Happy Birthday to my man!

This is my good-looking baby. And this year he chose to have

his birthday meal at Hoong's Palace.

(Parker was so excited!)

However, he did have to share his complimentary

ice cream with his two greatest fans!

Thank you God for giving me the greatest husband in the world!

A man who loves me even when I have been unloveable!

I love you Shaun!

May this be your greatest year ever!

The Heart of A Woman

"You belong among the wildflowers

you belong in a boat out at sea

You belong with your love on your arm

You belong somewhere you feel free."

-Tom Petty "The mystery of the feminine heart was

meant to be a good thing. A source of joy.

Yet it has become a source of shame-women almost universally

feel that they are 'too much' and 'not what they should be.'

And men tend to pull away from the deeper waters of a woman's soul,

unsure of what they will find there or how to handle it.

And so we have missed the treasure that is the heart of a woman,

missed the richness femininity was meant to

bring into our lives, missed the way it

speaks to us of the heart of God." (page ix, Captivating)

This is the quote that caught my attention and

caused me to keep hold of this book for the past week.

My eyes have opened to a new way of thinking, healing and freedom.

"Every woman was once a little girl. And every little girl

holds in her heart her most precious dreams.

Those desires are far

more than child's play. They are

the secret to the feminine heart." (S. Eldredge)

"Your heart matters more than anything else in all creation.
The desires you had as a little girl and the longings you still feel as a woman-
they are telling you of the life God created you to live.
A woman who is truly captivating!"
Thank You God for your grace.

Paper Necklaces and Rocky Mountains

I have spent some much needed time antiquing in the past weeks,

and have found a new favorite thing! Paper necklaces!

I can't get enough. You will find people who make beads

out of paper and then the beads can be made

into the most beautiful jewelry.

I wear my paper necklace everywhere!

It just seems to go with everything!

I am also loving being so close to the Rocky Mountains.

It is nice to be home.

I think I forgot how beautiful they were!

My two year old is speaking so well, he now says,

"Mom, look at the mountains"...everytime we

get into the car, and it makes my heart smile.

My six year old said to me yesterday, "Mom, I think

I can see heaven shining onto the mountains"

...I said, "I know, me too..."

...which in turn led into a cool discussion

about what he thinks heaven will be like.

Man, is God good!

the "Real Deal"

When you say 'real deal' to me, I think 'real honest.'

This is probably my favorite picture of my boys because

it is taken in my favorite place, the garden!

I just got home from Denver today.

Yes, it was it a shock to learn we were moving.

Yes, it was a shock to see that my house was already packed.

Did I cry, yes.

Did I walk to the garden and weep, yes.

Did I get to say goodbye, no.

I guess Shaun did that for me last night.

Has this been the worst transition of my life, yes.

Do I see hope? I am starting to.

I am starting to picture our new home,

our new church and our new friends.

That is the 'real deal'.

Do I love my family more than ever, yes.

Have I made good decisions, not recently.

Does God forgive me, yes, thankfully.

That is the 'real deal.'

Please pray that my 'once was' dream house with

'too many memories too count' sells quickly because

I can't bear to hold the tears back any longer that I have to.

...Because God has BIG plans for the

McClellan family in Denver,

and Shaun and I can already tell,

there is no time to waste.

Restoring Your Spirit of Hope

I had the privilege of being at my parents

church yesterday in Denver.

Pastor Huffaker did an amazing job as

he spoke from Ephesians 2:12-13

and truly delivered a message that was 'just for me'

"...remember that at that time you were separate from Christ

...without hope and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away

have been brought near through the blood of Christ."

Ephesians 2:12-13 I. In Christ I Can Always Be Hopeful (Romans 8)

1. Because His Pardon Erases My Guilt

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Romans 8:1

2. Because His Power Breaks Sin's Grip On Me.

"...because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of

life set me free from the law of sin and death."

Romans 8:2

3. Because His Purpose Transforms My Life.
"And we know that God causes everything to work together
for the good of those who love God and are
called according to His purpose for them."
Romans 8:28

4. Because His Protection Calms My Fears.
"If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Romans 8:31


5. Because His Provision Supplies My Needs.
"He who did not spare his own Son...will he not also,
along with Him, graciously give us all things?"
Romans 8:32



6.Because His Promise Secures My Future.
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future,
nor any powers, neither height nor depth
nor anything else in all creation, will be able
to separate us from the love of God
that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:38-39





II. Our RESPONSE

"...live and act in a way worthy of those who
have been chosen for such wonderful blessings as these."
Ephesians 4:1





"....Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone
who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have..."
I Peter 3:15







As very few of you know, my husband informed me yesterday
that we, as a family will be relocating to Denver Colorado this week.








What does this mean you ask?
Well, he is the head of our household,
and I am believing that he heard from the Lord
that this is the best decision for us at this time.

We will place our home up for sale this week and start packing asap.
I am currently looking for a job and will finish my last weekend shifts
at Porter Hospital this upcoming weekend.







Does our family need your prayers? Yes please.

Desperately.








Do I have much to be thankful for?
Yes.
Thank you to a mom and dad who love me and my
kids enough to care for my kids and their every need during the past month.




Do I see hope in the future?

Sometimes.



Did I think Obama did great at Notre Dame yesterday despite the controversy?
Yes.

Thanks Cherie!

God is everywhere. He always shows up. He's inside and outside of everything. The world is His and all that is in it. He stands in all the houses and churches where he is not wanted seeking out his sheep. He spends hours and hours in these places seeking, searching, and finding his sheep. Just like the Father in the Prodigal Son.
The Jews heard the Prodigal Son story way different than we do. When the youngest Son asked for his inheritance money from his father, he was not being impertinant. In Jewish tradition, he was saying to the Father, I wish you were dead. When the oldest son did not try to reconcile his younger brother to his father, he was doing the very same thing. SO, when the father welcomed the Son home after he searched and waited for his son to come home, he was doing so, even though his own child had wished him dead. All Jews understood this to be the message of the Prodigal Son: that God sought to reconcile his child (his people) even though the His people treated the Father as if he did not exist.
Reconciliation is the Jewish message of the Kingdom of Heaven.
God is there always. It is us that is not.

My Personal Eye Candy!

I know they are my kids, but hey,

I have to take some liberty on my own blog.

This is their own classic personalities captured on camera.

And thank you Lord for the gift of children!

Another Miracle!

This is a true story from shortly after Shaun and I got married, probably year 2000. I will preface ...I believe "every decision is a spiritual decision"...

We had visited his family in California and for some reason were returning home via the Colorado Springs Airport (probably cheaper flights) I remembered...looking over at a sickly child on the airplane and thinking, "Oh that poor kid, he has to fly and he doesn't even feel good"

Then we got to the luggage carousel and I saw him again with his dad.

(I have always had an attraction to little kids)

However, the little kid I saw was in a long brown suit coat with a sickly look on his face.

We waited and waited for our luggage that night.

I thought it would never come.

We were there with every high school volley ball team in the US ...they were heading to the Olympic Training Center for something big that was going on.

Then I looked over and saw my little man (the brown suit coat boy) and his family praying and thought..."oh cool, they are believers too"...

It was shortly after that, the luggage came. And Shaun and I drove home.

I had one day off then returned to work at my favorite job in the world, pre-mom of course! I was a Registered Nurse in the Denver Children's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

They just built a new hospital in the last few years, and someday, I am going to see it.


I woke up, went to work my 7a-7p shift that morning and received report on my one patient who was a 2 year old male with a newly diagnosed neuroblastoma.

A neuroblastoma is a rare malignancy that is known for 6-10% of all childhood cancers, but is the most common extra cranial solid cancer in childhood. My patient had symptoms of a swollen belly, fatigue, loss of appetite, constipation, and fever; his mass was found in the abdomen.



I walked in and glanced at the grim picture of the sleeping patient.
All parents are asked to leave during the hour of report
(so please know this picture is not mine, thank you Flickr...same curtains)



I walked through the room and saw a sign hanging above the bed reading
"Will worship for a miracle"...and I thought..."NOW THAT IS COOL"


It was when I completed my head to toe assessment that I realized the same little boy that I had been on the flight to Colo. Springs with was my primary care patient for the next 3 months of intense chemotherapy and intensive care. Talk about needing an hour of power each morning!




I learned so much from this family during those months.
I learned what it meant to live by faith.
I learned what it meant to leave everything for your children.
I learned what it meant to truly 'worship for a miracle'.


I praise the Lord for his healing touch on Dillon Jones!
And this is just ONE of my patients!
I am reminded of him each year as they continue to send me their Christmas Card.
Thank You!






Do you know what the Coolest Part of all is?
Today...during my 'Hour of Power'...the Lord told me...
I know why I LOVE the hospital so much!
It is my safe haven!
I know the Great Physician who roams the halls!
He is NEEDED there!
He is especially needed in the sickest of sickest rooms...
that is why I have always LOVED the ICU!
You ask me "What about Church Courtney?.....that is God's house"
I know. He told me He is there, but you will see His glory when He is invited to Move.

Never Judge.

If two of you shall agree on

earth as touching anything

that they shall ask, it shall be done

for them of my Father which is in Heaven.

For where two or three are gathered

in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Matthew 18:19-20 The Voice Divine Today I opened another

favorite book, "God Calling",

my copy was given to me by my best

friend Mandy in 2000.

(it is a nice black leather copy)

She writes in the inside cover,

"Claim Big Things Court!...

We've come a long way.

On your birthday in 1993

I gave you rubber gloves!

She continues on, "Praise the Lord always BooBoo!" (don't ask)...
I just sat here and laughed and then turned to the May 13 entry...

"Never judge. The heart of man is so delicate,

so complex, only its Maker can know it.

Each heart is so different,

actuated by different motives,

controlled by different circumstances,

influenced by different sufferings."

"How can one judge of another?

Leave to Me to unraveling of the puzzels of life."

"Leave to Me the teaching of understanding"


"Bring each heart to Me, its Maker, and leave it with Me.
Secure in the certainity that all that is wrong I can set right."