In the past week I have been asked to contribute to two other blogs. One is a family blog for my dad's side of the family. This blog is genius and a blast. Seriously, anyone (read: everyone) should totally copy this idea. My aunt set it up and asked all family members with email to contribute. Anyone who is a member (family member) can post. It is a great way to keep up and so much fun, though I have yet to post anything myself.
The second blog I was asked to join is a friend's. It is a blog about living a life of worship. He (the friend) hasn't written anything on it since 2006 and paid me a really sweet compliment by reading my blog and liking my style. He asked me to contribute just this afternoon and had God not laid something on my heart just this morning I wouldn't have posted so soon. But God is good at orchestrating things like that.
Anywho...check out http://www.beyondsundays.blogspot.com/ if you somehow feel you haven't heard enough of my ramblings.:-)
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday Morning
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books
Big Weekend
This weekend was great! Friday night I painted one wall in my living room and one wall in my kitchen, Bear got to spend the night with a friend, and a friend of mine came over and we put crazy colors in our hair. Hers is red and mine is blue.=) (just a small stripe at the front, not all over)
Then Saturday morning Bobo, Bear and I went downtown with Bear's friend and mom to participate in a sidewalk chalk drawing contest. The boys had lots of fun and while they didn't place, they did get participation certificates and it really sparked something in Bobo. He has already been practicing for next year. It has been my prayer for awhile that God would grant me discernment in the gifts and talents that He has given my children so I can encourage them in His purpose and plans for them. RC and I have known for a long time that Bobo is very drawn to and good at art, creative writing, and music. I was thrilled for this to encourage him in that.
During the coloring process. The after pic doesn't show my blue at all so I'm gonna have RC take another one.
Saturday night some friends from Life Group came over and treated us to pizza. It was great conversation and truly a blessing to get to know them better.
Then Saturday morning Bobo, Bear and I went downtown with Bear's friend and mom to participate in a sidewalk chalk drawing contest. The boys had lots of fun and while they didn't place, they did get participation certificates and it really sparked something in Bobo. He has already been practicing for next year. It has been my prayer for awhile that God would grant me discernment in the gifts and talents that He has given my children so I can encourage them in His purpose and plans for them. RC and I have known for a long time that Bobo is very drawn to and good at art, creative writing, and music. I was thrilled for this to encourage him in that.
During the coloring process. The after pic doesn't show my blue at all so I'm gonna have RC take another one.
Saturday night some friends from Life Group came over and treated us to pizza. It was great conversation and truly a blessing to get to know them better.Then Sunday my parents and Nana drove down to hear us at church. It was a blast and GOD SHOWED UP!!! I loved having my parents there. My parents were very present and participatory in my life growing up and it felt great having them there. My mom has always been my biggest fan (outside of Jesus - everyone's biggest fan) and knew way before I did that God created me to sing for Him. I still get that excited feeling in my stomach when I think about our offering to the Lord! God chose to show up way before we played/sang and it was such a blessing to feel His pleasure.
I must add an aside here: While I LOVE singing for the LORD and leading people to Jesus through worship, I am finding that right now in my life I am experiencing God's blessing and pleasure more through doing the little day to day things that He asks me to do. When I am consistantly obedient in the seemingly small things then I get to experience God on a much grander scale in the seemingly big things. I say seemingly bc usually the things we consider small are only small to us bc nobody sees us do them. But usually they are the things that ultimately have the biggest impact. Serving my family through housework and homeschooling can seem small bc very few people see what I do or recognize the sacrifice involved, but these things are going to be the biggest contribution I make to the cause of Christ. Living my life day in and day out full out for God along side my husband and in front of my children is going to be my legacy.
Back to my weekend...We went to Fred's Fish and Steak for lunch with RC's brother-in-law and then took our Sunday naps. We went to the park after dinner with some more friends and the kids had a great time playing. RC and his friend got to talk business (music) and me and my friend got to talk about what ever we wanted to. =)
All around a great weekend! Hope your's was too!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Cherokee
For those who don't know (I'm thinking everyone not in my family) I am 1/16 Cherokee Indian. My children are 1/32 and we have the cards to prove it.=) This post isn't about that, though=), I got an email this morning from my father-in-law that I thought was really cool. Enjoy.
Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage? His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience because each lad must come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man! Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm. We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, our Heavenly Father is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him. Just because you can't see God, doesn't mean He is not there 'For we walk by faith, not by sight.' ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7 ~
And, no, just b/c I have some cherokee in me does not mean that I know whether this story is true or not.;-)
Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage? His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience because each lad must come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man! Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm. We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, our Heavenly Father is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him. Just because you can't see God, doesn't mean He is not there 'For we walk by faith, not by sight.' ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7 ~
And, no, just b/c I have some cherokee in me does not mean that I know whether this story is true or not.;-)
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Big News!
Ok...So I have some really big news! My daughter has potty trained herself! She spent all day today in her big girl panties except for nap time and bed time! Frankly, I was hesitant to start the process b/c I happen to like the freedom that comes with diapers. It isn't fun to have to stop everything in the middle of Walmart to run to the bathroom. Or miss out on conversations b/c you must sit in the bathroom with a 2yr old for thirty minutes. But, she kept wanting to go on the big potty and was always aware of when she was going or needed to go so I decided to try it. She has done great and loves not having a diaper on! I'm hoping that things continue to go as well as they have these last few days. We shall see.
On another note (and this part is even about music)=)...RC and I were asked to sing in church again this coming Sunday. We were asked about 4 weeks ago so we had good time to prepare. We felt God leading us to ask some other musicians to join with us and thankfully they said yes. We have been practicing this week and man it sounds good!!! It is so much fun to share this with other people and it got me to thinking...
There is a comercial on TV for a car and the tag line is: "Life is better lived together." I happen to completely agree. Yes, it's also harder sometimes, maddening sometimes, painful sometimes, but ultimately it is so much better when it is lived together. This is one of the fundamental reasons Christ calls us His Body and tells us to do this thing together. I just want to encourage everyone who reads this to make the effort to build relationships. To put yourself out there and chance all the bad that MIGHT come so that you don't miss the good that is SURE to come. Like someone famous said (I'm not sure who) "When you don't try you fail 100% of the time." (I'm not sure they said it quite like that, but you get the point.)
People are the most precious thing on this earth to God. When we allow God's love to fill us they become the most precious thing to us as well. Let's see each other as God sees us.
Ok, I thought that was gonna be a great place to end, but I feel like I should add this last part. Tonight at Life Group our pastor reminded us that it is never about us and someone else or us and our circumstances...it is ALWAYS about us and God. It is about us focusing on Him and doing what He says despite the people or circumstances. This really is a much broader subject and I don't have the knowledge or understanding to go into it, but I felt like someone reading this needed to hear it. It is very possible that someone was me.=)
On another note (and this part is even about music)=)...RC and I were asked to sing in church again this coming Sunday. We were asked about 4 weeks ago so we had good time to prepare. We felt God leading us to ask some other musicians to join with us and thankfully they said yes. We have been practicing this week and man it sounds good!!! It is so much fun to share this with other people and it got me to thinking...
There is a comercial on TV for a car and the tag line is: "Life is better lived together." I happen to completely agree. Yes, it's also harder sometimes, maddening sometimes, painful sometimes, but ultimately it is so much better when it is lived together. This is one of the fundamental reasons Christ calls us His Body and tells us to do this thing together. I just want to encourage everyone who reads this to make the effort to build relationships. To put yourself out there and chance all the bad that MIGHT come so that you don't miss the good that is SURE to come. Like someone famous said (I'm not sure who) "When you don't try you fail 100% of the time." (I'm not sure they said it quite like that, but you get the point.)
People are the most precious thing on this earth to God. When we allow God's love to fill us they become the most precious thing to us as well. Let's see each other as God sees us.
Ok, I thought that was gonna be a great place to end, but I feel like I should add this last part. Tonight at Life Group our pastor reminded us that it is never about us and someone else or us and our circumstances...it is ALWAYS about us and God. It is about us focusing on Him and doing what He says despite the people or circumstances. This really is a much broader subject and I don't have the knowledge or understanding to go into it, but I felt like someone reading this needed to hear it. It is very possible that someone was me.=)
Saturday, March 22, 2008
TEN
Today is RC and my 10th anniversary!
While we haven't done anything extraordinary or bought anything extraordinary God has given me a very special joy over what this day symbolizes. You see, our union didn't start out the way God prefers for unions to start out. I was three months pregnant when we got married. However, we have a God that promises to work ALL things TOGETHER for GOOD for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Why God chooses to be so gracious I'll never fully understand, but it is another way our very big God shows us His love.
The thing that is on my mind most today, though, is how perfect our God is at bringing something wonderful out of something painful, or ugly, or hard, or even sinful. Our story didn't start well, but RC and I are more in love than we have ever been. Our story didn't start well, but we are on the threshold of the ministry God ordained for us. Our story didn't start well, but we now have a marriage that is a blessing not only to God, and to us, but also to our children.
The story of Easter didn't start well either, but in true God fashion it sure did end well! May this weekend be a celebration of our Lord's Resurrection. And may you also remember the relationships, the brokenness, the things in your own life that God has resurrected. He is the God of Life and He promises to give it abundantly!
While we haven't done anything extraordinary or bought anything extraordinary God has given me a very special joy over what this day symbolizes. You see, our union didn't start out the way God prefers for unions to start out. I was three months pregnant when we got married. However, we have a God that promises to work ALL things TOGETHER for GOOD for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Why God chooses to be so gracious I'll never fully understand, but it is another way our very big God shows us His love.
The thing that is on my mind most today, though, is how perfect our God is at bringing something wonderful out of something painful, or ugly, or hard, or even sinful. Our story didn't start well, but RC and I are more in love than we have ever been. Our story didn't start well, but we are on the threshold of the ministry God ordained for us. Our story didn't start well, but we now have a marriage that is a blessing not only to God, and to us, but also to our children.
The story of Easter didn't start well either, but in true God fashion it sure did end well! May this weekend be a celebration of our Lord's Resurrection. And may you also remember the relationships, the brokenness, the things in your own life that God has resurrected. He is the God of Life and He promises to give it abundantly!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Back in the Valley
Hello Friends!!! Thank you so much for your prayers! They were felt mightily! The women's retreat was wonderful and unlike anything I have ever experienced. To be honest, this has been the hardest transitions back to the valley I've ever experienced. God was VERY present right from the start. Everyone felt it and God even gave us a Word through one of the ladies that He had also been preparing for our weekend and He was thrilled that His girls were coming! I can not describe the feeling.
Many were healed (physically, emotionally, spiritually) and some were baptized with the Holy Spirit, including myself. We couldn't get enough of God and He never tired of giving us more. The fellowship among the ladies was so sweet and many divine connections were made. I don't feel that God has granted me the authority to share details, but something I feel compelled to share is an analogy that God gave us from a book.
One of the Chronicles of Narnia, I don't remember which one, has a scene where Aslan the Lion is on a mountain top with one of the children. And down below them is a valley where many prisoners are held underground. Aslan tells the child, who is about to go over the cliff to the valley to set the captives free, that up where they are the air is thinner. It is easier for the child to hear Aslan which is why he brought the child up there. The key is for the child to remember what Aslan tells him/her down in the valley where the air is thicker and it is harder to hear. You must remember.
One way for us to remember what God tells us on our mountain tops is to write it down. Another is to tell others what God did for us or spoke to us. Many reading this may not understand what I mean by being baptized with the Holy Spirit. I don't fully understand it myself, but I know that God has given me a very precious gift and I refuse to allow Satan to bluff me into believing that I didn't really receive it, therefore I'm telling others. I'm not going to forget what God did for me on top of the mountain. My mom used to say to me when I was younger "Never forget in the darkness (valley) what God reveals to you in the light (mountain top)."
I'm not gonna forget, mom! I love you all and am praying for every one of you. Even those I don't know! Praise be to God!
Many were healed (physically, emotionally, spiritually) and some were baptized with the Holy Spirit, including myself. We couldn't get enough of God and He never tired of giving us more. The fellowship among the ladies was so sweet and many divine connections were made. I don't feel that God has granted me the authority to share details, but something I feel compelled to share is an analogy that God gave us from a book.
One of the Chronicles of Narnia, I don't remember which one, has a scene where Aslan the Lion is on a mountain top with one of the children. And down below them is a valley where many prisoners are held underground. Aslan tells the child, who is about to go over the cliff to the valley to set the captives free, that up where they are the air is thinner. It is easier for the child to hear Aslan which is why he brought the child up there. The key is for the child to remember what Aslan tells him/her down in the valley where the air is thicker and it is harder to hear. You must remember.
One way for us to remember what God tells us on our mountain tops is to write it down. Another is to tell others what God did for us or spoke to us. Many reading this may not understand what I mean by being baptized with the Holy Spirit. I don't fully understand it myself, but I know that God has given me a very precious gift and I refuse to allow Satan to bluff me into believing that I didn't really receive it, therefore I'm telling others. I'm not going to forget what God did for me on top of the mountain. My mom used to say to me when I was younger "Never forget in the darkness (valley) what God reveals to you in the light (mountain top)."
I'm not gonna forget, mom! I love you all and am praying for every one of you. Even those I don't know! Praise be to God!
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