Joy comes with your Peace

Good Morning! As I did some reading this morning I thought I would share with all of you (all one of you :) A little background. I was ready for Christmas, ready to enjoy the joy of my kids, to see Zach experience Christmas for really his first true interactive year, to enjoy the festivities, to bake all the goodies, to see family, to do the shopping, you name it and I was ready. Even with Michael leaving for training the day after Thanksgiving - we had talked about it, made a few Christmas plans . . . but WHAM who would know that when people started really talking about Christmas, about the Joy of Christmas, asking what was my most memorable Christmas I had nothing . . . In fact I was drawn to tears over the idea. What does Christmas mean to me - it means celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. It means visiting family, seeing smiles on peoples faces when you give them an unexpected gift, it means memories to cherish for a lifetime - but this year I allowed my joy to fly out the window as I watched Mike's plan fly to Wisconsin. But, God never fails and though I will not say that I have fully recovered - in fact I am just going through December in almost a daze it seems, but I am still blessed for God has Grace and it is in that that I will share with you a little from a book I just read.

Isn't it funny how God always has a plan even when you had no idea. Our small group meets every Thursday night. We just did a study of Revelation. The last month of that study were interrupted for many many reasons that we were not able to meet. So, when we finished our study we would of 3 weeks until Christmas week. Our plan - do some stand alone studies and then start a study of Angels come the new year. Well - were we wrong. After Thanksgiving I headed to Small Group and Dick, our leader, says he had been given The Purpose of Christmas by Rick Warren and it was 3 weeks worth so we would be using that for the next 3 weeks - That's when I first froze as mentioned above, but wow - WOW - it was just what I need in the right time. He never leaves us even in our times of doubt and confusion . . . .

From The Purpose of Christmas by Rick Warren . . . Christmas is a Time of Reconciliation . .
"Instead of complaining and blaming others for your unmet needs, the Bible recommends asking God instead. It says, "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God." If you prayed as much as you complain and quarrel, you'd have a lot less to argue about and much more peace of mind...
The apostle Paul had an alternative: "Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God's peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
The reality is that there will never be peace in the world until there's peace within nations. And there will never be peace in our nation until there's peace in our communities. There won't be peace in our communities until there's peace in our families. And there won't be peace in our families until there's peace in our individual lives. That won't happen until the Prince of Peace reigns in our hearts. Jesus came at Christmas to bring us three kinds of peace:

Peace with God

The peace of God

Peace with others"

New Pics

I have placed some new pics on my facebook site if you want to take a look. I will put a few videos on here. Life has been some what productive lately though my house is so unorganized it isn't funny. Landon's glasses broke and his 2nd pair is temporarily lost so I am pulling every bag out and emptying it - Oh well. The joys of to much junk mixed with toddlers :) Time is going fairly fast and on the 22nd we will see Mike for a few hours before he and Landon go on their first plane ride together to visit dear friends , George and Norma, who Michael adopted as grandparents back in Virginia when he was 15. George is in very ill health and I am blessed that Michael was able to work this out as he is very excited about seeing them and making the most of this time with Landon. We will then be a family on Christmas Eve in New Orleans and enjoying seeing all my immediate family together. THOSE are the joys of Christmas - family . . . May you find joy today and maybe a smile from my kids :) Merry Christmas -

Oh if you are reading this and would like a Christmas card - please e-mail me your address at ctmihalik@yahoo.com they are on order and will be here in the next week or so - better late than never :)














Ahhh...the end {for now}

Santa needs a new list

Well looks like Santa needs to get his elves to working again. Funny story to share about Landon....Sunday Landon yells from upstairs "Mom, come here! I have to show you something." Me-I'll be there in a minute, let me finish what I am doing. A few minutes pass and Landon tries a different route, "Mom, come here Tyler is awake!" Me - I'll be there in a minute Landon I am almost done. He just can't take the excitement so he so happily yells, "Mom, Dad went shopping for me at Lowe's!" To which I quickly in a loud, obnoxious voice say "Landon get out of my closet". I had not even gone upstairs, but I knew what he was doing. He had found his Christmas gift of a kids size rake, shovel and hoe. When I told him that it was part of his Christmas and that he wasn't suppose to find it he responds, "But I REALLY like it mom!" He then promptly ask it he can go outside to which I respond - "You are welcome to go play outside, but don't think you are getting your rakes!" Well looks like his rubber boots will be standing solo with something else replacing his yard tools - Maybe a Tag Jr. Hmmmmmm????? Santa has a hard job when all you kid says he wants from Santa is "new toys". At least he isn't a brat about it :)

A Simple Joy

Most of the time when we have a bad day - aren't we the ones to blame? Maybe we wake up late, or waku up not really wanting to get the day started, or procrastinating so that our life is way to unorganized. So, today I reminded myself of a SIMPLE JOY - wake up 15 minutes earlier than your earliest riser and get your day started off. I mean really it is only 15 minutes - you are going to have to wake up no matter what and in my case this morning you might get lucky and your "little Zach" will sleep in 15 minutes and give you 30 minutes of quiet to shower, dress and start processing your day.

Today was successful and a good day though I am tired. We have our regular Monday morning routine of school drop-off and speech - today we added a new Monday plan - Mom works and the two youngest kiddos stay in care at the church. I think Tyler is a little tired just from adjusting to the day, but Zach enjoyed it. Landon even got to come home from school after lunch and have me and the house to himself for about an hour while I did some work on my computer and he setup his own little work station on my office floor. I am enjoying my new part-time deal doing some design work for our church. Today it was trying to finalize the Hope for the Heart Conference logo/bag design. I even managed a little time of straightening the house, getting everyone -everywhere on time or early, no breakdowns with the kids, organization to my day and PURE JOY - all from giving things over to GOD last night as I dozed to bed at midnight and waking up 15 minutes early. Thank you Lord - May tomorrow go just as smoothly!

The Monkeys Perform LIVE Saturday Night on Mihalik Broadcasting

Last night I decided to have a little fun and just sit on our stairs and video the boys interacting. I love watching them play together - usually they are really careful of Tyler. This night they were rather excited for whatever reason {well ok maybe because they really are monkeys!} Our #1 thing is not to climb on the kitchen, but I didn't want my voice constantly getting on to them in the video so I gave them a break and they took full advantage of it :) Hope you enjoy the videos - and tonight is Landon's church program so more to come!!!

Landon had a special beat on this little Happy Meal toy that he preferred over the others. Guess his best rhythm was with that one...too bad the music stopped right as he started break dancing - that could of been some real talent!

No really - my kids are NOT suppose to be climbing on ANY furniture

Why didn't the clock stop ticking - where have I been all this time!

Wow - May, REALLY - I mean are you serious! I decided that some journaling would be great for me and then I remembered, Oh yea I have a blog - - oopps, I had almost forgotten my address. Well May, June, July, August - my goodness all the way up to today - Dec. 4th have come and gone so quickly. I have a lot to get caught up with, but I thought I would just reintroduce myself and say HELLO again! What has life been like for my family - since I last wrote ... all the regulars - my boys have grown much, dear friends have come in and GONE OUT of our lives, the year of record hospital visits, lots of miles have been put on our car, we are still in Panama City and I am doing my best to go one day at a time. There are lots of spaces in that one sentence with many rememberable, not so rememberable details - but most importantly my family {and myself} have been blessed beyond measure.

As I write this and the basis for getting back to this modern day journaling is that my dearest friend, closest companion, amazing dad, and father of my children is heading to Afghanistan for 6 months. I am a very honest person and am not big on lieing about how I am feeling to others - so I honestly must say that emotions go from high to low. I have so many things to be thankful for because my career as a military wife and mom is in no comparison as difficult and hard as many others out there - but it is still my everyday life and I must say that I am making the choice daily to overcome any attack that Satan may have to steal my joy for life and my support for what my hubby is a part of - No, I do not agree with war. I am not a fan at all of war and have had many conversations with Michael about it early on when we were first starting his military journey. BUT I am a fan and have a heart for humanity, for others who for many different circumstances do not have joy, but live in fear - fear of not having food to eat, a shelter over their head, a father to teach them how to play sports or drive or hunt, a life of little chaos, fear of not knowing why they are even living much less why there would even be a God for all that they see on earth. So, thanks for being a part of my life - I hope to take you on a journey . . . not a sad, depressing one - but a real one of life and love and finding all the reasons that we are given to live each day! God bless you! Go dance in this freezing weather and breath in the smell of crisp freshness!