New Years Dragon!

The Chinese celebrate New Years with dragon costumes in parades. Maybe there is something to that. I know it is not meant to be tied to the bible, but my quiet time a few days ago was about the woman and the dragon in Revelation 12:1-7. Read this:

"A great and wondrous sign appeared it he heaven: a woman clothes with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down---that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Then I heard a loud voice in the heaven say:

"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and b the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil had gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.

When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpents reach. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river; to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring---those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus."

In reading these passages, I am brought to the realization that at Jesus' birth, his birth was not the only thing going on. There was then, and always is a spiritual world where things go on that we are completely unaware of and couldn't try to comprehend. Spiritual warfare is real. Not only was a new star created in the cosmos by God the night Jesus was born, but this imagery in the bible gives us a glimpse of other things going on behind the scenes. I forget sometimes and focus only on the things that are seen, obvious. What we see is only a dim reflection, a tiny glimpse of the great glory of what God and Jesus are and have done and are continuing to do on our behalf. Jesus' birth isn't the end of the story, it is just a beginning. Our choices each day have a spiritual impact for eternity that we can't know just now. We usually unknowingly are part of the spiritual battle going on around us. We must daily rely on God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit to guide us. Revelation continues on to the end of the earth when Jesus returns. Make this New Year one that is used for His purposes. Jesus' birth is apropos for the beginning of a New Year. I feel silly that I never thought about the two holidays going together so well. Commit each day to following Him in this next year.

Be His Bethlehem

Here is the quiet time reading I had yesterday, Christmas Day from the book, "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers (page 360). Perfect continuation of the song message that inspired me two nights before. Thank you Jesus!

"'HIS BIRTH AND OUR NEW BIRTH
"Behold, a virgin shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." (Isaiah 7:14)

HIS BIRTH IN HISTORY. "Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35) Jesus Christ was born into this world, not from it. He did not evolve out of history; He came into history from the outside. Jesus Christ is not the best human being, He is a Being Who cannot be accounted for by the human race at all. He is not man becoming God, but God Incarnate, God coming into human flesh, coming into it from outside. His life is the Highest and the Holiest entering in at the Lowliest door. Our Lord's birth was an advent.

HIS BIRTH IN ME. "Of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you." (Galatians 4:19) Just as Our Lord came into human history from outside, so He must come into me from outside. Have I allowed my personal human life to become a "Bethlehem" for the Son of God? I cannot enter into the realm of the Kingdom of God unless I am born from above by a birth totally unlike natural birth. "Ye must be born again." This is not a command, it is a foundation fact. The characteristic of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that Christ is formed in me. Immediately Christ is formed in me, His nature begins to work through me.

God manifests in the flesh---that is what is made profoundly possible for you and me by the Redemption."'


Lord, help me to continually work at pushing out of your manger in my soul, my God spot, the place for Jesus' spirit to reside in me--- all of the things that take His place...every longing, desire, everything that is not of you Lord...desire for comfort, security, money, possessions, good image, etc. Make them prick my spirit so that I am always compelled to kick them out at the slightest hint of their presence so that only you reside in me---Your Bethlehem. It may be dirty, lowly, humble and unworthy, but I hope it always, I always, have a vacancy for YOU...and YOU ALONE. Make me your Bethlehem!

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas with Christ as the Center of our hearts and minds. This song really puts me in the right frame of mind for this blessed season. It reminds me of the miracle and amazing love that God and Jesus have for us. I'm ever grateful for the Trinity in my life and in your's.

Be Born In Me

Crazy Week

It has been a crazy week. Jason had shoulder surgery on Wednesday. All the prayers for it to go smoothly and heal quickly were effective. Instead of having to have things sewn together creating much more time to heal, it turned out Jason didn't have tendonitis and some other things the surgeon thought he needed repaired. It was a large piece of the labrum that was flapping he cut off and another large piece that was floating around causing pain. So a much easier fix and should be a much shorter healing time. Praise God.
Jason is healing and I am exhausted from trying to do it all here at the fort. However, Jason is surprisingly good at functioning with only one arm/hand-better than I could do. I have also been fitting in a lot of clients for speech therapy, trying to get them all seen in half a month instead of a whole month with taking off for the surgery and then taking off for the kid's holiday break-out of school. My head is spinning.
Anyway, God is good and worthy of our praise. I hope everyone has a great holiday season. I'm ready for Wednesday to get here and then I can finally take a breath and start my relaxing and celebrating. The kid's last day of school is Tuesday which they are counting down. However, Max has a biography to read and book report to write over the holiday break. Whew. Maybe Jason can do that one. Anyway. Happy Holidays!

Art Trading Cards

My kids love art, drawing, painting, PROJECTS,etc. My youngest son, Sam's favorite word is "project", which he loves to yell like a banshee on days we don't have school. Needless to say, it keeps me creative. Well, my sister, Brook had a great idea she read about. As soon as she told me I had to go out and get the materials for her and my kids to do it. I am so excited about it.
The kids are making art trading cards. Hobby Lobby has paper the size of baseball cards that are blank. I got these and binders and the clear plastic sheets with pockets to hold 9 cards in per page. It cost me about 11 bucks per kid. Pretty cheap. The kids have already filled up one page tonight drawing pictures.
I love my kid's art and have it on my fridge and on their walls, framed. But I'm always running out of room. Even putting them in drawers takes up space. I don't want to tell you the TRAUMA that ensues if the kids find one of their pictures in the trash (despite me trying to hide them under other things so not found). Ugh. Well, this saves lots of space.
The cards are small and the kids can trade them with other kids if they want to, but theifavorites they will keep. They are all neatly displayed in their special books. I put two pictures, one on front and one on the back of thier notebooks in the clear cover-regular sized pictures they had done in art class at school. This made them look even more special.
Anyway, if you have kids this might be the perfect idea for you. It will keep mine entertained for months, maybe a few years to fill it up. Thanks for the idea sis!

Flight of the Conchords

Ok, if you are into funny videos, you need to google "Flight of the Conchords". It is a funny couple of guys that sing funny songs. They actually have a sitcom on t.v. that is good. Anyway. They have a lot of good videos you can google to get a good laugh. Go ahead and google. Go on...You know you want to. No pressure. Do it! Just joking. Anyway, I've had fun watching them tonight. I could always use a good laugh so thought I'd pass on the info. in case you needed a laugh too. Enjoy.

Committ

OK, I have been committed to run (ok, more like jog, slowly) since September. I just finished doing a three week Daniel Fast that I committed to. I am committed to God, my family, my husband, my job, etc. So why is commitment such a big deal? Well, my pastor spoke on commitment, being fully invested in our walk with God. Here are my notes.

Commitments show what we value. Romans 5:10 says theat where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. So true. Be careful what you treasure. Make sure it is something eternal that will last and has value to God. An uncommitted life is a selfish life. Proverbs 4:23 says that commitments shape our life. Matthew 6:24 warns us that we can't serve two masters. We will love one and despise the other. Commitments set out destiny. It sounds overly dramatic, but it is true. Matthew 6:19-20 tells us to not store up treasures on this earthm, but in heaven where they will not be destroyed or lost. Commitments direct/point us/set our compass. You can't own something unless you commit to it. Think about marriage. Be specific and not halfhearted when you commit. Be fully invested in God and His plan for you and you will see great things. Be careful and deliberate in what you commit to. But don't be afraid to commit. Just make sure it is of God and it will bless you and others.

I. Make a WISE commitment. Luke 14 says we should count the cost. Proverbs 20:25 says that we should not be trapped by our commitments. We need margin room to work and move within so that God has room to work. If we are too strapped with time and finances,etc. then we can't say yes when God asks something of us.

II, Make a GENEROUS commitment. 2.Corinthians 9:7 Each one must do what he has made up his mind, not reluctantly, or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

III. Make a BOLD commitment. Don't let the "what ifs" get in the way. Be wise and bold. Matthew 17 Jesus put Peter wo work as a fisherman and multiplied his results. He didn't have to pay the tax, but chose to be generous.

IV. Make a GOD CENTERED commitment. It will be the beginning of something great and lasting, something Big for your life and for others.

"FIRST"=Commitments to God come first! Then everything else. Here are four "Firsts" that God wants us all to commit to:

1. The first THOUGHT of every day-in quiet times.
2. The first Day of every week-Sunday. Acts 20:7
3. The first TENTH of every paycheck. Proverbs 3:9
4. The first CONSIDERATION of every decision.

If we don't make commitments then our goals won't happen. You will get sucked into our culture. It is too easy. It must be a deliberate, daily act to stay committed to Christ. Letting God direct your life makes things simpler and more meaningful. Try it. You'll like it! (Just like Timmy used to say in the Life cereal commercials). Seriously, trust God, try it, you won't be dissappointed.

Run the Race!

Believe it or not, I have been running, well, more like jogging, very slowly mind you, since September. I started doing the "Couch Potato to 5K" app on my iPhone. It is awesome. I started out running 60 seconds then walking 90 seconds alternating with a 5 minute warm up walk and a 5 minute cool down walk, all for a total of 30 minutes. Well it slowly progresses you in the length of time you run. the last several weeks I have been running for 2 miles non-stop. The app stops there. Some people may be able to get 3 miles into the 30 minutes it gives you, but I only get 2 done. I am slow and can do only 15 minute miles. But hey, I'm doing it. Well I extended my run and kept going yesterday and did 2 1/2 miles. Today I ran 3 miles!!! Can you believe it? I told you, you wouldn't. Me, the person who has been deathly allergic to running her whole life has done it. I have always wanted to be a runner, but just couldn't do it. I have no stamina or endurance. But this app. is amazing and made it so doable. Anyway, I'm still an overweight, middle aged jogger; not the typical runner, but I feel so empowered. I haven't lost hardly any weight doing it, but I feel so much better. Yay! Horray! Thank you Lord for giving me the strength to run the race. Help me to do it in my walk with you as well. Anyway. Just wanted to share a true miracle. Ha!

Run the Race!

How To Pray For A Miracle

This Sunday my pastor taught on "5 Steps To Pray For A Miracle". Here are my notes from it along with my own thoughts. Hope it helps. (Luke 18:35-43)

1. Step one is to be PASSIONATE. (Luke 18;35-38) Seek God with all of your heart and you will find him. (Jeremiah 29:13).

2. Step two is be PERSISTENT. (Luke 18:39) Be determined, tenacious, relentless. Don't quit too soon. (Luke 11:9) Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; Knock and the door will be opened to you. (ASK=Ask, Seek, Knock.) God is preparing you. It isn't that he doesn't hear you or know your need. The wait is the journey and it is when God is most active. I like to remember Moses. He spent 40 years prep time learning as part of Pharoahs family, then 40 years in the desert on the run, then 40 more years leading Israelites through desert to promised land. That is a lot of prep time. So why do I complain? I like to think that the longer the prep time, maybe the bigger the task ahead. Who knows what God has in store? Just because you can't see him working doesn't mean he isn't. His timing is perfect.

3. Step three is to be PRECISE. When we pray, God wants us to be specific and not vague. Vague is lazy and ambiguous. If and when God does answer them we won't even notice if not specific. (Luke 18:40-41) Jesus asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" (James 4:2) "You do not have because you do not ask." If God knows all, then why do we need to ask and be specific? If you are vague and not specific, then the prayer is not intimate. He wants to be the one you lay open your heart to, the one we can be truthful to. It is for our benefit, not His that he asks us to be specific. We don't draw close to Him if we don't get specific. We don't learn to trust Him if we don't get specific. We don't see clearly when a prayer is answered if not specific. So...get a journal and write down your prayer requests. You can use this as a reminder when praying. But even more importantly, you can look back and write when and how they are answered and when need strength, can look back at the work God has done in your life and others and be encouraged. I made a Banzet Book of Faith about Big prayers God has answered in my family's life. I must confess, I need to work on it more, though.

4. Step four is to be POSITIVE. (Luke 18:42) Ask with faith and expectancy when praying. (Mark 11:24) "Whatever you have asked for in prayer, believe that you have recieved it, and it will be yours." Ask God, then believe that He will provide. Faith comes by hearing the word of God daily. We have to know God's promises in His word in order to be a prayer warrior.

5. Step 5 is to be PRAISEFUL. (Luke 18:43) Give God the glory as we live in victory. After a prayer is answered you first follow Jesus and second thank God. You can even thank Him in faith as you pray for a miracle, thanking him before it is answered, trusting Him to provide. Praise is so important that it is mentioned 550 times in teh bible. There is no high like hearing your child say thank you. So if we feel that way, how much more does God, our heavenly father?

You can talk a lot about prayer, but it is another thing to do it. Like the Nike commercials say, "Just Do It!" Get out there and pray and see what God will do.

Catching up

Busy, busy, busy. Life just seems to increase in speed and demands. I find I have to make deliberate, difficult efforts to slow things down and keep the sanity in my family's life. I don't want to miss a minute of my kid's life. I am amazed, amused, and humbled by them every minute of every day. Oh what joy, my little, growing ever bigger, joy boys are! With that said, homeowork has increased greatly this year. Sam has some for the first time, and Max being in third grade...it is the year of leaps in the amount of homework assigned. We knew that in advance and so were prepared, which helps. I do have to give hoo-hoo's to my boys in the fact that they are great about doing homework. They don't fuss much about that and like to get it done and out of the way. Max likes to do even the assignments that aren't daily and have to be done by the next day to turn in, but aren't due til Friday. He likes to get it out of the way as I said earlier. This makes things much easier! What a helper! (Not that we don't have other things that we fuss about. They are still kids;))

Anyway,things are busy, but rolling. Some of the funny things they are into are "Angry Orange" and "Nannerpuss". You can google them on computer and see how annoying these short shows are. But....the kids love them. Sam likes to sing, "I came into the kitchen like a berry on a mission!" and sing beat box background sounds. Durng Max's karate class he always has to go to the bathroom and takes forever. The whole time Sam is in there he sings loudly and gives the class, Mr. Lance and all the parents a show. Ooooh Sam.

Max was talking about a girl in his class and I asked if she was nice and he said, "Yes, She represents Zarrow well." He also likes to say that things, (even cows on the side of the road) look European...get it, You are peeing! His new joke he uses a lot.

Soo, yes they boys keep me on my toes and laughing. Max is going to be Luigi for Halloween since his cousin Sawyer is going to be Mario. Sam wanted to be a Warewolf, but couldn't find a costume his size (still little)so is going to be a mummy. He is still obsessed with his much loved and admired Halloween decorations. He loves anything gross and scary. Max does not! He had nightmares after looking for a costume because was scared by some of them. Sam's dreams are Max's nightmares.

I have been running, believe it or not. Doing the couch potato to 5k app on Iphone. Love it. Worried that with the cold weather and shorter days I won't be able to get it done and continue. I haven't lost weight yet after 6 or 7 weeks, but feel better. Now to work on giving up pop and eating better. Sigh!

Well, I guess that is all I can think of to catch up. Better go wrangle the wild boys! Love to all. His love and mine. Din

Scandalous

Today My pastor preached on the series, "Scandalous". It has talked about how Jesus' teachings were scandalous to the people back then. His teachings are still difficult for us to understand and even harder to obey, but they are important, live giving and we are commanded to follow them if we choose to follow Him. Today looked at Matthew chapter 7:1-27.

It starts out with Jesus telling us not to judge others. Hard to do, even harder, as my preacher stated, while at the fair this year with all the mass of humanity and eccentric people around. "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged." (verses 1-2) This verse is simple, yet easily and often misinterpreted. People will use it as an excuse to get away with things. But judging others is not the same as evaluating them. We are called to be our brother's keeper and keep each other accountable. Speaking the truth is important. We shouldn't water it down to please people and not offend. We should also be wise in our evaluations and not throw our pearls to swine (verse 6). We can love and forgive others, but that doesn't mean we trust them if they have proven themselves unworthy of trust. They have to earn that back. There is a balance and wisdom there. Judgement involves condemnation. You can call a sin a sin and correct others, but don't say that person is worthless and going to hell. Only God and that person know that relationship. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God,(Romans 3:23) and I personally want to receive mercy and forgiveness and grace. So I need to show that to others---while using discernment at the same time. This is the golden rule we all heard as children, acted out in life.

"And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own. How can you think of saying to your friend, Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye, when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your ow eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye." (verses 3-5) This can be called 2 by 4 vision instead of 20/20 vision.

Verses 7-13 continue on with the golden rule idea and talk about God's provision if we ask him for help. Then verse 15 talks about false prophets. How do we know the truth in ourselves and others? It is by the fruit we each bear. A good tree bears good fruit and a bad tree bears bad fruit. We identify sin by our actions. What starts out in our hearts and thoughts eventually bears fruition in our actions. We are not saved by works, but if we are saved and in right relationship with God and Jesus, then an overflowing of that is seen in our works, done out of love. First we are saved by grace and faith, giving us an intimate relationship with our Savior. Second, out of that love relationship come works. This is how we evaluate others and ourselves, yet we can't condemn.

"Not everyone who calls out to me, Lord! Lord! will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgement day many will say to me, Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name. But I will reply, I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God's laws." (Verses 21-23) These are the scariest words in the bible, along with verses 13-14, "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult and only a few ever find it." EEK!!! These verses literally haunt me. It is where I find my doubting and worrying. If the way is that narrow, am I really saved? I'm not a great saint or anything. All I can do is continue to ask God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit to search my heart and examine myself and my actions. Do I strive to follow Christ? Or do I follow my own ways? To be honest I do a little of both. My sinful nature is always fighting me. Ugh!!!

Verses 24-27 talk about building our lives on the solid foundation of Christ. Anything else is foolish and will crash down around us. We must invest in things that will last, in the things of God.

These teachings may not seem scandalous to us, since we have grown up hearing them, but to people in Jesus' day they were. His teachings went against everything the Pharisees stood for. That is why they strived so hard to silence him and ultimately crucified him. If His words were that powerful, then we need to know, learn, act on them.

Be Thou Holy?

I have often struggled with the verse, "Be thou holy as I am holy" and other verses that tell us to be like Christ. He is our example, but he and we know that we are incapable of doing that due to our sinful nature. Yes we are regenerated and made new, transformed, renewed when we accept Christ into our hearts and the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. But.....we still struggle. Come on, lets get real...at lest I do. My attitude sometimes stinks. I am a grumbling, martyred Israelite often. Anyway. There is a tension and struggle with this call to be holy-lived out in our lives. Well, I read the following in my Oswald Chambers devotional, My Utmose for His Highest. I love that book. Anyway, I thought I'd share it. It talks about how it is not our disposition, but Christ's disposition that we inherit.

"When it pleased God...to reveal His Son to me." (Galatians 1:15 and 16)

If Jesus Christ is to regenerate me, what is the problem He is up against? I have a heredity I had no say in; I am not holy, nor likely to be; and if all Jesus Christ can do is to tell me I must be holy, His teaching plants despair. But if Jesus Christ is a Regenerator, One Who can put into me His own heredity of holiness, then I begin to see what He is driving at when He says that I have to be holy. Redemption means that Jesus Christ can put into any man the hereditary disposition that was in Himself, and all the standards He gives are based on that disposition: His teaching is for the life He puts in. The moral transaction on my part is agreement with God's verdict on sin in the Cross of Jesus Christ.

The New Testament teacing about regeneration is that when a man is struck by a sense of his need, God will put the Holy Spirit into his spirit, and his personal spirit will be energized by the Spirit of the Son of God, "Until Christ be formed in you." The moral miracle of Redemption is that God can put into me a new disposition whereby I can live a totally new life. When I reach the frontier of need and know my limitations, Jesus says---"Blessed are you." But I have to get there. God cannot put into me, a responsible moral being, the disposition that was in Jesus Christ unless I am conscious I need it.

Just as the disposition of sin entered into the human race by one man, so the Holy Spirit entered the human race by another Man; and Redemption means that I can be delivered from the heredity of sin and through Jesus Christ can recieve an unsullied heredity, viz., the Holy Spirit.

Long Time, No Hear

Well, obviously I have been busy and not blogged in a while. Sorry. This summer has been a crazy, hectic one, but a lot accomplished. Still working full time---I don't get the summers off, but as I told you earlier, June was busy with summer camp, swim lessons and karate every night. July and August have been HOT and DRY!!! My kids have literally been praying for rain (Remember the group with that name, PFR? It just brought back that memory). Anyway, I am obviously spinning and dizzy from the busyiness, but life is good. Max did a week of basketball camp at Upards Bound, a wonderful christian league. They are so good with the kids. It was the first time Max got to learn a sport. He has only done karate so far. He is at the highest group class level in karate and does an extra two hour class once a month called "SWAT team" to learn extra such as juditsu. Sam takes karate also so it is an hour and a half twice a week when I can fit them in back to back. We took a vacation and went to Corpus Christi at the end of July. Kids saw the beach for the first time. It was great. On the way back we went to Lake LBJ in Texas and met my sister and her family and my brother and his wife. Trent's wife, Holly is great. Her uncle has a cabit, more like a compound there with three houses, two boats, four jet skis and four wave runners. Wow. We bought groceries and Trent and Holly cooked for us all. Did I mention Trent is a great cook? He has a cooking blog he used to write. It was great spending time together and I have great memories from it. I am so glad the kids got to spend more time with Holly and Trent. What a blessing. Brook and I turned 43 this month and mom had a birthday also the week after ours so much partying occured. Yay! Went shopping and to lunch with Brook and mom for my birthday. On mom's, us girls took her to see the movie, "The Help". It is wonderful. Mom and I read the book a while back and loved it. School starts up tomorrow morning. We had meet the teacher on Friday. Our school was moved to a new location so is in disarray with painting and repairs occuring at this moment and the street it is on has been under construction also. As if that isn't enough, there are two other schools next to us on the same street. The traffic is awful. I have to travel this street to get to and from work daily and struggle with it. Ugh! But we still have our school (it is a magnet school) so that is a huge blessing, some kids lost their school, including the school building we were moved into.

Can you tell I like run on sentences and paragraphs? Please forgive me. I am in a hurry. Imagine that. But at least I'm writing. This week I was off with kids in between summer camp ending and school starting so took annual leave at work. I did fun projects with kids, painting pictures, treasure boxes, going to park and taking a walk. I also went through all the kid's clothes and toys, my clothes and several drawers to clean out and get rid of stuff to make more room and organize. Got rid of Max's train/leggo table and got him a desk to do school work. He is such a big boy going into third grade and Sam into first grade. Yesterday and today I updated both boy's photo album/scrap books and made a new one for myself. My old one ran out just before I delivered Sam so that was six years ago? I had a lot of work to do going through all the old photos. But now the photos are organized as well! Am I anal or what? I get on a roll and can't stop. In a small house it is a necessity so hey, my OCD tendencies can come in handy at times! Praise God! Hope all is well with everyone else. Maybe the fall and school will bring less chaos and a better routine.

Use Sorrows and Fight the Good Fight

Like I have said before, I love Oswald Chambers devotional, "My Utmost for His Highest". I am reading it for the fourth time. I pull it out every few years and use it again for my yearly devotional. Ahhhhh. Like an old friend who always teaches me new things and keeps me accountable. Anyway, a few this last week have been on sharing in Jesus' sufferings and dealing with difficulties in life. I know, I know, stuff I hate to think about too. But we have to because it does happen...bumper stickers say so, so it has to be true. Just kidding.

We are all aquanted with hardships. But how do we handle them, view them? None of us are aquainted with grief like Jesus. He was innocent and endured. We, we are not so innocent. We are born sinning and sinful and like to justify our behavior. We try our best to overcome and do good, but our best efforts fail and we are frustrated and somehow surprised. Why? We must recognize that sin is a fact. It happens every time we put ourselves before God and others. It will happen, but we still need to fight against it. We need God's help though. We must come to the point where we realize that either God or sin must die in my life. Ouch!

"If sin rules in me, God's life in me will be killed; if God rules in me, sin in me will be killed. There is no possible ultimate but that. The climax of sin is that it crucified Jesus Christ.... It is the only explanation as to why Jeus Christ came and as the explanantion of the grief and sorrow in life." So fight the good fight and fight sin. You can't fight it if you don't see and recognize it in your life.

"My attitude as a saint must be not to ask that sorrows and difficulties be prevented but that I may preserve the self God created me to be through every fire of sorrow." It is in the fire of sorrow that we find ourselves because the sorrow burns up the shallowness in us. It can either make us better or bitter. It eitehr gives me myself or destroys it. We must make a deliberate choice in handling sorrow. Always come to God with it so he can use it. If you hold onto it, it will consume you. God to God and let him fight for you when you cannot.

Seven Little Words

Ok, my new obsession has been an iphone game called "seven little words". I still do "words with friends" and "solitaire" but this new game is soooo addictive. I keep staying up half the night playing it, on top of doing it in my spare time (which is too little with work full time, kid's karate and swim lessons, friend's birthday party, and daily chores like grocery and cleaning,etc.) Like I need more of my time sucked away.....but I can't help it. It is awesome. Try it and you will see....just "seven little words". That's it, my obsession, and what I have been up to lately. So try it...no peer pressure...but try it. Ha! Then you can thank and curse me both. Enjoy!

Lord I Love the Way You Hold Me

I am sooo crazy about this new song and artist. Her name is Jamie Grace and she sings the song with Toby Mac. It is "Hold Me" and here are the lyrics...Read them and let them be a praise song to our Lord. They make me so happy. To do justice you need to google the song and listen to it. The tune and lyrics together transform my mood in an instant to pure happiness!!! Enjoy.


(I love, I love, I love, I love the way you hold me) (I love, I love, I love, I love the way you hold me)

I've had a long day. I just want to relax. Don't have time for my friends, no time to chit-chat. Problems at my job, wondering what to do. I know I should be working, but I'm thinking of you. And just when I feel this crazy world is gonna bring me down, that's when your smile comes around. Ooh, I love the way you hold me. By your side you'll always be. You take each and every day, make it special in some way. I love the way you hold me. In your arms I'll always be. You take each and every day, make it special in some way. I love you more than the words in my brain can express. I can't imagine even loving you less. Lord, I love the way you hold me. (Toby Mac: I love, I love, I love, I love the way you hold me.....)

Summer Break

Sorry its been so long since writing last. Been busy with Max turning eight and then Jason had surgery to have two hernia's in his stomach repaired, then my brother and sister in law, Trent and Holly came into town. Last weekend we painted my bedroom to freshen it up, cleaned all the blinds in the house for the first time ever....gross and whew! Then came all the last week of school stuff to wind down for summer. Thursday was the last day and yesterday Sam went to his church 1 day camp at camp Lophridge so I took Max swimming at a pool we can pay to swim at.
Last night our air conditioning went out so the kids and I went to my mom's and hung out until Jason called to say the a.c. was fixed. I am ready for a real, cool, relaxing rest. Monday the boys start summer camp at Whiteside Park. I hope they have fun. Monday evening also starts swim lessons. Now I just have to figure out how to fit karate and my job into the schedule and things will be great. Oh well. Who ever said summer was relaxing? I guess hoping doesn't make it so.
Just finished reading the Chronicles of Narnia series. I have read a few of them as a kid, but not all and I love them. What are you reading? I still haven't gotten my hot little hands on the book, "Racing in the Rain". I keep meaning to read it but haven't gotten the book. I have been writing again some, working on an old book lately. It goes in spurts.
Sam just won first place in an art contest for the Dog Show. His picture was named "Trick or Dog Treat" and has our dog Maizie carrying a pumpkin candy container in her mouth and Sam dressed up like a bat holding her leash walking at night. It is really cute. He got his first check, $20, for it and the picture of his art was in the dog show book. Sam is still obsessed with drawing and any kind of art or projects. Max is still obsessed with reading and even more so, computer, DS or Wi video games. (Oh and my iphone games too).
Sam has officially finished kindergarten and is now a first grader and Max is a third grader now. Hard to believe. It goes soo fast. I am preparing myself mentally for the big, notorious leap in school work difficulty with the third grade. Hopefully Max will do fine. He does well in school and does his homework for the week all on Monday or Tuesday so is willing to work hard and not put it off. Surely that will be a help.
I hope everyone's summer is starting off with a bang, and not tooo hot yet. I am just grateful at the moment to have airconditioning back on. Aaaaahhhh!

Best Mother's Day Gift Ever!

My second grader, almost eight year old got baptized today. What a Mother's Day gift. The church had a spiritual birthday party with a breakfast this morning for all the kids who had decided to get baptized, then the kids got baptized.

Here Max is, getting ready for his dunking.

Pastor Brian is presiding.

Down Max goes. Washed from head to toe with God's grace and the blood of Jesus in these healing waters. Words can't say how happy I am today. Like I said before, the best Mother's Day ever. Thank you God. Thank you Jesus. Holy Spirit, enter into this child and guide him in your way. Help him grow into the man you created him to be. May he come to know you more and more each day and serve you all of his days. My baby is yours. There is no greater place for him to be than in your hands. May he remember this spiritual birthday for the rest of his life and draw from it his faith and strength.

More Tidbits From My Two Boys

1. My nephew Carson said a profound thing to me the other night. He said that to him, it seemed like April related to God's tears at Jesus' crucifiction and death with all the rain that occurs. But May related to God's joy that his Son was raised back to life again so that the sun shone and flowers bloomed. Wow! Out of the mouths of babes. He is growing up so fast. A profound eleven year old.

2. Last week I was praying with Sam and putting him to bed. (I can't remember if I told this story yet) He prayed and I told him I was so proud of him and he was such a sweet boy with a good heart. I then got up and walked to the door and he all of a sudden said out of the blue, "And mom, I won't ever go to Hooter's." I laughed and said good, why? He said, "Because I respect girls." I laughed again and said good, I'm glad. Several weeks ago we had driven by Hooters on the way home and the boys always say I need to go there because it has a big owl on it and I like owls because of my children's book I wrote. Anyway, I sheepishly said no, I didn't think I should go there. They kept asking why and I had to say that the girls that work there dress skimpily and not modestly and show off too much of their body. The boys wanted to know why they did that and I had to explain that some people like that because they like the attention and think they feel prettier that way, but God tells us to be modest and not show off too much of our body and respect it. Some guys like to see pretty girls dressed that way and think it is pretty but it isn't respectful to women. I didn't think they understood or listened and forgot about it. Well, I guess it sunk in. Hugh, you never know.

3. I prayed with Sam again a few nights ago and he traced his little fingers around the boo boo's on my face (I have been breaking out in pimples a lot lately...ugh!). Anyway, I said that I know, mommy has boo boos and they aren't pretty. Sam said, "But God thinks you're pretty." I said yes! Because he looks at our hearts. Sam looked serious and said, "Even if you have lots of wrinkles, God still thinks you're pretty." I had to laugh and say yes. But then I wondered, does he think I'm that wrinkled? Oh how little he knows. I am only getting started with them and it will only get worse. Out of the mouths of babes again.

4. After I prayed with Max the other night he kissed me and I told him how beautiful my brown eyed boy was. He smiled and said, "You're more beautiful." I disagreed and said he was. Then of course he said, no I was. Then he looked serious and said, "You know, to be humble you have to put others before yourself mom." I guess that was his reason to compliment me. It is their virtue for this month at Sunday school. He keeps talking to me about things and situations that relate to having humility and how to display it. Wow, they are doing a good job at his Sunday school class. Way to go teachers!

5. Well, both the boys tested again for new belts in Karate and Sam has a new Cammo-blue belt and Max has a blue belt. They are getting so big! I will post pictures when I can get Jason to help me.

My kids have said some funny things and some words of wisdom lately. You guess which is which.

1. Max and Sam keep singing the song "Drop it like its hot!" and wiggling thier bottoms like in the Sun Drop soda commercial. They have it memorized. If only they could do that with thier homework. Hmmmm.

2. A commercial came on that talked about celebrating something. Max said to me seriously, "Its not worth celebrating if God's not there. Nothing is without God because He made everything.

3. Max loves his new pair of jeans he picked out. He says, "They have energy."

4. My father has been in the hospital for a week and we have been praying for him. I went into Sam's room after praying with Max and asked Sam if he had prayed for Papa with dad. He looked frustrated and dissapointed and hung his head dramatically saying, "Oh man! I prayed for world peace." I laughed and told him he could still pray for Papa and he quickly did that, relieved.

5. Sam tells me everytime he prays at night that its ok that his are short because it doesn't have to be long or fancy. His prayers are still powerful.

6. I prayed for my boys to become prayer warriors and they looked confused and said, "Mom, we already are prayer warriors." How right they are.

7. Max has wanted to get baptized so I took him to meet with the children's pastor. The pastor gave him an intense talk, kind of trying to talk him out of it and wait til he is older and understands the serious committment it is. He talked comparing it to marriage, a lifetime committment and said that if he decided to do it, he would no longer get to decide which movies to watch, video games to play, music to listen to or even which words to say. Jesus would decide that and Max would no longer have the freedom to choose for himself. He would have to choose to do what Jesus would want him to do. Baptism would be confessing to all his friends and the world that he puts God and Jesus first in his life. It was an intense conversation and intimidated me for him. Max listened and the pastor left us alone to talk and see if Max wanted to wait a while or go ahead and get baptized. Max said he wanted to do it and not wait. He was sure. Sam looked sheepish and said he wanted to wait til he was eight years old to get baptized (when earlier he was chomping at the bit to do it too). I agreed Sam should wait and went ahead and gave Max permission to get baptized. I just don't want it to be too early and not make an impression he can remember as life changing and permanant. But he can recommitt later in life if he feels the need. I need to honor his desire now and his willingness to committ to our Lord. I am so proud of him. My boy---Baptized---on Mother's Day---What a Mother's Day gift!

8. Easter day Sam got his chocolate candy out and kept telling me to watch him. Then he proceeded to tell me he was acting out Maizie killing the Easter bunny. (Because she did kill a rabbit in our back yard last week.) He then shoved the chocolate in his mouth like a wild animal eating another animal. Nice.....

9. I have to say that after that meeting with the pastor yesterday, both of my kids have been extra helpful and sweet, wanting to be good and honor Jesus. They are going out of their way and making comments about honoring him. So nice and sweet. Hope it lasts...at least for a little while.

Well my father is doing better, slowly on the mend. He will still be in the hospital at least until Monday. He has a serious blood infection, Klebsiolla bacteria which is antibiotic resistant and he has no immune system due to kidney transplant antirejection meds. he takes which complicates matters. Please pray for him.

Eggstravaganza

We had a pre-Easter kick off at our church last Sunday. It was called Eggstravaganza and people/esp. kids were encouraged to invite friends to come for outreach to unchurched people. Then next Sunday they may come to Easter service. Great plan. The church had an indoor Easter egg hunt in one room, face painting, snow cones, games with prizes to win, free candy and a petting zoo inside. The petting zoo was in a fenced off area decorated with fake flowers and trees and candy. the trees had bags of cotton candy hanging off every limb and they passed out bags to kids. It was soooo cool. The animals they had were: rabbits, chicks and baby ducks, of course, but also, a baby kangaroo, baby foxes, lemur chinchilla, huge tortoise that was painted pink and other colors like an easter egg. I may be missing a few others, but you get the point. It was sooo cool. Did I say cool? Yeah. Anyway, it was fun.

Now despite the cool events my church does, the church does not focus on entertaining people and being known for fun programs and events. If that was the focus I wouldn't have chosen it to be my church. I am grateful that the church challenges me to move out of my comfort zone and trust God by giving, helping, and getting involved in ministry and the lives of others...which is a sticky, scary and uncomfortable thing to do. It is even risky. But we are called to do it. We must love the unlovely, difficult and hurting people who need God. And we are the priviledged people, who if we obey his call, get to join in the work of God.

Anyway, I hope your Easter is an eggstravaganza of fun. Just remember the reason for the celelbration. OUR SALVATION! What greater gift could God give us, but His son, Jesus...to die for us, take our place so that we could be saved and have a relationship with God...restored...so we could be with Him for eternity. How great is our God? How worthy is our savior? How grateful are we for His spirit willing to live in us---us dirty, sinful creatures so prone to sin---and guide and teach us, pray for us, intervening on our behalf, transforming us with His work if we are willing? HE IS SOOO GOOD! HE IS GOD.

Still LOVING American Idol! Can't get enough of it. Another thing I love is my iphone. I know I have said it before, but it is sooo true. I am addicted to Words With Friends, but this last week I downloaded two new apps. to use at work for people with communication delays. The iphone has many apps for assistive technology some for a small fee and some for free! I got one that works like a jelly bean switch. It cost $15 one time fee and to order a jelly bean switch it costs at least a couple of hundred dollars. Parents can get this app to use for their kids. If they use assistive technology (AT) or (AC) Assistive Communication devices, this can be used in place or at the least as a back up if they are out and forget to bring theirs from home. It is awesome! The other one I got is like a choice switch that offers choices from categories such as foods, snacks, outdoor play, indoor play, etc. choices. Then it opens up with those choices and you pick one and then it shows an "I want" button to push next to the choice, e.g. Apple. The kid pushes both to make a request "I want Apple". You can program in any choices and they have real life pictures, not drawings that are less concrete. This type of device can cost $10,000 to $15,000! Yes, big difference from the $15 I paid for each with a one time fee. Anyway, I am soo jazzed about them. I can't wait to use them and show clients. Way to go iphone! They also have specific apps for people with Autism where you can make visual schedules,etc. and for kids with Apraxia. Did I say AWESOME? Yeah awesome. Just saying!

Pray and Praise

Lately God has been reminding me of the need to pray. I have been so out of the habit that it is embarrassing to admit. It is not my first instict. I used to pray, praise God and Jesus and read the bible with my boys back when I did hoo hoos. We did this every night. But sadly, this was a long time ago. I have been so negligent it makes me sad. I do scripture memorization with the boys on the way to school each day. They know eleven verses now. I am going slow so they don't forget them and get overwhelmed and want to stop. And right now they still like it. It is going on the third year of this. Anyway, I have been trying to pray with the boys each night as I put them down to bed and have started this after scripture time while driving to school in the morning.

This morning I had them each pick a person to pray for then I prayed for the boys. Max choose his cousin Sawyer to pray for--so he would know how special he is. Sam chose to pray for people with cancer (since we were turning in our box of change collected for the cancer drive at their school today). It was such a great morning that I wrote a note to tape up in my car and in my work vehicle I drive. As I put one in my work vehicle, it dropped to the ground under my seat so I felt around for it and pulled up a long lost something...something I had been praying for, for two months to find...my scripture memory cards on a ring! Yeah, an aswered prayer. It was perfect timing. I had even prayed about them after I got the kids dropped off at school and was on my way to change out cars at work. Yeah! God's answer to prayer and in His perfect timing. And all because of my notes to "Pray and Praise". God rewards those who seek him!

Anyway, I hope my reminders in the car help me to turn to prayer throughout the day. I am trying to pray for all my clients as I drive to see them. Just a quick prayer, but at least something. I am not eloquent, but that doesn't matter. I just need to be faithful, obedient and PRAY! Pray about ALL things. This will draw my heart and mind continually toward God's and His guidance and change my attitude. How many times do I get soo bent out of shape, frustrated with the daily irritations of the day that it affects my walk with God and Jesus? Often! Ugh. It is embarrassing and humbling to admit. But I realize how often it occurs with traffic, rude people, the rushing from place to place with no time for a lunch break sometimes or client situations that are uncomfortable or heartbreaking. It doesn't take much to get under my skin and prick my spirit, ruffling my feathers. My irritations seem so silly compared to the daily crises that many people around the world face. I can just see thier faces, and the Lord's face, disgusted and amazed at how I can be so easily offended. Really? And over what really?

Anyway, my solution to fight back against my sinful nature is to pray. Pray, pray, pray. If you want to join in the battle too, then pray with me. Hopefully we will see the Lord move in Big ways, changing our attitude, heart, mind, spirit and posssibly our situations. Pray on!

Akiane Kramarik

Akiane Kramarik is a girl who at the age of four started having visions from God and says she has gone to heaven to visit many times. She started to sketch and paint after this started--at four years old!--and her work is amazing. She is a genius who credits her gift to God. He tells her what to paint or sketch and gives her words for poetry. She spends five hours a day painting, sometimes up to 15 hours a day. Some of her paintings have taken up to 300 hours to make. They are amazing for anyone, especially considering her age. It is very inspiring. I especially like the paintings of Jesus. She says this is how he looks. The boy I wrote about whose parents wrote " Heaven is for Real" about his visit to heaven when he was four and very sick on the operating table, says this is exactly how Jesus looks. He has said every other picture he has seen painted of Jesus looks wrong, not like him. But this one is right. Anyway, interesting and inspiring. At least it was to me. Hope it is to you too. Here is more about Akiane and some of her amazing paintings. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAg4I4fa7x4&feature=related

Updated Pics!

Here are some pictures I promised would be coming. This is Sammy holding a magic wand full of purple thirsty/bouncy crystals the boys made during Spring break. The pictures of the bubbling and frothing potions/experiments didn't turn out. Waaah. They were all blurry. Too much action going on apparently!

Max and Sam at the Aquarium. They both got to pet some sharks as seen below. Cool!

Max looking at a jelly fish.

Sam looking at a glow in the dark jelly fish.

The boys had lots of fun. Me too! Last night Max went home from school with a friend for a play date, then was taken to dinner and a kids theater play of "Ferdinand the Bull". It was sooo nice of Collin's family to do that. He had a great time.

We woke up this morning and the boys helped do yard work with Jason, picking up acorns and sticks to earn a prize. Jason did most of the work, especially having to motivate Sammy to help. Oh well, it is good to teach them to help out. Hard work never hurt anyone. Sammy did help by steaming the hardwood and tile floors last night as I vacuumed the carpets. Way to go Sammy! That gave us more play time together. Friday nights are always hard as they are house cleaning and laundry night, right after a full days work. Sometimes Max vac cums for me. Got to train them up early to help. It will pay off in the long run even if it takes longer sometimes now. They actually enjoy it. I do toooo!!!

By the way. Just got to say...I LOVE Pandora Radio. I play it while I clean the house and have an awesome praise time. It puts me in such a good mood and makes it all seem to go sooo much faster. Did I say I love it? Well I do. LOVE IT!!!

Rock On---Oops---Walk On!

I have been reading a book called "Heaven is for Real". It is a true story about a four year old boy who while on the operating table goes to heaven then comes back. He says he went to heaven for 3 minutes. He describes everything he saw and learned. His parents were amazed that he knew things they had never told him or anyone, not even relatives, like the fact that the mother had lost a baby 2 months into a pregnancy before the boy, Colten was even born. Anyway. It is good and encouraging, uplifting. It reminds me just how much God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit love us and how awful Satan is. The little boy has such an urgency, that people "have to know Jesus" so they can go to heaven. My uncle Frank passed away and his funeral was today. Sadly I was unable to make it to Midland Texas to go to it, but my mom and dad went. All I could do is call my cousin and send flowers. Doesn't feel like much. I am praying for them, since it is all I can do. I know prayer is powerful and the best thing we can do for someone, but still...I wish I could do more...be there for my cousins. Death always has a way of reminding us of how short life is which causes us to look at and evaluate our lives. Am I doing enough to let others know about Jesus? The business of life makes it so hard. It is so easy to put things off then time goes by and you wonder if you have done enough. It is hard to know when your focus is so unclear and distracted. Mine is. Ugh. Give me clarity so that I can see your heart, your plan and follow your agenda, not mine Lord! I pray you are having a day of more clarity than me. Keep focusing on God and pricking your ears to hear him lead. "Walk On!". That will be my mantra instead of "Rock On!" But yes I will still think of the words in a rocker voice to motivate me. Can't help it. Just the way I roll.

Brothertition

Yes, it isn't a typo. The new word in the house is "brothertition". Max coined the phrase this morning. I brushed his hair, upon request which is unusual in itself. Usually he doesn't want me to mess with it and if I do he runs his hands through it to mess it up on purpose again. Anyways, after his shower this morning I brushed his wet hair quickly and said he looked handsome. As any brother does he asked, "Am I more handsome than Sam?" I said they were both handsome and asked why everything was a competition. He said it was "brothertition", brother competition. I laughed. He likes making up words like his mama does.

Well, a few minutes later he came back out of the bathroom looking suspicious. (I love this age because it is so easy to tell if they are up to something. They haven't learned to hide it well which makes life easier. Woe be the day he catches on and gets sneakier.) I took a double take and his hair was wet, but shinier, strange. I asked if he had gotten in the hair gel and he said no. Then I asked if he had gotten into the hair spray and he said yes. Uh huh. Gross wet, greasy, stiff hair sprayed hair, after I had just gotten him clean. Ugh. It never lasts but a few minutes. Anyway I told him to not get into the stuff in the bathroom. But later I had to lock the bathroom closet because I kept finding him sneaking in there to get into lotions, perfume and even the deodorant, wanting to check it all out. Don't know why the curiosity all started up this morning, he has never done it before. But what a mess! Maybe it is because I said he was handsome and he felt the competition. Who knows what goes through their heads at this age? Anyway it makes me chuckle.

We are having trouble getting Max to stop talking in class to his friend Collin who is Pokemon obsessed just like Max. Ugh. I feel sorry for the teacher. We keep trying to talk to him and have taken stuff away from him. I just wish the teacher would let the two switch seats so they don't sit next to each other where the temptation is sooo strong. That would help, but so far she doesn't agree and won't allow it. Oh well. I'll keep trying from the home front. I guess if this is the only issue we have we are pretty lucky. Ooops, Blessed. I don't believe much in luck. But I do keep entering the PCH sweepstakes twice a day...still hoping?! I know, I know. Fat chance. But it is still worth a shot. Hope your day is blessed.

Spring Break

Have had a fun Spring Break week. I worked Monday and Tuesday while Brook watched my boys and I watched hers on Wednesday and Thursday while she worked. I had so much fun. I had gone to Barnes and Noble and bought two science experiment kits at thier going out of business sale, so I was all set for PROJECTS!!! We made thirsty crystals that we put inside a clear wand to make a "Magic Wand", we also did three other experiments; We made a Test Tube Crystal Ball. This is one you don't need a kit for. You can get vegetable oil, color tablets or food coloring, water and a clear container to put it all in. You fill half container with oil and half with warm water then put in food coloring. Close up the container. If you turn the container over several times the colors swirl and look cool because the oil and water don't mix. Easy! We also made Magic Wizard Lava and Feverish Fizz where the potions bubbled up and out of the container. Very cool and fun. But you need more ingredients with these which kit provides. As you have guessed the kit was a "Magic Science" kit. Sawyer, my nephew had happend to bring his Harry Potter wand over to my house that day so it was perfect.

We also walked to the park near my house and played for a few hours there. The boys got into the volley ball pit sand and pretended it was the beach and took turns burying each other in sand. I took cute pics on my phone, but don't know how to put them onto the blog. Sorry. We had a quiet time each day and great discussions about their walk with God and each kid took a turn praying. Yay! Thank you God. We also made a secret art project for my husband's birthday and one for my nephews to give to their parents. Haven't given them yet, but will post pics of them when not a secret anymore. It turned out soooo cute. Anyway we had a great week.

Yesterday, Jason took off work and we got our taxes done then went to lunch and took the boys to the aquarium. They got to pet sting rays and baby sharks, starfish and prawns and see some cool jellyfish, big sharks, otters and more. Maizie got groomed and her annual check-up so she is feeling pretty and frisky herself. I decided to cut all my hair off this morning so am feeling (not so sure what....sad?...old and unnattractive?...ok?...if anything its nice to have a change). And my big therory about hair is that IT ALWAYS GROWS BACK, so if you don't like it, no big deal, it will grow and you can change it again. At least you had a change for a while. Right? Right!

Anyway, I will post some pics when the hubby helps me again. Have a great end to your Spring Break too.

Arrogant Agendas

Lord, help me to be always highly aware of my faults and sinful nature but not dismayed/discouraged by them. I need to be aware of my motivations. If they are from anything other than wanting to please you and follow you, then they are from my sinful nature. Where are my ambitions? Are they to lead a certain number of poeple to Christ, to do something great for you Lord? These things are noble and good, but if the motivation isn't to please you and the task isn't given from you, then it is founded in my pride. Oswald Chambers wrote, "My worth to God in public is what I am in private. Is my master ambition to please Him and be acceptable to Him, or is it something less, no matter how noble?"

Today I am questioning my so called "right motivations" and "noble callings". Are they really from God? I need to learn to live each moment of each day in communion with God so I can hear His voice leading me. It may just be to rest in Him that day. It may be to do a humble, monotonous chore that seems unimportant. But if I follow God obediently I am honoring Him instead of myself. I never want to steal God's glory or arrogantly ignore his voice, assuming that I know what is best. God's ways are so much higher than mine.

Ask yourself today, "Do I care more about following my agenda or following God's? Do I cling more to my comforts than to stepping out in faith out of my comfort zone to serve God? Who do I really believe knows best? Me or God?" It tells who I trust, who I follow. I find myself thinking, surely God doesn't want me to do that. I justify my own stance and agenda choices becuase I know more than God, He surely can't understand this. How arrogant of me. But it is true. It happens more than I like to admit, more than I probably even realize. It is so natural, unfortunately. I pray my first instinct would eventually become looking to God so that I am keenly sensitive to his voice and can hear Him at his slightest whisper. I pray the same for you.

Movie Nostalgia

OK, I'm up late tonight. Its about 1:00 AM. Yes, its morning but I still call it night. I know, I know. I am tired and need sleep, but I have had a blast from the past tonight watching my favorite high school movies from the 80's. Yes I'm old. I love Molly Ringwald. I watched "Pretty In Pink" and then "Sixteen Candles". They were on back to back on t.v. and I just couldn't not see them. My third favorite movie from that era was "Better Off Dead" with John Cusak. He was actually in Sixteen Candles also as one of the geeks. Anyway, I loved the humor/comedy of that movie. Soooo, I guess I'm admitting I'm nerdy and old. But I don't care. I had fun. What's your favorite movie from high school? What's your favorite movie of all time? I also love "A Walk To Remember" with Mandy Moore. Yes, I'm cheesy and I don't care. Hope you have fun watching some blasts from your past too.

Blessings

I love this song by artist: Laura Story on her album "Blessings" which is also the name of the song. Listen to the words and let them pierce your heart and do a healing work. It is even more beautiful with the music and her voice.

"We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel you near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from your Word is not enough
All the while You hear each desperate plea

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not our home

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rains, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise"


I truly believe that God uses all things for His good and that sometimes there is no other way to penetrate our hearts than though trials and heartaches which open us up to God's true healing. I do think that many trials are Blessings from God in Disguise. Isn't it worth it? We are here for such a short time. Do you truly beleive that a thousand sleepless nights are worth knowing that God is real and near? I do. What a priceless gift He gives us. He is truly a perfect parent, a perfect God, a good God, no matter what!

I Heart American Idol

I admit it, it feels like a guilty pleasure, but I love, love, love American Idol. Miss Simon Cowell. I think the new judges (Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez) are too nice. They don't give great feedback. There are some performances that just aren't that great and they rave about them. I agree with Randy usually, and like the judgement called as it really is. Just my opinion. I have been nicely surprised at how Super Sweet Steven Tyler is. He is such a sweetie to everyone and so genuinely kind. That is why it is hard for him to judge as critically.

Anyway, now on to the contestants. This year my favs are all males. My three favorites are: Scotty McCreery, the sweet, humble cowboy singer you just can't not like; James Durbin-a powerful rocker with an amazing voice who has the diagnosis of Turrets Syndrome and Aspergers. You wouldn't even know it if he hadn't said it. He seems nice too. And last, but not least, the most talented one of the bunch, Casey Abrams. He can play so many cool instruments and never dissappoints. He is so naturally gifted, and comfortable up on stage and Crazy Good!

So there you have it. Yes I like the other contestants, but these three really Rock! They blow me away with their talent. Especially since I have none musically. I can't carry a tune for the life of me, never have and never will. Neither can my husband so my poor kids don't have a chance. Sigh. I can't play any instrument either. After two years of piano I got kicked out of lessons for not practicing enough and was told by my teacher that I was the worst student she had ever had. I went home crying but relieved. Alas I won't be on Idol myself, but sure do enjoy watching others. Soooo, are you an Idol Lover too? I know, biblically that sounds bad, don't mean it that way....Just love the show....and those awesome Boys!

Ok, I'm embarassed to admit it, but I'm a little bummed. I always know the odds are ridiculously against it, but can't help but hope and get excited. I didn't win the hgtv dream home giveaway this month and I didn't win the publisher's clearing house sweepstakes for a million dollars. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know better, and think I won't expect it, which I don't, but still...you do hope. God never works that way in my life though. How do I know? I hardly ever win anything, and if it is, it is a book or a pencil. Ugh. God wants me to look to him daily for my provisions...my Daily bread. I should be grateful because it keeps me focused and dependent on Him, aware of my need for him. Soooo, I need to just get over it...again...until next year when I go through it again. Ha.

One of my newfound addictions is "Words With Friends" on my iphone I got for Christmas. I never thought I would use such a fancy phone, except to call people. But I was wrong. I am LOVING it. I love to text now too. Can you believe it? I may just be entering the 21st century and becoming a techno gal. My co-workers can't believe it, I am so old school about everything. AND speaking of technology, I am loving the Nook. My mom got herself a color one so gave me her old one. I didn't think I would use it much, I love paper books sooo much (the smell of print, the feel of a book in my hand, especially an old one...I know, I'm weird), but I am loving it. Sooo, maybe I won't be so afraid of technology. But I still have a lot to learn!

So instead of moping around I will just go grab my phone and play some more "Words With Friends". How about you? What is your new fav thing?

How To Read The Bible

I recently read this example of how to read the bible by Max Lucado in his Life Lessons series. He says, "....But how do we use the bible? Countless copies sit unread on bookshelves and nightstands simply because people don't know how to read it. What can we do to make the bible real in our lives?

The closest answer is found in the words of Jesus. He promised: Ask and God will give to you. Search and you will find. Knock and the door will open for you. (Matt 7:7).

The first step in understanding the bible is asking God to help us. We should read prayerfully. If anyone understands God's word it is because of God and not the reader.

But the helper will teach you everything and will cause you to remember all that I have told you. The helper is the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name. (John 14:26)

Before reading the bible, pray. Invite God to speak to you. Don't go to scripture looking for YOUR idea: go searching for HIS.

Not only should we read the bible prayerfully; we should read it carefully. Search and you will find is the pledge. The bible is not a newspaper to be skimmed but rather a mine to be quarried.

Search for it like silver, and hunt for it like hidden treasure. Then you will understand respect for the Lord, and you will find that you know God. (Prov. 2:4-5)

Any worthy find requires effort. The bible is no exception. To understand the bible you don't have to be brilliant, but you must be willing to roll up your sleeves and search.

Be a worker who is not ashamed and who uses the true teaching in the right way. (2 Tim.2:15)

Here's a practical point. Study the bible a bit at a time. Hunger is not satisfied by eating twenty-one meals in one sitting once a week. The body needs a steady diet to remain strong. So does the soul. When God sent food to his people in the wilderness, he didn't provide loaves already made. Instead, he sent them manna in the shape of thin flakes like frost...on the desert ground (Ex. 16:14)

God game manna in limited portions. God sends spiritual food the same way. He opens the heavens with just enough nutrients for today's hunger. He provides a command here, a command there. A rule here, a rule there. A little lesson here, a little lesson there.

Don't be discouraged if your reading reaps a small harvest. Some days a lesser portion is all that is needed. What is important is to search every day for that day's message. A steady diet of God's word over a lifetime builds a healthy soul and mind.

A little girl returned from her first day at school. Her mom asked, "Did you learn anything?" "Apparently not enough, "the little girl responded. "I have to go back tomorrow and the next day and the next."

Such is the case with learning. And such is the case with bible study. Understanding comes little by little over a lifetime.

There is a third step in understanding the bible. After asking and seeking comes the knocking. After you ask and search, then knock. Knock and the door will open for you (Mat 7:7)

To knock is to stand at God's door and make yourself available, to climb the steps, cross the porch, stand at the doorway and volunteer. Knocking goes beyond the realm of thinking and into the realm of acting. To knock is to ask. What can I do? How can I obey? Where can I go?

It's one thing to know what to do and another to do it. But for those who do it, who choose to obey, a special reward awaits them.

The truly happy are those who carefully study God's perfect law that makes people free, and they continue to study it. They do not forget what they heard, but they obey what God's teaching says. Those who do this will be made happy. (James 1:25)

What a promise. Happiness comes to those who do what they read! It's the same with medicine. If you only read the label but ignore the pills, it won't help. It's the same with food. If you only read the recipe, but never cook, you won' t be fed. And it's the same with the bible. If you only read the words but never obey, you'll never know the joy God has promised. '

Ask, Search, Knock. Simple isn't it? Why don't you give it a try? If you do, you'll see why you are holding the most remarkable book in history."

Now doesn't that make you want to crack open your bible? It sure does motivate me. Happy Reading!

Sweet Sammy's 6th

Sorry so long since writing. Things have been busy as usual. Sam had his 6th birthday. We had a small family party planned for February 12th, but with the snow still hanging around no one would have a place to park on the side of the road if they even got here. Sooo we postponed it until the next weekend. Sam was sad, so we took him sledding and built a snowman with a mohawk. It was really cute. He opened his presents from us and we took him to dinner. He wanted to go to Cheesecake Factory so we did. Little did we know that it would take us an hour to get from home to the mall (which should have taken 15 minutes normally). The whole world was out and we just sat in traffic stuck. Once inside the mall parking lot it was still standstill, even with security guards trying to help direct the traffic. It was mayhem. Normally we would just avoid it and go somewhere else, but Sam wanted it and he had already been dissappointed with his party postponed. Besides that we couldn't get out of it all. It took so long we ran out of gas once in the parking lot of the restaurant. (We weren't the only ones. It happened to many people. It was so crazy the radio stations talked about it the next few days saying it was the worse traffic ever, even compared to black Friday or the holiday shopping. People had never seen anything like it before here.)

We ate dinner and it got dark, then Jason had to go walk to get gas. I took the kids to the mall and we walked around til Jason met back up with us. It was an INSANE, stressful evening. Ugh. Well, the saga wasn't quite over. The next Saturday we DID have Sam's party, but halfway through it he said he had a headache and didn't want a piece of his icecream cake he had wanted us to get him so badly. Then he asked if he could go to his room and lay down before he even opened his gifts. I took his temp. and it was 102. Poor little guy. He was fine that morning before. It hit fast....but it also left fast. By 5:00 that evening his temp. was gone and he ate fine the whole next day and has been fine since. Strange! It was like it came just for the party to sabotage him again, then left. The one good thing is that Sam didn't seem to be upset about it at all. He never said a word about his party being ruined. Sweet Sammy.

Sooo Snow Fun!

Here are some of the fun things we did during the two week snow fest we had. The kids have been out of school for 9 days counting tomorrow. We had fun growing crystals. Here are some blue, yellow and red crystals we grew on rocks. Cool!!!

Here is a blue geode that we are growing. Pretty.

These are some bouncy crystals. They are squishy and soft.

I watched Brook's boys for two days and she watched mine so that we could go to the office a couple of times---only for paperwork. No home visits for therapy. I don't travel in this stuff!

We did a science experiment where we separated salt from pepper. It was fun. You sprinkle salt and pepper on a plate then rub a balloon in your hair to generate static electricity. Then just hold it close to the plate and you can hear little soft pings as the salt lifts up onto the balloon. Yes I heard lots of whines for "projects" sooo, what's a mom to do? Try this one it is fun.

Crazy Maizie loved digging holes in the snow. It was hard to get her back inside each time she went out. She whined to go out and play more in it. Her new nickname is the Abominable Snow Dog!

More crystals. Here are the crystals grown on rocks again and a glow in the dark geode. And yes...It Works! We used a dark closet to see it glow.

Scientist Sam making crystals.

Max and Maizie playing in the snow. It only lasted about five minutes before Max and Sam got too cold. The sad thing about this looooong big snow was that it wasn't good to play in since the temperatures were too cold to be outside.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....Ok, enough snow. REALLY!

Hope your winter wonderland is fun and not making you stir crazy.

Yes we are still snowed in. Jason walked to the grocery store yesterday to pick up a few things we were out of, despite the fact that he went the night the snow started. Well, to our chagrin, it snowed more today. About 3 or 4 more inches. Ugh. We are never getting out of this house. But...we are making the most of it. We have played games, made more crystals with our crystal growing kit (red tourmaline crystals and a blue geode--they are still in the works and will take a few more weeks of sitting and the liquid evaporating to make the crystals grow, but they have already started to grow some!) We made snow ice-cream and almost made snow cones with snow and juice. I have cleaned the house, gone through the kids toys, movies and all their clothes (both seasons) to organize them and get rid of what doesn't fit and what they don't play with. I need to purge and make more room! I feel cooped up.

Maizie had fun digging and jumping in the snow. She is certainly a terrier and kept digging, putting her whole head and half her body into holes in the snow she made. It was hilarious to watch. The boys have loved staying in their pajamas all day.

One thing I need prayer for today is my brother, Trent and his wife, Holly. Holly is in the hospital in the ICU with severe asthma that has now gone into pneumonia also. Her anxiety is making the situation worse and aggravating her asthma more. A vicious cycle. The doctors haven't found anything to help so are going to put her out for two days and put her on a respirator in a chemical induced coma like state. I hope this helps. Besides that, Dallas has snow now and my brother's asthma has started to act up, compounded with his cold. He finally got his doctor to call in some extra medicine for him. He is worn out and feeling awful and worried. Sooo PRAY please.

Here are some more ideas of things to do in the snow that I got from my kid's after care program they sent home with the kids since it was supposed to snow Monday night (AND DID!):

1. Snow sculpting
2. sledding
3. eat icicles or have sword fight with them
4. Balance an icicle on your nose
5. measure the snow
6. And the usual ice skating, skiing, making a fort, snowball fight, make snow angels,etc.

Directions for snow ice cream:
When it starts to snow, place a large bowl outside to collect the snow. When full, stir in sugar and vanilla to taste. Then stir in just enough milk for desired consistency. Serve at once.
For one gallon of snow use 1 cup white sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and 2 cups of milk.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.....now stop snowing...please!

Be Healthy

Yes I wrote an earlier blog about temptation. It hit home with me because I have felt convicted that I am not taking care of the body that God gave me. I need to lose about 60 pounds. Yeah, thats a lot. I have struggled for a long time with it. So I have prayed and bit the bullet and started on the HCG diet (For the 2nd time). I lost 12 pounds in 30 days last time I did it, but I was so sick of the foods on it and of starving myself on the 500 calorie diet that I stopped and all the weight came right back. I am trying it again with more support and better quality medicine. Still the last 2 days on it have been tough. Especially since my kids are gorging on all kinds of goodies my husband stocked up on since we are snowed in. Ugh. Well, this is a good start to face it all head on. I will have to do this for a while to reach my goal---for 4-5 months. Don't know if I can do it, but have to try. I want to be healthy for my kids! Please pray for me. I really need it....Really! Esecially having to give up my coke zero---seriously! Anyway, enough of my grousing. But I thought my pastors sermon was a good kick in the pants for me. I also have some of my church doing the Daniel Diet right now so I am not quite alone in my suffering. Ha ha. Take care and stay healthy.