How to survive CRYageddon

On By audraohmIn adoption, children, Handling Motherhood, Hope, UncategorizedLeave a comment

What is cryageddon you ask? The Ohm dictionary defines it below: 

Cry•a•ged•don 

noun

•When the majority of your offspring begin crying at the same time causing a sound that could possible break the sound barrier

I yelled “what is this cryageddon!?” at the top of my lungs, just trying to out cry the other three littles that were clinging on to me. All needing and wanting something I could not give them in that moment. A nap, another treat, to be held, daddy to hold them, paci holder, or that one thing from 3 weeks ago that we do not have anymore.   “Witching Hour” they call it. A time when everyone in the house goes crazy. That hour just happens to be around dinner time when my hands are occupied by boiling water, raw meat and huge knives. As the words came billowing out of my mouth I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. “Where did that come from?” I wondered. I knew God planted that thought in my head so I could have a little laugh. We now have a knew name for this tragic event in our household and I have compiled 8 ways to survive this event if it should ever reach your home. Don’t fret, even though it feels like ages it’s is short lived. These survival tips will ease your pain. 

1.  Eat All the Chocolate 


Stop everything you are doing, drop the knife in a safe place, wash your hands and locate your hidden stash. Yes you know exactly what I’m talking about. The one you don’t even tell your husband about. This stash is for emergencies and by golly this is an emergency. Begin eating chocolate until the crying stops or when you have enough strength to carry on. There is a no judgement rule on this one and calories don’t count. We must survive.  

2. Turn on Chris Stapleton Pandora


Locate your phone and find your favorite pandora station. Or if you are feeling nice you can choose the kids favorite station (aka: Kids BOP)  My go to station is always Chris Stapleton.  It’s soothing yet has enough beat to get everyone’s foot a tapping. Plus, we can all agree my life is one big country music song right now.  I gravitate to what I know! Can’t help it. Before you know it, everyone will begin singing along. If they don’t, the music will be so loud you won’t be able to hear them anyway. 

3. Cry with them


Sometimes this is all you can do. Crying allows the pain from inside of you to escape. It must happen at some point. Plus, your tears will fall into the food and it will add a nice flavoring. No salt needed. 

4. Hide in the Bathroom 


( if this was my bathroom I’d be in there all the time) 

An oldie but a goodie. Drop everything you are doing and quickly escape to the closest bathroom. (Quick note: it is probably a good idea to make sure everyone is safe and contained before you retreat to your throne ) Sit in the bathroom and wait till you have enough energy to go back out there and deal with your crying kids and  now burning food. Oh well, just s perfect excuse to get pizza. Relax, You wanted anyway! 

5. Call your Significant Other 


Texting will do just as well. Voice to him how he needs to invent a tellaport machine like yesterday so he could be home like 5 minutes ago. Also procede to tell him how HIS kids have been screaming like this all day (even though it’s only been 5 minutes, but it feels like for-ages) and you are done with this stay at home nauncense and getting a full time job tomorrow. As he begins to use his quiet words, in his quiet car ( you can literally hear crickets coming from the other end) you will imagine you are there with him for a second and soak in all that glorious goodness. You will even be able to taste that iced latte (don’t try and hide, I see you) He then will tell you that you can have a break when he gets home and you will clutch this dream in your sweaty fist holding on for dear life just waiting for that sweet tender moment to arrive. 

6. Ohm Savings Time 


This is also known as day-light savings time when you move the clock either forward or backward twice a year. Ohm savings time is a reflection of the forward motion of time. This can happen on any day and any time. It can happen as frequent as you wish. This is when you move the clocks up one hour. You must be inconspicuous as the bigger kids will quickly catch on to your genius plan and out you. “Man…look at that time! It’s 7:00pm. Time for bed kids! I love you. Goodnight.” You’re welcome. It’s 7 o’clock somewhere! 

7. Pack them up


Drop everything you are doing. Turn off the stove. Grab a bottle and a diaper just in case and load everyone into the car. You don’t need to explain where you are going. Just get them in. You can even bribe the bigger ones with candy. It’s ok. It’s an emergency. Once you are in your car breathe because most likely everyone will be quiet. But you need to move fast because a standing car is a ticking time bomb for “the criers” you know who they are. Proceed to your nearest coffee shop drive through. Get the venti, you know you want to.

8. Praise Baby 


If you don’t have these dvds go to Amazon right now and buy a few. You will need a couple I promise. Move the littles in front of the TV (it’s ok, it’s an emergency) and put in the DVD and just sit back and watch a miracle happen. I don’t know what it is but they will be mesmerized and you will be able to continue making dinner. If it’s buttered noodles, that’s ok! You are winning at life just by being able to keep all these littles alive! 


Repeat steps if needed and remember to tell yourself you are so very loved. ❤

-Audra
(Pixaby.com) 

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What JoJo Siwa taught me about Spiritual Warfare 

On By audraohmIn Devotional, HopeLeave a comment

I had never heard the name JoJo Siwa before, until our unplanned, last minute, Descendants 2 premiere party. The girls were watching YouTube videos on the TV and this new song came on. Immediately, all the girls went crazy.  They began to sing and jump up and down. I listened, unsure I was going to like it but then fell in love. 

The song is called “Boomerang” and it all about standing up to the ones that want to get you down. You can watch it here! 

Yesterday was plain awful. I was under attack and my usual tactics of shaking it off were rendering useless. This one was a full force, smack ya in the face and unable to move kinda attack. The enemy was hitting me hard with lies and frankly I was listening to them. Unworthy, unwanted, forgotten, loser, failure, and the big one…that we don’t deserve Gods blessings! LIES!!!!! All lies! But yesterday I believed every single one of them. It’s sad. I was so exhausted by the end of the day that I ended up going to bed at 7:30pm (it’s a good thing because my youngest decided to act like a newborn last night 🙄 😉)

My soul was heavy as I laid in bed but instead of focusing on the lies I began shooting up prayers of thanksgiving. Many times we are blinded by the lies and we forget to see the blessings that are right in front of us. I feel asleep praying, eyes exhausted from crying,  but my soul was lifted. 

This morning as I check the modern day newspaper (aka: facebook) my eyes were drawn to this post by In Him Ministries;

“One thing I’ve learned is that whenever life seems extra difficult, whenever it seems like the intensity has been turned up, that’s a sure sign that you are close to your victory. Whenever negative thoughts are bombarding your mind, or you’re tempted to get discouraged, that’s not the time to give up! That’s not the time to back down. That’s the time to dig your heels in. That’s the time to press on with a new attitude because you are closer than you think to your victory.
It seems like sometimes we find ourselves in Satan’s cross hair, we are under direct spiritual attack. Let me encourage you to keep fighting, keep running when you find yourself there! Satan is a very strategic enemy but in studying God’s Word we can begin to understand the timing and strategy behind these attacks. 
One of the prime times for Satan to attack is immediately before a great blessing. Satan knows he can’t stop your blessing but he won’t stop trying to spoil its arrival for you.

When he attacks you, his goal is to distract you from the course that God has placed you on. He wants to discourage you, take your eyes off of God, off your victory. With this understanding it becomes easier to see Satan for what he is, the great deceiver. 
Instead of getting discouraged, I encourage you to begin to declare, “I’ve come too far to stop now! I’ve been through too much to turn back now” Tell Satan to go to hell!
Don’t allow the enemy to steal from you any longer! Instead, press on toward your finish line because you’ve come too far to give up now. Remember, God Almighty is with you, and He is leading and guiding you down the path of victory in every area of your life! ”

Such good words and so encouraging!! Then later that morning my oldest had my phone and I heard Boomerang playing. 

“I don’t really care about what they say, Imma come back like a boomerang”

“Won’t let the haters get their way…”

“Try trying to make me stop, but Imma climbing to the top”

“Just look at how far I’ve gone.”

“Try to throw us off track but we know how to come back”

These words that were directed to bullies everywhere became my anthem when the enemy attacks. We are going to have really bad days but it’s all about how we react to those bad days. Are we going to give up or are we going to get back up and keep climbing to the top?  Are we going to let the lies set in and take root or are we going to come back with truth? If the enemy is pressing in hard we need to understand that he has no authority over us and our destiny.  God already has that planned out. He has gone before us and made a way. Just like when a kid learns his bullies weaknesses, the bully loses his power over the kid and he begins to understand the power with-in himself. We have the power to control these spiritual attacks. Stand firm and Declare Gods promises over your life and begin thanking God for the many blessings that surround you. That is when the atmosphere will shift and your soul will become lighter. 

Go find your anthem and sing it from the rooftops. Because I’ve got some news for ya, WE win in the end!! 

Snow Falling at Midnight

On By audraohmIn Devotional, Fiction, jesus, Short Stories, Uncategorized2 Comments

The clock struck 12 midnight as my foot landed in the freshly fallen snow. The cold powder tinkled my ankles as I walked down the quiet Main Street. What once was full of busy shoppers with places to be is now a blanket of untouched pureness and twinkling lined streets. The shops were locked up tight and the windows were dark. There was a stillness in the air that made the huge snowflakes fall at such a slow rate it was as if they were suspended in the air. I could detect the delicate differences between each flake and they shimmered in the glow of the kerosene lamps. My eyes began to focus on a light further down the road. A cool breeze gently touched my back as I moved forward slowly.  My eyes began to focus on the blurry blob surrounding the light and as I drew closer I relized I had reached a forest full of mature willow trees.  Their long branches were covered in a thin layer of ice and they almost reached the ground. I could hear the sweet music coming from the branches touching each other but there was no breeze to make them move. They moved with such elegance and I wondered they they were dancing for me. I moved forward into the woods gently touched the branches as I passed. Within minutes I finally reached the light source. It was in the center clearing of a group of five trees. I noticed there were no other foot prints around but mine. I squinted as the light grew brighter. It was suspended in the air with nothing holding it into place. The light grew bigger slightly and then shot up into the air. It burst into a million firefies and they swarmed above my head in unison. I was amazed as I saw them start to create words.

Beautiful 

Worthy

Lovely

Desired

Loved

Chosen

Forgiven 

Then the fireflies paused and danced excitedly as if they knew He was near. Soft footsteps came up behind me and my whole body began to buzz. It started in my feet and moved up through to my head as He reached out and grabbed my hand. My body grew limp and wanted to fall but the strength in his hand lifted me up. He grabbed my face with his other hand and tilted it up to look into his beautiful eyes. They were a color not discribed here on this earth and my eyes began to water as I couldn’t take my focus off his beautiful face. So much love poured out of his eyes and into mine. He said, “my child this one is my favorite.”  And as His eyes looked back up into the sky mine followed and the fireflies began to form an image. It was a picture of a baby. Looking closer I realized it was me. Then the images changed again, quickly but one image after another of me growing up. Then He squeezed my hand as if he was saying “watch this!” It was an image of me as an older woman. I began to cry. Then he put his arm around my back and said, “daughter, I have loved you the same from the moment you were born to your very last day here on earth. You are so precious to me and nothing you do can change my love for you. Every day you strive to do more and be more and you feel as if you are not enough. You feel as if you are failing. Oh my child that is far from the truth. I’m so pleased with you. Fall into me and find peace in my embrace. You are more than enough and I love you more than you know.” 

I let out a sigh and my whole body relaxed into His. A breeze circled around my body and up through the air. As I opened my eyes I saw the fireflies disappear in to the stars. Even though I could not see Him anymore His presence was near. 

(Photo by pixabay.com)

“God, can I get a little help here?”

On By audraohmIn Devotional, faith, Hope5 Comments

A movie that is popular in our “house” right now is the new Disney movie, Moana. It seems to be on repeat and I honestly don’t mind one bit because it is THAT good. If you haven’t seen it I’m going to be referencing the movie so you may want to stop what you are doing and go watch it! Then, come right back here and read the rest of this blog because God spoke some good stuff to me through this movie. Go ahead, I’ll wait….

Welcome back! Wasn’t that good? There is one scene in the movie that moved me because I related to what was going on with Moana at the time. It was the scene where Moana is struggling on her boat trying to find Maui. She was trying to follow the stars shaped liked a hook, knowing it would lead her to her destination.  She was so exhausted from her journey she feel asleep and her boat drifted into the other direction.  The sea woke her up and when she tried desperately to realign her boat it capsized and she fell into the water. Exhausted and fearful, she cried out to the ocean, “can I get a little help here?” Immediately, a storm comes and she is tossed around in the ocean. Waves come crashing over her, one right after the other, until she lands on a deserted island covered in sand. Helpless, she looks over at her boat submerged into the sand and cries out again. She was confused as to why the ocean brought her there and in her frustration she tries to kick the ocean, unsuccessfully of course.

As most of you know we are currently in a storm of our own and I’m sure you are inyour very  own storm as well.  The severity of the storm doesn’t matter. It’s still a storm and it can still cause pain and damage no matter the size. Recently, there have been times when I have cried out to God just as Moana did, “where are you?” “Can I have some help please?”  When I thought I was only hearing the crickets, He spoke to me through a movie.

 (Side note) Never underestimate the way God speaks to you. It comes in all different shapes and sizes. Just be open and listen. 

(Now back to your regular program) 

When God has you on a journey sometimes it takes a storm to get you to your destination. Moana thought the sea had abandoned her, but in reality it took her to exactly where she was called. What we have to understand is that when God is moving in your life the ground beneath you will shake from His greatness and the atmosphere around you will tremble because the enemy is doing everything he can to try and stop it. I think many of us think that if we are doing Gods work it should be easy, but if your on Gods path it’s not going to be a cake walk people. Gods people are wearing His shoes and with every step you take you are sending shockwaves down to the depths of Hell, waking up the enemy and getting him fired up. But know this, the enemy will fail and God’s glory will always prevail. Always. 

If you are in the deep thick of it and waves are crashing over you, hold on tight to your boat my friend. Know He is there, He is with you and you will get through this. Keep pushing through, sending those shockwaves deep down beneath you, letting the enemy know who is in charge here! God! You are clothed in his mighty armor so stand firm and grounded! 

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Eph. 6:11-1

“Through You we will push back our adversaries, through Your name we will trample down those who rise up against us.” 

“This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” 2 Chron. 20:15

The Ohm Flood

On By audraohmIn faith, Hope1 Comment

I turned over in the big empty bed glancing over at the clock right before pulling the covers over my face. An image flashed before my mind as I read it was 12:30 am. I was back in my house with flood water covering my feet. My focus went from my submerged feet to the tub as water rushed over the edge like The Niagra Falls. The feeling of helplessness suddenly came over me, unaware of how to stop this distruction. Do I yell? Do I grab towels? What can I do to stop this water? I have lost control. “God…..what do I do?” Half asleep, I cried out to Adam and he came running over. He immediately went down stairs to shut off the main and I paced through the water holding up my pajama pants. I began to grab every towel and blanket in sight to soak up the water. When I ran downstairs for more I saw what looked to be the rain Forrest in our basement. Water poured from the ceiling, soaking everything in view. Torn by which direction to go and distracted by what was in front of me I began grabbing buckets and every empty bin in the house to collect the water. I grabbed more blankets and headed upstairs to try and soak up more water. But it was like trying to soak up Lake Michigan with a small kitchen sponge. Then God gave me an image of a dusty old pump I once saw in the basement. We went searching and sure enough it was there, ready to be used. I could hear it shouting “put me in coach, I’ll take it from here!” We were able to use that trusty old pump to get the remaining amount water out of the house and start the drying process. Thankfully during this time no baby woke up and we were able to focus solely on the cleanup. Exhausted we headed to bed with no idea what was about to happen in the morning. 

When the insurance company came to check out the damage they determined that all the floors were ruined, both upstairs and downstairs and the bathroom would be gutted. They informed us that the removal process would start immediately and we would need to stay in a hotel for awhile until everything is fixed. We quickly packed all of us up, grabbed toys, bottles, formula, baby gear and anything we thought we may need for the next few weeks. Once everyone was packed and loaded I sat in the car unable to move, talk or process anything. I was frozen and exhausted. 

As I process this event I can’t help but think about the story in the Bible of Jesus calming the storm. Let’s read it.

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Mark 4:35-41)

I can picture the disciples doing exactly as I did that night. Some grabbing whatever they could to get the water out of the boat while others frozen in fear doing nothing.  All being overtaken by this storm and slowly sinking into the sea to perish. 

As Christians we are not exempt from being attack by our enemy. The creator of fear is out to try and kill you from the inside out. He wants you to become so overcome by anxiety that you end up drowning, alone. As Christ followers we have another way. We are not alone. There is a hand reaching out, waiting for you to take hold of it. Does it mean the path to the other side of the lake will be easy? No. If Jesus is on your boat you better believe the enemy is in pursuit with the canyons lit. 

What God does promise us time and time again is that He will never leave us. He is with us and loves us so much. He is Peace. He calms the storm. He does and will make good of what the enemy destroys. We have to be willing to let him. When life gives you lemons, I say, LET GOD MAKE YOUR LEMONADE. His recipe is far sweeter than anything I could create. That’s because his sugar comes from the purest cane fields in Heaven.

So, today as I reflect on this past week and think about the weeks to come as our family of six take on this hotel living, I know God has this. I know we will have sweet sweet lemonade coming our way. I know he hasn’t left us for a moment and I know we will look back and marvel at what He has done. Is this hard? Yes. Am I tired? So very much so. But as we search for peace and calmness in our lives we first must realize that it starts from with in our souls. Our lives may continue to be chaotic but we have the choice to choose fear or peace. Enemy or Jesus. I choose Jesus. So with our eyes on the horizon we will hypothetically sit back and relax and enjoy the journey. Knowing that God has us right where He wants us. 

One million “thank you’s”

On By audraohmIn adoption, children, commnity, Dream SeriesLeave a comment

Just a short three years ago our lives looked quite a bit different. We had one beautiful miracle baby and were unsure if God had anymore children in our future. Then in August 2014 we were whisked away to Utah to meet our daughter Amelia. In June 2016 our son, Arden, beat all the odds and arrive via csection with his fist up fighting! And then two weeks ago we made another trip to Utah to bring home our daughter Ashlynn, and bio sibling to Amelia. Words can’t even express how we feel right now! Besides tired, yes we are very tired. But the blessing of our kids out weigh our need for sleep. And we have a lot of coffee. 

A few months ago when the idea of Ashlynn wasn’t even in our minds I had a dream. In my dream I was inside a bank and was taken to a secret room. Inside that room the Bank Owner gave me a credit card and said, “it is activated.”  That was it and I woke up. I knew this dream had something to do with finances but I wasn’t sure what area in our life it was referring too, until now.  

When we received the call for Ashlynn we had no idea how we would do this financially. God told us not to worry so we moved forward with a shakey Yes. We knew how much this was going to cost and knew it was no small task for man, but for God it was easy. Since then we have been blessed with donantions ranging from $1-$5000 for the adoption. All making a huge impact in our lives. Everyone helping our child come home. We have been completely covered and blessed by everyone of your “Yes’s” to God. He sees you and is very proud of you and what we have all done here. Every share, like, encouraging word and time spent organizing was seen and heard by us and God. We feel/felt so much love. A million thank you’s. 

Now as I sit with this precious two week old on my chest reflecting on that dream. Knowing full well God knew what was coming our way and wanted me to know He had it covered. He sure did! His amazing children listened and followed through big time. It gives me so much hope and faith in Gods amazing love and plan for our lives. This girl is a true testament to God’s provision for our lives. He loves us so much.

We could not have done this with your amazing generosity so we thank you over and over a Million times. Thank you. 

I compiled a few photos of our time in Utah and the first few days of Ashlynn’s life, click on link below. 


Bringing Home Another Ohm

Some may call us crazy

On By audraohmIn adoption, commnity, faith, Hope, missions, UncategorizedLeave a comment

We received a call late Tuesday night informing us that our daughters birth mom was expecting again and she wanted us to adopt. My mouth dropped as I listened on the phone for all the details. She told me she is due early February and doesn’t know the gender yet. My heart leaped out of my chest and my nerves began to go into overdrive. We have a 7 year old, 2 year old and 5 month old so the thought of bringing a newborn into our family activated my anxiety. 

After hanging up the phone I called my husband, who was out running errands for our upcoming thanksgiving road trip. I laughed when he answered and said, “you will never guess who just called me!” After telling him the details he laughed too and asked when they needed an answer. We had 24 hrs. I didn’t sleep much that night. 

The entire trip down to Nashville was filled with us going back and forth, asking each other ALL of the questions.  Both of us willing to answer this call if it was God calling us. Was He calling? 

Fear set in and we decided to tell the agency we couldn’t do it at this time. We went to bed that night, silent, both praying. Secretly asking for a divine intervention. 

We woke up the next morning both feeling like we made a mistake. We didn’t know HOW we would do this but we knew we HAD to do this. It is too important to us, too important for our family, too important for our Amelia. 

So we said YES, a shaking yes but an obedient yes. Yes to Gods plan and ours. Yes to His Glory. Yes to this child. Yes to love on our precious Birth Mom. Yes to our daughter. Yes to crazy. Yes to the unknown and yes to help. 

We can’t do this alone. We have to walk this out with God every step of the way and we need you, Our friends and family. We need your prayers that God will pave the way clearly and one that only brings Him glory in this. We also need financial help. Would you be willing to walk along side of us in this? If you aren’t in a spot to donate we completely understand that and would love your prayers. We know God will provide the way. 

Much love and a million thank you’s

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