Jesus Take The Wheel

Question Of The Day

2009-02-12T16:44:00.000-08:00

You know how kids just say whatever they think sometimes? And they wonder about everything under the sun. Well, today it was bath time so I was in the bathroom with the kids taking turns bathing each one. Then all of a sudden my four year old son asks, "Why do they build a drawer that does not open? That does not make sense!" You know the non-functional drawers they build into many bathrooms? I could not help but laugh. Couldn't they actually make them into drawers that served a purpose as apposed to wasted space. Who couldn't use some extra drawer space?

Prayer Request

2009-02-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

Being a blogger myself and having been through some tough medical ups and downs with my own children. I enjoy keeping up with and reading stories of other families, through their trials and triumphs. Sometimes you just can't help but be deeply affected by other's stories. This one has brought me to my knees.

I do not know this family personally, just through reading their family blog. Here I will share a short synopsis and you can check out their blog for more information or to keep up with this dear family if you wish.

After struggling with several ear infections that did not seem to be getting better, the doctors ordered other tests, and they found out that Cora had "Neuroblastoma (a form of cancer). They had removed the tumor and some lymph nodes. The cancer was a stage 4 (it had spread all over) and she had over 100 spots on her liver." Apparently all of this happened in a very short period of time, from the time they found out was she was sick, till now. She immediately began chemo and has been through multiple surgeries. After another surgery which she had on Friday, and she was stable. Apparently, there was a turn for the worse. Sweet baby Cora Paige died today and went to be with Jesus.

Please remember the McClenahan family in your prayers.

Random Facts

2009-02-06T21:26:00.000-08:00

(After being tagged several times recently on Facebook I put together this list. I thought since I'd share it here on the blog...just for fun.)

25 random facts about Liz Dixon---

1. I love having a tall husband. Just makes me feel gitty inside to be able to look up to him all the time.

2. I’m a reality tv-junkie!

3. If I could go back to school to have any career, I would be a nurse. All my medical experiences have taught me so much about the importance and role of a nurse. I had some amazing nurses throughout my hospital stays and also had many awful nurses. But I will always be thankful for those wonderful nurses, and I would want to be one of those nurses that really cares for her patients.

4. I have five kids under 5.

5. I have a magazine fetish. I read and collect magazines.

6. I do not use salad dressing. I eat my salads DRY. Always have, always will.

7. I make up words all the time. Ask Donny!

8. After 10:30pm I am a very silly girl. You should see me playing Scatagories at that hour.

9. I love to cook.

10. My first car was a white convertible Mazda Miata! His name was Snoopy. I LOVED that car!! Thanks’ Dad!

11. I’m an 80’s girl! I LOVE 80’s music!! Takes me back to many fun memories with my sister.

12. My relationship with Christ is by far the most important part of my life. Everything I have been through is a testimony of his grace and mercy, his strength and his healing powers. I believe in the power of prayer!!

13. I LOVE, LOVE being in front of large crowds. I majored in Personal/Interpersonal Communications and Public Speaking. I prefer to prepare a speech and then present as apposed to speaking off the cuff or impromptu speaking.

14. I love planning and making preparations for events...birthdays, game nights etc.

15. I LOVE thunderstorms…but I am afraid of the dark. (Yes, I still get scared at night when Donny is out of town and the house is dark. I usually end up singing Jesus loves me or whatever the first song that pops into my head to give me comfort).

16. I had a hysterectomy at age 27.

17. I go crazy over SNOW. Even though I was born and raised in Texas and have never really experienced a real snow filled winter.

18. I repeated 10th grade. ( I transferred to a private school, after being out of school for some time due to illness)

19. I am a candy-holic.

20. I had brain surgery the week after I graduated from high school. Thankfully, I was able to walk the stage to receive my diploma.

21. I’m a HUGE Rachel Ray fan!! I love her 30 min meal shows, cookbooks, talk show, and personality. I find that either people love her or hate her…I’m LOVIN Her!!

21. I love keeping up with celebrity gossip. I know, silly… but I do.

22. In high school I was a cheerleader, mascot, student council vice president, in the drama club and key club.

23. I’ve always looked up to and respected my Dad. He was my biggest role model growing up. I learned what having convictions, morals and beliefs really meant, from watching him. I am the person I am today because of my Dad.

24. I always wanted to be a mom, because I wanted to be just like my mom: Making special snacks for us after school, being involved in PTA, volunteering for school events, leading Bible studies with other moms, etc.

25. My favorite color has always been red…but as have grown up I’m falling more in love with the color orange. It is in the red family after-all. The color orange just makes me happy! And I did marry a huge TENNESSEE fan…so it’s always “Go Big Orange” around our house.

His ways are Higher!

2009-01-28T11:13:00.000-08:00

I love routines. I like knowing where I am going and when. I like knowing money is in the bank when bills need to be paid and food is in the pantry for dinner. It's just the way my mind works, and how I keep from feeling stress. Although there are times where breaking routines can be a lot of fun. As I look at my walk with God, though, I find that His “routine” isn’t very well-defined for me. It’s not that He doesn’t have a game plan, because He does, but my mind still doesn’t fully see His hand at work or His plans for my future. As the Bible says, “his ways are higher than our ways…” So my plans may be organized, but ultimately He will determine my steps. Hmmm. That sounds like a very “un-routine” way of doing life to me. If people can’t see what God is doing,they stumble all over themselves, But when they attend to what he reveals,they are most blessed. Proverbs 29:18 As I move into 2009, I will continue to appreciate our routine, but I will also be searching for what God is doing in and around me and my family. My hope is that I will be flexible enough in my routine to see God’s hand and shift gears if I need to. :)

I'm getting a RED NOSE for Christmas...Cause I wanna be like RUDOLF!

2008-12-07T15:42:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow morning, I am scheduled for Complex Septoplasty. Otherwise known as a nose job! No not really! I'm not getting a nose job. They are correcting my two deivated septums. It's nasal surgery. My nose will still look the same. Even though the doctor is a plastic surgeon. I can't believe I'm having a well known plastic surgoen perform surgery on me and I'm not coming out with a flatter stomach or bigger boobs. Something is really wrong with that! Maybe he will throw in some botox for no extra charge. I have been seeing more and more wrinkles everytime I look in the mirror. Haha!

According to The Mayo Clinic.com, "The thin wall inside your nose that separates your right and left nasal cavities is called your nasal septum. Ideally, your septum is situated in the center of your nose, equally separating the two sides of your nose. In about 80 percent of people, however, the nasal septum is displaced to one side, making one nasal passage smaller than the other. When your septum is significantly off-center, you have a deviated septum.

When a deviated septum is severe, it can block one side of your nose and reduce airflow. Resulting signs and symptoms can include difficulty breathing, nasal congestion, nosebleeds and frequent sinus infections.

Deviated septum may be present at birth or, more commonly, the result of an injury. Initial treatment of a deviated septum may include medications to manage signs and symptoms. But to correct a deviated septum, surgery is necessary."

My Greater Purpose...

2008-11-16T14:15:00.000-08:00

I have come to the place in my life where I have embraced my greatest purpose. That is, to worship God with more than songs of praise, but with my LIFE. I am to spend my life showing off my God through one of the most important acts of worship. My obedience to Him. EVERYTHING on Earth was created to point to God's GREATNESS. That includes myself. What an AWESOME calling. I want to do my best to try and reflect HIS GLORY in the greatest way possible. I want to give God my life in worship. MY everything...not just my song, my hands or my heart...EVERYTHING COMPLETELY!

Change Of Perspective

2008-11-13T15:24:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite life verses is Romans 5:3-5,

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."

I love it when God sends reminders of His promises. I started the day asking the Lord to help change my perspective. I continue to remind myself that I need to choose to be thankful and find the good things in life, instead of focusing on the negative. I realized that the heaviness that I was feeling was as heavy as I wanted it to be. The word says that His burden is light, so it’s up to me to release the heaviness and let Him carry it. If I’m feeling the weight of the world, then it’s not because God put it there. That is why and how I can go forward each day, and face the challenges raising five children and keeping our house running, while at times it feels as if my body is falling apart. He gives me the strength to go on!

Political Insights And Prayers

2008-11-11T08:18:00.000-08:00

I am certainly not surprised Obama won the election, but deep down I was hoping and praying that McCain would pull it off in the end. McCain was obviously not the popular vote. I admit, was saddened and disappointed with the outcome of the election. I even shed some tears. However, I have thought about it and prayed a lot since then, and now I AM EXCITED. I had to realize that God is still in control and He is still on the throne. I don't agree with many things Obama stands for and supports. Some of those things I am very PASSIONATLY against. But, I am excited to see how God is going work through this country. I greatly respect Obama and his wife. They have a beautiful family and have worked hard to get where they are. Obama has a presence that attracts and inspires people. He has that charisma that some of our most popular Presidents in the past have had. He comes across with that “IT” factor. So what do I do now? Now, I have all the more reason to pray for God to work in the life of Obama. God allowed this to happen. He can MOVE mountains. He can HEAL the blind. He can rise above all the craziness in this world. I'm going to pray BIG! Nothing is impossible....this country has been dying for change for so long. But that change is so much bigger than economics, healthcare or saving energy, our world is in desperate need for a LIFE CHANGE. And that can only come through the work of our Lord and Savoir, Jesus Christ. There may not be a republican representing this country in the White House, but God is there, and my prayer is that people in that White House will hear His voice. The world is never going to run perfectly, that is just not possible. We are all sinners, we all fall short, and we all make bad decisions. God is gracious, and willing to forgive. God gives us hope, God gives us answers, and God will guide us, if we let Him.

Dear God, I pray for each and every one of our countries leaders, that you would keep them safe, protect them from harm, and be with them as they make decisions and face each issue that faces our country at this time. I pray for God’s mighty had to rest on our new President-elect. Amen.

Please Note: I ask that you please respect the tone and nature of this blog. This is not meant in anyway to be offensive. If I offend you or have offended you, I apologize. Please do not leave any inappropriate comments. If you do, they will be removed. This is a G-rated site. Thank you for your consideration.

Introducing, Jesus Take The Wheel!

2008-11-10T20:55:00.000-08:00

The last few years have been filled with wonderful times of celebration and thanksgiving, but a long with that has come countless days, weeks, and months, of stress, pain, sickness, and all around hard times. God gave us this gift of five beautiful children, but he never said it would be easy. From the first day that Donny and I found out that we were carrying five babies we gave it over to God. I felt a peace about it from the beginning. And regardless of all the scary what ifs and unknowns, we knew God would take us through this time and His will would be done in all of it. I still can remember our first doctor trying to convince me that we needed to highly consider selective reduction. There was never a thought about it, that was not even an option. It completely went against everything I have ever believed in. Donny and I left it in Gods hands to decide. After all they are His children. God did take one of the five babies to Heaven. Our son Logan turned one, the day after we gave birth to QUADRUPLETS! One boy and three girls. The life we could have never imagined in our wildest dreams was just beginning.

The quads all had plenty of medical issues, but despite everything, are doing well today, and you would never know they were born so early. It has been a long road, to get them back to health. We still are dealing with things with medical issues with the quads and even Logan here and there, but overall they are all doing so well. They are so full of life! They are our FIVE huge blessings!!

A 115 lb woman carrying quadruplets is far from anything normal. You should have seen my stomach before I delivered. Crazy! It also was way too much strain and pressure on my body and after the delivery my bogy gave way. My colon burst and then well everything went downhill from there for a while. But God was certainly not going to give us these children and leave them without a mommy. He saved me from death several times, I am sure of.

I am a big fan of country music, and Carrie Underwood. She has a song called Jesus Take the Wheel. They even play it on some of the Christian radio stations sometimes. Every time this song is on I turn it up loud and cry. I love this song! It really rings such a true message that I constantly want to shout out to God.

My thoughts, mind and spirit are always drawn to these verses,

She was sooo scared
She threw her hands up in the air

Jesus take the wheel
Take it from my hands
Cause I can't do this on my own
I'm a letting go
So give me one more chance
To save me from this road I'm on
Jesus take the wheel

No matter what my day or week may hold, whether the kids are sick, Donny is out of town, or if everyone is well and I’m just dealing with the normal tasks of caring for five children, things are always so much easier if I give them up to God. Nothing about this life is easy, it’s darn right hard. It hurts, it burns, it can tear you up sometimes. But I have a Lord and Savoir who is bigger than all the drama, and all the pain. He is what carries me through; He has saved me and continues to save me from the road that I am on.

People constantly ask me, “How do you do it?” I am titling this blog after this song because I am not a Supermom, I am not Wonder Woman, I can not do it all on my own. So often people can not understand how I can go through so much, and continue to do so and be positive and love life. I get upset and cry just as much as the next person, but I worship a God who takes it all away. He holds onto all my burdens so they are no longer my own. He gives me strength when I feel like I cannot go on. He gives me peace when I need to be calm. He is always here, waiting for me with open arms. He takes it all…I just have to give it over to Him. Everyday of my life no matter what, I have to let Jesus take the wheel.

I hope that you join me as I follow God’s leading and see where He will take me as I let Jesus take the wheel.