Okay...I'm new at this. I love words so this may prove fun and a bit relxing for me. Who knows, we'll see. Where do I start...Let's see... a little over 34 years ago...this young, pretty sorority girl met this strong, handsome football player...and then there was me...little, tiny Jami...I am the first of three children (Neal is 3 years younger and Jenny 5 yrs younger) born to Bobby and Mark Ann Stanford. Okay, okay...that's a little too far back. Fast forward...
After graduating from high school and attending a year or so of college I had my first and sweetest child, Madelyn. I should have named her Rachel, which means...lamb of God. Although, I cannot imagine her being anything but Madelyn. Her life was a wake up call for me. God created her on purpose with much purpose. It's funny how God will use things to open our eyes and redirect our hearts towards Himself. It's funny how we will try and run and hide from the very one who gave us life and has perfect plans for every day of that life. It's funny how when once we turn to Him He makes it so plain...like...how could I have missed that for so long. Anyway...Madelyn Nicole Parsons was born December 18, 1993. She is a BLESSING!!!! Notice the capitilzation! and exclamation marks!!
In November of 1998 Brad Sims and I got married. This is when God really began to open my eyes. He was calling me to a life of surrender. You know the verse...Come unto me and I will give you rest...well that was it for me. I had known about God...read about Him...studied about Him...talked about Him...at times was on fire for Him...but I don't think I had ever understood the concept of knowing Him and coming to Him. Like Oswald Chambers writes (and I am not quoting...my memory is not that good) we will do just about anything but come. It is the coming, the relinquishing of rights, of self, that is so difficult. So I heard from the Lord...come. And the question that shot straight through my heart, "Do you really want to live the rest of your life like this?" I had been living a life of self...trying to figure out who I was and why I was so unloving and unlovable.
My answer...no, I don't want to live like this forever...yes, yes, and yes, I do want to come. Why had I waited so long? Why had I been so hard of heart? I have come to believe that the Lord will allow us to make choices and suffer the consequences knowing who and when and why and how we will come to Him and He will take it all and use it for His glory - His avenues of reaching out to others - who can relate to the pious, self-righteous? Who can relate to the down-trodden selfish cynic full of mistakes and heartache?
I responded and He has been so faithful.
James, my eldest son was born July 2, 1999. He was the best...BEST baby. Like clockwork. Brad and I decided (or rather the Lord gave us both a strong desire) that I would stay home with kids and we would make it...some how, some way...He was making around $10/hour maybe a little more and did not have a degree. God always provided...still does.
In the Spring of that next year, one of our friends who happened to be a prof in Horticulture at Auburn looked at Brad at a birthday party of one of Madelyn's friends and said, "Have you ever thought of finishing school?" (Something like that...remember, my memory is not really good...) It was like the heavens parted and the light shone right on the three of us standing there. That was it. Brad enrolled in classes at AU. He graduated December 2001.
During the time he was in school we added Sydney Hope to our family. She was born March 16, 2001. I was around 6 weeks pregnant with her sitting on the floor playing a game with Madelyn when I felt something that was not right. I rushed to the bathroom...I was bleeding fairly heavily...and scared like I had never been before. I cried all the way to the doctors office. Why...I don't understand why. As I sat in the waiting room for an ultrasound to confirm what the doctor suspected - miscarriage, I said...something to the effect of...I don't understand...I don't like it...it's not fair...but God if this is what you have for me I accept it and trust that You will use it. The ultrasound showed a completely healthy and devolping little baby. The doctor said...and I do quote this...I will never forget this..."You have hope." Hence...Sydney Hope.
She is a delightful little thing.
When Sydney was a little over 6 months old...along comes another positive pregnancy test. I was ELATED! I guess I just wanted to have my hands as full as they could get. Riley was born July 12, 2002. My due date was fast approaching. I was sitting on the sofa Friday afternoon feeling sorry for myself...I am never going to have this baby...never be able to go into labor on my own. (I had been induced the last three times.) Well...I got over myself quickly and as the other kids got up from naps me and Madelyn were chasing them aroung the house. I was crawling on my hands and knees...when I got up...P-O-P...my water broke. I think I was as excited as 5 year old on Christmas morning. Then I got really nervous. We've got to get to the hospital. Brad wasn't home, so I picked up the phone and started dialing...you know those dreams you have when you are trying to make a call and your fingers can't dial the number or dial the wrong number or your phone keeps messing up...well, that's how it was. Finally, I got in touch with everyone I needed to and we were off to the hospital. The nurse at the hospital kept asking me...Are you sure it was your water that broke? Umm...yes...are you sure...Are there really people out there who so pee on themselves that they think it was their water breaking????? Her question really irritated me. My water had broken, but labor stalled out and then came to a complete halt. Started on the pit and Riley was born a little before midnight. I was scheduled to have my tubes tied...then one of the nurses told me due to the late hour and schedule of the surgery that I would not be able to eat...pizza...tubes tied...pizza...tubes tied...pizza...tubes tied. PIZZA!!!!!! Brad picked up some Papa John's and we sat all up in that hospital room and ate pizza.
I'll pick up later...the fam is calling...screaming...not really...they just need me.
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