Paige Barnes

Reason #12 that I love my husband: He gave me a Bible. It wasn't my first Bible, but it's the most special one I've ever had. When we were dating I mentioned that I wanted a specific Bible and I'd like to have my name embossed on it. So for Christmas the year before we were married he gave me this very Bible. We had talked about it so briefly that I had no idea he'd even noted the details. The Bible had my soon to be married name embossed on it and this was written on the inside cover: "God has blessed me so much in my life; with fun and excitement, joy and happiness, peace and love. Never in my wildest dreams could I ever be able to comprehend all those things rolled up so perfectly; but I don't have to dream because you're right here. The love of my life, my best friend, my wife. I love you so much, Paige, and as long as this book is the center of our relationship, that love can never fade and will only grow stronger. Merry Christmas... Cole

Reason #15 that I love my husband: He tells me everything will be ok and I believe him. Like when our apartment building was destroyed in a fire when our son was 3 months old. I didn't know where we would go or what we would do. We were so young and didn't live near family and my husband was still in college. But he said it would be ok, and God showed up. And when our son was diagnosed with diabetes. And when I was put on bed rest at 30 weeks with my second pregnancy and then our daughter came early and had to be in the NICU for over a week. But through it all he assured me that everything would be ok. And it has been. ~Paige

~Both sets of our parents were able to be there to support us at different times. ~A visit from a facebook /twitter friend! ~Being able to stay at my husband's sister's home while they were out of town. ~A financial gift from a couple dear to us to help us with food and such during the week. ~Dear girlfriends who still had the baby shower originally scheduled on Sunday, even though we couldn't make it. We had sweet gifts to open when we finally got home! ~More dear friends who did some yard work at our house while we were away. ~A dear girlfriend who fed cats and got mail for us while we were gone. ~The nurse at Big Red's school who was a tremendous help in so many ways during the week. ~The countless phone calls, emails, twitter, and facebook posts and encouragement from so many. ~Visits from our pastors and wife and life group friends. ~A visit from my high school best friend! And she brought the best smelling lotion that I have used everyday since! ~Visits from swe...

Today has been a good day. I had a little energy and spunk so I decided to paint the trim in our front bathroom that we are remodeling. I so hope we can get it finished before the baby is born. I worked until I was exhausted, and I hope the hubs think I did a good job! I got several calls today from the school about the boy. His blood sugar was running high and he was struggling. I was worried that he might have to come home or they would send him home, but he hung in there and made it the whole day! I cried because he was struggling today and then realized that maybe this is harder on me and the daddy than the boy. I sent a note to his teacher just to check in and see how things were going on her end. I keep in daily communication with the worker in the health room, but I had not touched base again with his teacher. He has to scoot out a few minutes early several times during the day to go check his blood sugar and get his insulin. She had the sweetest words to say. She said ...

So last week, I had the opportunity to spend a few days in the hospital. I am a nurse in a busy emergency room and was actually at work when it happened. I passed out and the next thing I knew my fellow nurses were taking care of me and giving me the good once over. All details aside, it looks like this pregnant girl had some low blood and electrolyte levels and more than likely the mild heart condition that I have was acting up as well. They took great care of me during my time there. I only work weekends, so I have spent the past week trying to be calm, still, rested, and quiet so that I will be ready to go back this weekend. Very hard for me to do. During this time, I have been talking a lot to God and listening to some of my favorite Bible teachers, and really listening. I wonder if God helped me to my knees (literally) to remind me that I need to spend more quality time with Him. I cried myself to sleep last night thinking of my boy going back to school in a few weeks. I'v...

One Pure and Holy Passion By: Passion Worship Band Give me one pure and holy passion Give me one magnificent obsession Give me one glorious ambition for my life To know and follow hard after You Give me one pure and holy passion Give me on magnificent obsession Give me one glorious ambition for my life To know and follow hard after You To know and follow hard after you To grow as your dicsiple in your truth This world is empty, pale, and poor Compared to knowing you, my Lord Lead me on and I will run after you Lead me on and I will run after you Give me one pure and holy passion Give me one magnificent obsession Give me one glorious ambition for my life To know and follow hard after you To know and follow hard after you To grow as your disciple in the truth This world is empty, pale, and poor Compared to knowing you my Lord Lead me on and I will run after you Lord to know and follow hard after you And to grow as your disciple in your truth This world is emp...

I am notorious for buying books and letting them sit on my bookshelf for years before I get around to them. I'm like a book hoarder, so I can never get them read in a timely fashion! I am reading a book that I've had on my shelf for a few years. It's called "Life Wide Open - Unleashing the Power of a Passionate Life" by David Jeremiah. I've read several things by David Jeremiah, and I highly recommend him. He's an easy, to the point, simple facts and thoughts kind of writer. A good, quick, encouraging read. I am not very far into this book yet, but it's already speaking to me. See, I think for the past year one of the things lacking from my life has been passion. Too many things have gone on and taken over and, I guess, kind of squelched the passion way down. But this is not what we created for - to be passionless. I read this just tonight and just had to share. "That wellspring of all that is good and pure and vital is placed within each ...

The past few months have quite literally been the toughest for me personally thus far in my journey on this earth. I have been a coward. I have been disobedient. I have tried to do things on my own. I have failed to listen. I have argued with God. I have whined (a lot) to God. I have had resentment over some things. I have wished things weren't this way. I have not spent time with God. I have not focused on Him. I have run at times. I have hidden at times. I have been weak. I have wanted to crawl in a hole. I have not made Him proud. But my Hero has spoken to me (and I actually listened!). He told me that he has not moved. He will uphold me and my family with his mighty right hand. He has shared with me that he is proving me genuine. In a sense, I am getting a skin graft. The old needed to come off and it has been very painful. The new is being put on and it is not without its pain as well. But in the end, it will be worth it. It will be new and living and use...

In June last year our whole world changed. Our son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. It hasn't even been a year yet and our heads are still spinning from it all. Just yesterday, the hubbs and the boy had to leave a major church youth event because his blood sugar was over 500 and we couldn't get it down. Then he bottomed out once home. Then at 4 am this morning he was low again. Poor Cole, he had to get up twice with him, because I was worn out from working and then being at this youth event and my pregnant body is not getting the rest it needs these days. I am so tired and sick all the time. It's very tough this time around. So, since June it seems as everything has changed. Left job, left church, left school. I've felt alone. I have felt defeated. I have felt like a failure. I have felt like a loser. I have felt like the world's worst mom and wife. I have felt I was far from God. I have felt unsupported. I have felt uncared for. I have felt exhau...

I don't seem to have many words to blog these days. I will tell you God is doing a new work in my life right now. Stretching me and holding me and teaching me. I can't wait until I can share it all with you in words! But for now, I will share some words from one of the most powerful speakers I know, Louie Giglio. Watch both videos in order and be totally blessed and amazed by a Magnificant God! He knows YOUR name, ~Paige

I've been meaning to blog this all week, but I was waiting on the hubbs to get my new header up and running. What do you think? Likey? Anyway, I wanted to post a few thoughts from the message our pastor shared with us on Sunday. I tell you, we go to an amazing church. And it has nothing to do with a building (because we don't own one) or the immense theology training of the staff (although they are so in tune with God and speaking His truth boldly) or even the programming (which does rock - especially for our kids). It has everything to do with two things: 1. Jesus - First and foremost . It's like the cheering at a ballgame sometimes, only people are shouting "Jesus"! Everything that is said or done points directly to Jesus - our Redeemer and Savior. 2. The people. The church is not a building. It is a living, breathing, organic body of people on this Earth who love Jesus and go about their everyday lives loving others and helping others and loving Jesus...

May the joy of the Lord be yours this Christmas! As I reflect on all that has happened in the life of my family this year, I realize that God has been teaching me. I don't know that I've always heard him at the time, but it's flooding me now. It's in the hard times that we grow the most. And through some very hard times this year the Lord has done so much for us. We've been introduced to a new church family and found a place where God wants us to be. We've grown closer as a family. We've stepped out of comfortableness into the unknown and unsure and seen that God will hold us and He will provide and do amazing things. There is a fire burning in me to reach the world for Jesus...at least my corner of the world. I see the Lord positioning us....slowly, but surely. I will follow Christ wherever he leads even if it takes forever. I have whined and complained and cried and pouted and once I even kicked the kitchen cabinets. I have been through the ent...

The Christmas season is here. We are doing some serious remodeling of our home, and I am so enjoying all the Christmas decorations because they take the focus off of all of that craziness! I thought I would post a few of the Christmas pics here. Hopefully tomorrow we will get our annual Christmas picture taken and get our cards printed and mailed. I will post that pic soon. I hope that this Christmas season brings your much joy and blessing. May you be blessed by the knowledge that our Lord and Savior Jesus came to earth as a baby and grew into a man who died to set us free. Hallelujah!

This is a random post, so bear with me. Had a good night at work last night and go back tonight. I didn't realize how much I missed being a nurse, but I am loving every minute of it and the people I work with are fabulous! I get to start picking up some shifts in the ER and ICU soon. Oh yes, I am very excited about this. So next week brings a class to refresh myself on reading the heart rhythm strips. Being out of the field for a few years, I am having to relearn a few things, but that's ok. I like a challenge (most days)! Coming in late last night, the family was asleep and I spent some quality time with the TV and a sundrop. I discovered a delightful little show called "Blush". I guess it's like the Project Runway of the make-up world. Oh, it was delightful. Then I watched two episodes of Rookies on A & E. I love that show! Kind of interesting line-up, huh? My current read, "When God Whispers Your Name" by Max Lucado is so speaking to ...

To those of you who read this blog, thank you for your sweet words of inspiration and encouragement after my post yesterday. You may never know how much they mean to me. I guess as the nurse/mom/wife/firstborn/type A personality, I always try to be strong and keep it together. Several of you mentioned to me that what I am feeling is ok . I really needed to hear that. I think just hearing that it's ok that I am angry or depressed or sad sometimes helped push me to the next place - which just may be acceptance again. I am reading a very old book by Max Lucado called "When God Whispers Your Name". I got home from working last night around 11:30 and couldn't put it down. I guess I finally settled into bed around 4am this morning! I've had that book for at least 10 years but have never read it. Yesterday I was just kind of drawn to it. That book and your sweet words and constant dialogue with the Lord are lifting me up. I am so thankful that God hangs in t...

Here are my thoughts from last night. Well, just a few of them anyway. Change is coming. I like change...sometimes. Change is good....sometimes. Or maybe I am not as comfortable with change as I think I am. But the truth is - it is time for change in this country. Change in a good way. Now, I am not going to tell you who my vote went to. That's my right and freedom. I will say that I come from grandparents who were staunch Democrats and from parents who, at least in years past, would say they are Republican. And now, at this point in my life I think I am an Independent, although I'm not registered as one! (DON'T write me about that)! It's my choice to vote for the person I think will do the best job. This year was tough. But change is coming. I hope it's for the better. Why must the United States be so divisive? I was sickened when the returns were coming in last night and they (at least on one channel) were breaking down the vote based on things lik...

While people are rushing to the polls today to get their vote in, I am sitting at home with the boy. We just had a long conversation about what we are thankful for. The stuff that most often we take for granted because (thanks be to God) we've always had it. But this is not the case for many people, children, in other parts of the world. For the past three years our family has sponsored a child through Compassion International . We've prayed for him, sent him money each month, and wrote him letters. This has been very rewarding for us in many ways. We know that God has called us to do this. But today, I feel that God is telling me that we aren't praying enough or writing enough or doing enough. Several months ago, I felt a pressing on my soul to adopt a child. My heart leaned toward Ethiopia. I prayed about it very much. The hubbs did not feel that same calling. It came to a head with me going away to a monastery for two days on a silent prayer retreat. I began ...

Good Monday morning! In the next week or so you can expect to see a few changes to the blog. Not any major design or layout changes (I think), but I will be adding some features to the site. God is challenging me to go in a certain direction with a few things. Today will start out something I'm going to be doing every Monday. Monday's are always a tough day for many of us. We have to go back to the daily grind after a weekend off. We have to go back to work instead of play and rest. Many of us who do or have worked know that Monday's usually bring more challenges and problems to solve and busyness than the other days of the work week. So, I feel God leading me to begin posting every Monday something that will encourage us to get started on the right foot. I have found that when I start my day out right - with my eyes, mind, and heart focused on Christ and His word - then the rest of my day is bearable. Not always perfect or without problems, but it's so much ...

I found the following poem by renowned author Max Lucado on this site . I was listening to Matt Chandler of The Village Church preach this sermon when I ran across it. Interesting. Also, election day is coming up. Don't forget to cover your choice and our country and new leader (whomever it will be) in prayer. You Have Our Attention, Lord A prayer by Max Lucado – written in October Our friends lost their house The co-worker lost her job The couple next door lost their retirement It seems that everyone is losing their footing This scares us. This bailout with billions. These rumblings of depression. These headlines: ominous, thunderous- “Going Broke!” “Going Down!” “Going Under!” “What Next?” What is next? We’re listening. And we’re admitting: You were right. You told us this would happen. You shot straight about loving stuff and worshipping money. Greed will break your heart, you warned. Money will love you and leave you. Don’t put your hope in riches that are so uncertai...

Over the past few months, the Lord has brought a friend into my life. We don't have the typical relationship, but I know God was in this. She read my blog post from yesterday and sent me a really encouraging email. Not only is she praying for me, but I am praying for her. In our own ways, we are going through some similar things. Her email contained a quote that I must share with you. The quote is great and the person who said/wrote it is one of my spiritual mentors. "I am a great sinner, and I serve a great Savior". - John Wesley May we all be encouraged by that today and in the days to come as we each go through our own struggles. I know my God is bigger than any struggle I could ever face!