight.

I witnessed a miracle tonight as I watched God's influence spread through this entire family.  I felt gratitude in my heart to know such brave souls that would take such a firm step toward their Savior, Jesus Christ.