I forgot to mention that my wonderful friend and coworker made me a new shirt, and that I wore it to the games last night! I love it, and I can't believe that I forgot to mention it. Anyway, it has our last name on the back, on the front it has the word LOVE, with the O being a basketball and the V being a megaphone with a pompom beside it. On one sleeve is the Oldest Princess's name and uniform number, on the other sleeve is the Young Prince's name and uniform number, and in the L is the Youngest Princess's name (no number for cheerleading). Anyway, I was a proud mom sporting my sparkly new shirt at last night's games.
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It was one of those "blink and it's over" nights. I laid my head on the pillow and closed my eyes, and it was time to wake up. It went by way too fast!
Laying there trying to wake up, I clicked on my First 5 app. Whew! There was some good stuff in there again today! My body may have been tired, but my soul was wide awake!
I want to share some of my favorite parts with you. The words in parenthesis are mine...
"Moses has been in exile hiding from Pharaoh for 40 years. Now God wants him to return. No doubt this former man-of-action had his confidence shaken. He probably felt like a forgotten failure (have you ever been there? I have!). This is an important reminder for us. We are never forgotten in the wilderness of our lives. God is often preparing our character to match our calling.
God doesn't build Moses up. Instead, God simply says that He's going with Moses. When God wants to give us confidence, He doesn't applaud our gifts. He affirms His Presence. (Did you get those last four sentences? Read them again and let them sink in deep.) This entire dialogue with Moses reminds us that who we are isn't nearly as important as who He is. (That is WAY GOOD STUFF right there!)
The patriarchs of the faith knew God by a part of His indescribable character. Now God promises His presence by revealing that He will be everything to Moses and Israel that they will ever need. This is huge. It's not that He will provide everything they need. He will do that certainly. The provision comes from His very presence with them!
His almighty power of deliverance.
His miraculous control over nature and creation
His divine protection through the desert.
All of God's majestic glory would be on display and available to Israel because He is their ALL. Moses didn't get a demonstration of God's might, he was promised God's very being.
"I AM."
Yes, who we are isn't nearly as important as who He is." - Whitney Capps
Whew! That is GOOD STUFF! It definitely spoke to my soul this morning! I hope that it speaks to yours, too. It also made me excited because I knew that tonight we were going to finish up a Bible Study, and begin a new one on...Exodus! Whoo hoo! I can't wait to dig deeper into God's Word and find out what else it holds for me! God is awesome, and His timing is perfect!
We got ready for, and made it to school without any major mishaps. And overall, it was another good day. I had a fun activity planned (an idea I found on Pinterest) to teach the phases of the moon using Oreos. I did it last year, and the kids loved it, so I was looking forward to doing that. We did it and I think the kids enjoyed it. I know they enjoyed eating the Oreos after we were finished with the lesson. We were also able to get ahead a little on tomorrow night's homework, since there is a pretty heavy load that falls on tomorrow night, and there are more ballgames tomorrow night. So I encouraged them to get started on in in their extra time, while I read another chapter of our "Josiah" book to them. They were relieved to see how yesterday's cliff hanger worked out.
I found out some heartbreaking news about one of my good high school friends. Her husband passed away in his sleep. Leaving her with three beautiful children. They have been in my thoughts and prayers since I found out earlier today. Please join me in praying for this family. I know they must be shocked and very devastated. And meanwhile, let those you love know that you love them. Tell them. Give them an extra hug. Put down your phone and have a heart to heart conversation with them while you look them straight in the eyes. Let them know how important they are to you. None of us are promised tomorrow. Our next breath belongs to God. Love people while you can, because we never know when God may call them home. Life is too precious for us to be upset at one another over small, petty things. Let it go and love while you can!
My Prince fixed dinner for us. Chicken and Rice. It was very good. It is one of the Youngest Princess's favorites. She was very excited on the way home from school when we told her that was what was for dinner.
The Oldest Princess and the Young Prince left before we did to go to church, because they have Praise Team practice. I helped the Youngest Princess go study her spelling words and My Prince took a quick nap.
Church (small group) was good, even if two of our group members did not show up...y'all know who you are!! No, really, they both had very good reasons to not be there. One had a sick baby, and one was moving her daughter into a new apartment for college. They were both missed greatly. I am ready for the holiday craziness to be over and for us all to be back together again. I miss us being all together! Anyway, we wrapped up the study that we have been doing, and tomorrow starts our inductive study of Exodus. I am very excited to get started on it.
After church, I had a few minutes to talk to one of the ladies in our church that I love getting to talk to. She is always so sweet and encouraging. She shared with me a way that God spoke to her through a beautiful sunrise. I love it when God speaks through His creation. I love it when God speaks in any way. I love it when we are not too busy, or too distracted to pay attention to when God speaks. I think He speaks way more often than we give Him credit for, but we are often just too distracted to hear Him.
When we got home the Oldest Princess got started on her homework, and I worked on my blog while we cooked pizza rolls for a snack and waited on My Prince to get home from a meeting. When My Prince did get home, we gathered for family devotions. We read Proverbs chapter 6, and prayed for many of the people the Lord has laid on our hearts to pray for.
When devotion time was over, the kids scattered to lay out their things for tomorrow, and to get ready for bed. And I too am ready to cuddle with the Youngest Princess, read Mandie and call it a day. Lord willing, until tomorrow...
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
January 5, 2015
It was harder to get up this morning. I don't know if it was the cold or what. But we were all moving slow this morning.
School went well. One of my sweet students typed a note for me. It was on my desk when I got there this morning. It was very encouraging. I wish there were words to describe to her how precious her heartfelt, little note was to me. It totally made my morning.
My students continued to work hard and do well. We finished in time to read two more chapters in our "Josiah" book. The second chapter ended at a real cliffhanger. The kids were begging to read another chapter. I told them it would have to wait until tomorrow. It is good for them to learn to wait, and now they have something to look forward to tomorrow.
My Prince went for an eye exam, and we are praising the Lord that he got an all is well report. While he was on his way home from his eye exam, he saw a man who was down on his luck, and he was able to share one of the blessing bags that the Young Princess and I put together for just such an occasion. He was so excited to get to give one away, that he did not realize that we had made two for women, and two for men. He just grabbed one and gave it to the man. Later when he was telling me about it, I asked him if he had given him one for a man. My Prince told me that he had not known they were different. He went out to the car, and checked, and because God knew, He worked it all out and the bag that My Prince had grabbed was one for a man. God is awesome that way!
After school, My Prince and I were alone, because all of the kids had practice. We ate a quick early dinner, and talked for a few minutes before we had to turn around and go back to the school.
The Youngest Princess cheers for the JV team, then the Oldest Princess plays on the girls team, and then the Young Prince plays on the varsity team while the Oldest Princess cheers. So we enjoy three games. In a row. We were excited tonight, because we were going to get to see our friends from the other team that we were playing. Several years ago through unique circumstances, and the will of God, we struck up a friendship with a precious family from this team. We have grown to love them, and we were looking forward to seeing them. Unfortunately, they had to attend a funeral, and were unable to be there. Their daughter told us before the game. We were sad that we would not get to see them. But we enjoyed watching both our girls (the Oldest Princess and their daughter) play. When we play them it is probably the ONLY time you will catch me cheering for our team AND a player from the opposing team. Both the Oldest Princess and the Young Prince lost their games. It was sad, but it was still fun to watch them play and cheer. The Young Prince made two beautiful three pointers in his game. It was also nice that Poppy could be there. Grammy is not feeling well, and was unable to come. We are praying that she will feel much better soon.
At the game, I was talking to one of the mothers of one of my students, and she said something about the book her daughter is reading for her book report (we picked them out today). She said that she told her daughter to wait, and they would read some of it when she got home, and her daughter told her no way, that she liked the book so much that she was going to go ahead and read without her. Does anyone else hear the Hallelujah Chorus playing in the background? Or is it just me? I LOVE it when kids get excited about reading and learning! And, the fact that I recommended THIS book for THIS student, and she really was not excited about it to begin with, makes it all the better! Whoo Hoo! Thrills my teacher heart!
After the game, we cleaned up the gym, because the Young Prince was on clean up duty. Then we came home. The kids were hungry after all of that cheering and ball playing, so they ate while My Prince read our devotion, and told the kids about his chance to give away one of our blessing bags. The Youngest Princess was sad that she was not there to give it away. I am praying that she has the chance to give one away soon, because she has such a tender heart for those who are hurting.
The kids worked on homework, and started taking turns getting their showers and getting ready for bed. The Youngest Princess was studying for her Science quiz tomorrow when she looked up at me and said, "What time is it?" It was 10:00. It has been a long, full day for us all. So with that said, I am going to call it a day myself. Until tomorrow...
School went well. One of my sweet students typed a note for me. It was on my desk when I got there this morning. It was very encouraging. I wish there were words to describe to her how precious her heartfelt, little note was to me. It totally made my morning.
My students continued to work hard and do well. We finished in time to read two more chapters in our "Josiah" book. The second chapter ended at a real cliffhanger. The kids were begging to read another chapter. I told them it would have to wait until tomorrow. It is good for them to learn to wait, and now they have something to look forward to tomorrow.
My Prince went for an eye exam, and we are praising the Lord that he got an all is well report. While he was on his way home from his eye exam, he saw a man who was down on his luck, and he was able to share one of the blessing bags that the Young Princess and I put together for just such an occasion. He was so excited to get to give one away, that he did not realize that we had made two for women, and two for men. He just grabbed one and gave it to the man. Later when he was telling me about it, I asked him if he had given him one for a man. My Prince told me that he had not known they were different. He went out to the car, and checked, and because God knew, He worked it all out and the bag that My Prince had grabbed was one for a man. God is awesome that way!
After school, My Prince and I were alone, because all of the kids had practice. We ate a quick early dinner, and talked for a few minutes before we had to turn around and go back to the school.
The Youngest Princess cheers for the JV team, then the Oldest Princess plays on the girls team, and then the Young Prince plays on the varsity team while the Oldest Princess cheers. So we enjoy three games. In a row. We were excited tonight, because we were going to get to see our friends from the other team that we were playing. Several years ago through unique circumstances, and the will of God, we struck up a friendship with a precious family from this team. We have grown to love them, and we were looking forward to seeing them. Unfortunately, they had to attend a funeral, and were unable to be there. Their daughter told us before the game. We were sad that we would not get to see them. But we enjoyed watching both our girls (the Oldest Princess and their daughter) play. When we play them it is probably the ONLY time you will catch me cheering for our team AND a player from the opposing team. Both the Oldest Princess and the Young Prince lost their games. It was sad, but it was still fun to watch them play and cheer. The Young Prince made two beautiful three pointers in his game. It was also nice that Poppy could be there. Grammy is not feeling well, and was unable to come. We are praying that she will feel much better soon.
At the game, I was talking to one of the mothers of one of my students, and she said something about the book her daughter is reading for her book report (we picked them out today). She said that she told her daughter to wait, and they would read some of it when she got home, and her daughter told her no way, that she liked the book so much that she was going to go ahead and read without her. Does anyone else hear the Hallelujah Chorus playing in the background? Or is it just me? I LOVE it when kids get excited about reading and learning! And, the fact that I recommended THIS book for THIS student, and she really was not excited about it to begin with, makes it all the better! Whoo Hoo! Thrills my teacher heart!
After the game, we cleaned up the gym, because the Young Prince was on clean up duty. Then we came home. The kids were hungry after all of that cheering and ball playing, so they ate while My Prince read our devotion, and told the kids about his chance to give away one of our blessing bags. The Youngest Princess was sad that she was not there to give it away. I am praying that she has the chance to give one away soon, because she has such a tender heart for those who are hurting.
The kids worked on homework, and started taking turns getting their showers and getting ready for bed. The Youngest Princess was studying for her Science quiz tomorrow when she looked up at me and said, "What time is it?" It was 10:00. It has been a long, full day for us all. So with that said, I am going to call it a day myself. Until tomorrow...
Monday, January 4, 2016
January 4, 2016
Last night, The Youngest Princess and I went upstairs and read our chapter of Mandie. While we were reading I mentioned that my legs were aching. She promptly went to work rubbing them for me, just as I had done for her a few night prior when she woke up crying with bad leg cramps. She is such a sweet girl! When we finished, I sent her off to bed and curled up to go to sleep. But it was not to be.
In just a little while (at about 11:20ish) The Oldest Princess came in our room to tell us that she was STARVING. Like she could eat a whole hamburger, starving. She also was all giddy with excitement. She said that she had given all of her worries to the Lord, and she felt like she was floating. I told her that our worries weigh us down, and giving them to the Lord is very freeing. She said she just knew that this is going to be the best year ever! She also told us about a book that she had just found in her room, by Beth Moore about praying the scriptures. None of us could remember where the book came from. If I had to guess, I would say Grammy, but until I can ask her, I am not sure. Yet, I know at that moment, it was definitely from God. Anyway, I briefly shared with her how that I have a couple of books Praying the Scriptures for Your Children, and Praying the Scriptures for Your Teenager, and that her father and I often pray scripture over them when they are facing tough times in their lives, and we have seen amazing results. Praying the Scriptures is a very powerful thing to do. So she was very excited about using that book and praying Scripture over some of the things she is facing now. I think God definitely solidified her choice of the word TRUST. She had already started on her Disciple Group study for the week, and had done her first HEAR journal. She said she had texted the members of her D Group because she was just SO EXCITED! I had to remind her that it was pretty late, and I was glad that she was excited, but that she needed to be mindful of the time! My apologies to her D group girls and sweet leader! I was very excited as well to see her so excited. God is good and merciful, and full of surprises!
She and My Prince went downstairs to find her something to eat, and within a few minutes, The Youngest Princess was "hungry" too. She also went downstairs, but was back up pretty quickly. Then The Young Prince joined us, and had to tell us several things that he remembered from the day, and just had to tell us. It was a sweet time. I love when the kids WANT to talk. I don't always like it that it is most usually at bedtime...Why is that? And this was the bedtime before our first day back to school after Christmas break...and the clock was ticking, and I knew they would be tired in the morning...The struggle was REAL, as one of my friends often says.
We finally got everyone fed, listened to, and back to bed. And about the time all was quiet, the dog started barking. I guess I was so tired that it didn't bother me too much, because I don't remember anything after that.
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This morning, My Prince woke me up as he usually does as he left to work out. I grabbed my phone as I usually do, and clicked on my First 5 app. It is an app that puts out short daily devotions so that people can spend the first five minutes of their day focusing on God and His Word. Today started a new study in Exodus. This is what part of it said:
"Because our all-knowing God always sees the bigger picture and has a greater purpose. He uses our times of trial and hardship to purge sin from our lives, to strengthen our walk with Him, to force us to depend on Him, to bind us together in community, and to cause us to know and trust Him more. Isaiah speaks this truth clearly in Isaiah 48:10, "See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction." (NIV) God knew the best place and best way for His people to grow in strength and numbers. And early admission into the land that had been promised to them through Abraham wasn't it. And He knew that in the midst of their enslavement, they would experience His power, see His glory and draw closer to Him.
Don't we too have our own "Egypts," times we feel oppressed, forgotten, burdened beyond what we think we can bear? Like the Israelites, it's those times that should draw us closer to our God, the Promise Keeper, who honors His Word and fulfills it without exception.
Are you walking through an "Egypt" experience today? What is one promise from God you can claim to help you trust God in the midst of this difficult time?" - Wendy Blight
Okay, so this was another little surprise from God. Isn't He awesome that way! I had just shared with one of my friends the night before about an area of my life that made me feel like an Israelite in Egypt. I've been crying out to God, and wondering if He even heard me, or if He had forgotten me, or even cared anymore. Not in every area of my life, but definitely in this area. It feels like it has been 400 years since I have heard from Him on this matter. In truth, it's been about five years. Well...He spoke this morning. Through His Word and a perfectly timed devotional. So I can't say it has been five years anymore. He didn't change my circumstances, but He helped me see that I need to look at them in a different light. GROWTH
Honestly, I would much rather Him change my circumstances, but I am willing to admit that I need an attitude adjustment, and I prayed and told God I would work to do better as far as my attitude goes. I know I will need a ton of His help, as well. It was very comforting to be reminded that He is listening, and that He does see, and He does care. I know that already, of course. It was just this one area that I doubted. And, He could have sent a devotional from any passage in the Bible that shows He is a loving and caring God. But. But..He didn't! He sent a devotional from the EXACT example I had used when sharing my burden with my friend. Not accidental. He cares. Does He show us in such extremes each time? No. Sometimes, He is silent for 5 years. Or 25 years. Or 400 years. But please know. He does see, and He does care. And when His timing is right, He will speak. When that happens, will we be in a place to hear Him?
I had to copy and paste the part of the devotional I shared with you above and send it to my friend. It was too exciting not to share with her after our conversation last night.
I got ready for work, and the kids were great (and much easier than I thought they would be) to get up and get moving. The Youngest Princess and I rode with the Oldest Princess, and on the way the girls shared two songs with me that they liked. I liked them too. I loved the messages in both songs.
My first day back went fairly smoothly. My students did well, and did not have too much "Christmas brain," as I jokingly call it, to muddle through. They jumped right in there and got to work and seemed to remember most of what we had been working on before our break. We were able to finish everything in time for them to do their homework and to get a couple of chapters of our "Josiah" book read. All in all, a good first day back.
Then after school we had our weekly teacher's meeting. Where we go over the upcoming events, talk about any pressing matters, and have a time of prayer together. After our meeting I stopped by the office and spent a few minutes catching up with my friend who is the secretary. Then My Prince text to say that he was there to pick me up. It was good to get home. I am always very tired after teaching, and especially so on our first days back.
The Oldest Princess and the Youngest Princess both had cheer practice after school, and The Young Prince had basketball practice, so it was a quiet few minutes before My Prince left to go back to pick up The Youngest Princess because her practice lets out before her sister's and brother's practice.
The Youngest Princess came home telling me about falling out of a stunt during practice, but she assured me that she was okay. She did have a headache though. So we gave her some medicine, and let her watch one television show to relax before cracking the books and doing her homework.
The Oldest Princess made it home in time to eat with us. We had grilled pork chops, hamburgers, green beans, and shells and cheese. The Oldest Prince was late coming in from practice, so he had to warm his up. We reminded him about letting us know where he is by texting us before he leaves, so we do not have to worry about him. Maybe we were spoiled by having a girl first. The Oldest Princess is always very good about texting to let us know when she is leaving, or has arrived. I think it is a boy thing. The Young Prince has a harder time remembering to keep us informed.
We did enjoy a little time of sitting around the table talking before My Prince and the Oldest Princess left to go to the church for prayer meeting. I wanted to go, but came home from school with some tummy troubles. So The Young Prince, The Youngest Princess and I stayed home. The Young Prince was working on homework, and I sent the Youngest Princess up to take her shower and get ready for bed. While it was quiet downstairs, I took some time to pray for the same things that they were praying for at the church.
I was finally able to get the tree undecorated, and now it just needs to be taken out of the house. That sounds like a great job for My Prince.
The Youngest Princess began getting all of the things she needed ready for tomorrow. She was unable to locate her undershirt and bloomers. I knew for sure that I had washed them and hung them together on the same hanger. I knew that they were clean, I just figured maybe they had been hung in the wrong closet. The Youngest Princess and I snuggled on the couch and read our chapter of Mandie for the night while waiting for My Prince and The Oldest Princess to come home from the prayer meeting.
When they got home, we had our family devotion/prayer time. Then the search was on for the missing "cheer gear" again. The Oldest Princess finally found it, and now, I can go to sleep in peace. Everyone else may be staying up for a while, but The Youngest Princess and I say goodnight. Until tomorrow...
Then after school we had our weekly teacher's meeting. Where we go over the upcoming events, talk about any pressing matters, and have a time of prayer together. After our meeting I stopped by the office and spent a few minutes catching up with my friend who is the secretary. Then My Prince text to say that he was there to pick me up. It was good to get home. I am always very tired after teaching, and especially so on our first days back.
The Oldest Princess and the Youngest Princess both had cheer practice after school, and The Young Prince had basketball practice, so it was a quiet few minutes before My Prince left to go back to pick up The Youngest Princess because her practice lets out before her sister's and brother's practice.
The Youngest Princess came home telling me about falling out of a stunt during practice, but she assured me that she was okay. She did have a headache though. So we gave her some medicine, and let her watch one television show to relax before cracking the books and doing her homework.
The Oldest Princess made it home in time to eat with us. We had grilled pork chops, hamburgers, green beans, and shells and cheese. The Oldest Prince was late coming in from practice, so he had to warm his up. We reminded him about letting us know where he is by texting us before he leaves, so we do not have to worry about him. Maybe we were spoiled by having a girl first. The Oldest Princess is always very good about texting to let us know when she is leaving, or has arrived. I think it is a boy thing. The Young Prince has a harder time remembering to keep us informed.
We did enjoy a little time of sitting around the table talking before My Prince and the Oldest Princess left to go to the church for prayer meeting. I wanted to go, but came home from school with some tummy troubles. So The Young Prince, The Youngest Princess and I stayed home. The Young Prince was working on homework, and I sent the Youngest Princess up to take her shower and get ready for bed. While it was quiet downstairs, I took some time to pray for the same things that they were praying for at the church.
I was finally able to get the tree undecorated, and now it just needs to be taken out of the house. That sounds like a great job for My Prince.
The Youngest Princess began getting all of the things she needed ready for tomorrow. She was unable to locate her undershirt and bloomers. I knew for sure that I had washed them and hung them together on the same hanger. I knew that they were clean, I just figured maybe they had been hung in the wrong closet. The Youngest Princess and I snuggled on the couch and read our chapter of Mandie for the night while waiting for My Prince and The Oldest Princess to come home from the prayer meeting.
When they got home, we had our family devotion/prayer time. Then the search was on for the missing "cheer gear" again. The Oldest Princess finally found it, and now, I can go to sleep in peace. Everyone else may be staying up for a while, but The Youngest Princess and I say goodnight. Until tomorrow...
Sunday, January 3, 2016
January 3, 2016
Last night ended with family devotions and prayer time. The Oldest Princess threw around a word that she thinks she may use as her theme. But she still is not completely sure, so will wait to declare it.
The words, "It's raining inside!" were proclaimed by The Youngest Princess, as I frantically mopped up water, while The Young Prince showered in happy oblivion above. But we quickly brought the problem to his attention, and he now knows the importance of making sure the shower curtain is completely on the inside of the tub at all times when the shower is running. Or else, it WILL rain inside.
After the water was all cleaned up, the youngest princess and I cuddled up to read our nightly chapter of Mandie. I looked last night, and I think we are actually on book 31. That's a lot of books folks! But I would not trade one second of the precious time we have spent reading and experiencing adventures together. We have even been to Europe and back! They really are great books for young girls.
I had a pretty bad headache, so when we finished our chapter, The Youngest Princess headed off to her own bed. I promptly fell asleep. I did not even wake up when My Prince finished studying and came to bed.
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This morning, we got up and began getting ready for church, just like any other Sunday morning. My Prince always wakes up earlier than the rest of us to study more before he has to preach. While we were getting ready, I asked the Youngest Princess why she picked the word BELIEVE. She wasn't sure why at first. I kind of explained to her why I picked the words I picked. She said, "Well, I guess that I picked BELIEVE, because I want people to believe in Jesus." Can't argue with that. I helped her to understand that she needed to seek ways each and every day of this year to help people believe in Jesus. She understood. I am excited to see what God does through my sweet little girl this year.
Our Sunday School lesson today was about how we should work if we are able, and that we should help to take care of those who are poor. One of our class members shared that when he is out and someone comes to him asking him for money, he tells them that he will help them, but first it will cost them something. He said they always look at him funny, and then he tells them that they have to allow him to tell them about Jesus first. Kind of his way of explaining to people why he helps them, and also a way to let them hear the Gospel when they may not hear it any other way. I thought that was a wonderful idea! Maybe you think so too. Let's put it into action the next time someone asks us for money or for help. GLORIFY and GROW!
Then, I had the 2-4 year olds Children's Church class. The Young Prince was supposed to help me, but he switched out with his sister, so The Oldest Princess was my helper instead. It probably worked out for the best, because that age group LOVES The Young Prince, but they LOVE to play with him, more than listen to and obey him.
The lesson for the little ones was about the lame man at the temple who asked Peter and John for money (catching a theme here?). Peter replies that he doesn't have any silver or gold, but he will give the man what he does have, the power to heal in Jesus' name, and Peter proceeds to heal the lame man in the name of Jesus. I loved teaching them the story and watching them learn the Bible verse. They are so sweet!
After the lesson we colored, and then made windsocks from our coloring pictures. Well mostly the Oldest Princess and I made windsocks, while refereeing arguments over toys, keeping kids out of the toy box, wiping noses, tying shoes, playing ball, talking about how Jesus wants us to be kind, and finding lost tractors. It was a fun filled, active, crazy hour. I've discovered that that room is way too small for seven children of that age and two adults. Kids that age need space. Lots of space.
After church was over, The Youngest Princess came asking if she could go home with one of her friends for the afternoon. I told her that she could. Then the rest of the family went and ate lunch. As we were leaving the restaurant, I opened my fortune cookie to eat on the way home. My fortune, which I put absolutely no stock in, said something about me being involved in many humanitarian projects. We all thought it was funny after my Sunday School lesson, and the Children's Church lesson. On top of that, I have finished the book, Raising a Modern Day Joseph (did I mention that I highly recommend it for parents and people who work with children and youth in the church?), and have started a new book called More or Less, and it's topic is about...giving, of course! So I am thinking God was sending me a message, or two or three or four today about giving to others. Maybe God thinks I need to GROW in that area of my life.
We came home and I got started studying and preparing for my Bible Skills, Drills, and Thrills class that I teach on Sunday nights. We have missed several weeks due to special things happening on Sunday night, so I feel like we need to spend a lot of time reviewing the verses the kids have already learned, as well as learning new verses. So I prepared several review games. My Prince rested for a few minutes and then went back to the church to study. The oldest two were resting as well, so the house was really quiet. After studying for my class, I spent some time doing my personal study as well.
Soon it was time to head back to church. I did some more work/study getting ready for my Bible Drills class. Then the kids were there. I think they enjoyed the review games, but I know we definitely need some more review time. Because we are nowhere near where we need to be at this point. Competition time approaches quickly. Tonight as well, we had two new students, which is wonderful, but also hard when it comes to Bible Drills, because we have already learned 15 verses and 7 key passages, and it is hard for kids to jump in in the middle and catch up. I definitely think that both of them can do it, it will just take a lot of work.
After church we went to eat, and fellowship with a few friends. It was nice, because I feel like we have been so busy over the holidays that we have not been able to spend time with these friends for a while. It was nice to be able to catch up a little. Plus while we were there we saw some old friends that we don't get to see much anymore, so that was a bonus.
We came home, and read Proverbs chapter 3 together. We talked about having wisdom and discretion, and how they can keep you out of trouble and help you to lay your head on your pillow at night with a clear conscience and sleep well. The Oldest Princess decided to stick with the word she has been tossing around: TRUST. A great word for her Senior year I think. The verdict is still out on the Young Prince's word. We had family prayer and then it was time...
The kids picked out their outfits for (as much as I hate to say it) school tomorrow. And began to get ready for bed. Now it is my turn to pick out my outfit for tomorrow, and read some Mandie with my girl. Until tomorrow...
Saturday, January 2, 2016
January 2, 2016
Yes, in case you were wondering, I did get them to play Dutch Blitz with me. The princesses, and my prince that is. The youngest prince kept score for us. We played one round to 75. The oldest princess won with a score of 76. It was late, we were all tired, and some of us may have been a little grumpy, which contributed to some bickering, someone getting upset, and me deciding that we were through.
We put up the cards and my prince read Proverbs chapter 1. At the end of which the youngest princess said, "I don't understand it." Sometimes it is hard to listen and soak it all in as someone reads it. So my prince broke it down and explained it to her, in terms that she could understand.
We each shared a prayer request, and my prince led us in prayer. It calmed some of the bickering spirits, and all was well with the world again. We talked about having a one (or two) word theme for ourselves for the year. The youngest princess quickly determined that her word is BELIEVE. I'm not sure why she chose that word, but we will discuss it in the next few days. I look forward to knowing what she is thinking, and why she chose BELIEVE. The oldest two chose to think their words for a while.
I headed up to bed, and the youngest princess decided it was time for her to show me what she has learned to do on her flute (we have been out of school for two weeks and you HAVE to show me now!?!). Yes. At bedtime. Sometimes kids don't always have the best sense of timing, or at least ours sure don't. But I humored her, and let her show me (music stand, music, flute and all) the four notes that she has learned to play. Then she had to put up the music stand, music, flute and all, and go downstairs to clean up the sleeping bag and blankets that she pulled out for our movie night. All the while I was trying to stay awake so that I could read to her.
We TRY to read a chapter of a book each night. We don't do it every night, and we have gone for as long as a month at a time of not reading, but more often than not, we cuddle up and read a chapter a night. It is "our thing" that we have been doing for as long as I can remember. I know that we have been working on the Mandie series since she was in the 1st grade. We have taken some breaks and read some other books from time to time, but my girl loves the Mandie books. We are very close to being done with them ALL (and there is a ton of them...we are on book #30somethingI'velostcount), and I think we will both be a little disappointed when we are completely finished.
Right as we finished our chapter my prince came upstairs ready for bed, but before he could settle in, and the youngest princess was sent off to her own bed, the young prince jumped in with his favorite picture book from his childhood, Ferdinand, (I guess he was feeling sentimental) and I took a few minutes to read it to him like I did when he was little.
Then we all tucked in and headed off to dreamland.
*******************
This morning, I woke up closer to our usual schedule. I guess I know it is time to get back to our school schedule, as much as I hate to. I started a load of clothes, and made a glass of chocolate milk, and sat down to learn more about hospitality. It was still convicting to me, but it was nice to hear that there is a difference between hospitality and entertaining. In today's world, we worry way too much about entertaining, and hospitality often gets lost in the midst of showing off what we have and our flawless abilities. Hospitality is more about opening our hearts and lives (no extra effort, or fancy productions, just love and acceptance) and being real with those around us. Our reality is a messy house full of three busy, growing children and two disorganized adults. Our reality looks nothing like the food, decorations, organizational ideas or parties that I like to "pin" on my Pinterest boards. Our reality is that it is January 2, and I still have not put away all of the Christmas decorations. We have a real tree this year, and it looks good and still smells SO good that we hate to take it down. Reality. GROWTH.
The young prince was up not too long after me. Soon my prince followed and headed out the door to go and work out with his buddies. The girls slept in a little later than the rest of us. Not quite ready to give up their Christmas vacation. And looking at our calendar for the next few months, I don't blame them.
********************
I had the morning free, so I listened to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and sent a text to a sweet friend and asked her if she could meet me for lunch. She was able to, and we had a really good time of fellowship. So much so, that neither of us got around to eating our lunch, we just talked. God is awesome!
I left from our lunch and got home in time to leave with my prince, our children and Grammy and Poppy to do a little shopping and to celebrate the young prince's birthday. His birthday was back in November but Grammy and Poppy were out of the country and did not get to celebrate with him. They wanted to take him out to eat.
He opened his presents from them, and then decided that he wanted to go to Applebee's for his birthday dinner. The "birthday" boy had spoken. Applebee's it was. While we were eating, the young prince, and Poppy told us a little about their trip they had taken a few days earlier. While on their trip, they had visited one of Poppy's favorite used book stores. The young prince described it like this..."It was me, Poppy, and the world's population of mother's basement dwellers." Poppy said he just focuses on where he needs to go, and gets what he needs to get. To which the young prince replied, "Yeah, Poppy was focused and I was like... in culture shock! I'm talking about like, grown men...with kitty cat shirts on!"
After dinner, some of us went to a clothing store, some of us went to a sporting goods store. Then we all went to our used bookstore. I think my prince found more to buy than any of the rest of us combined. The oldest princess wanted to stop at Target - yay! We did, and then we ran through Dairy Queen drive through for Blizzard minis for everyone. Except Poppy who ordered an ice cream cone. I told him there was one in every crowd.
We made it home, and Poppy and Grammy headed out to the lake house where they are staying. My Prince is putting the finishing touches on his sermon for tomorrow. The girls are watching television, and the young prince went to the gym to play basketball with a friend and his friend's dad.
When the young prince gets home, we will all read Proverbs chapter 2 together, and have our prayer time, and then I will be ready for bed.
It was a good day, this last day of Christmas vacation, before real life starts back again tomorrow. I have enjoyed it, and I hate to see it come to an end. But then, I am sort of ready to get back into the swing of things too...So, until tomorrow...Have a great night!
We put up the cards and my prince read Proverbs chapter 1. At the end of which the youngest princess said, "I don't understand it." Sometimes it is hard to listen and soak it all in as someone reads it. So my prince broke it down and explained it to her, in terms that she could understand.
We each shared a prayer request, and my prince led us in prayer. It calmed some of the bickering spirits, and all was well with the world again. We talked about having a one (or two) word theme for ourselves for the year. The youngest princess quickly determined that her word is BELIEVE. I'm not sure why she chose that word, but we will discuss it in the next few days. I look forward to knowing what she is thinking, and why she chose BELIEVE. The oldest two chose to think their words for a while.
I headed up to bed, and the youngest princess decided it was time for her to show me what she has learned to do on her flute (we have been out of school for two weeks and you HAVE to show me now!?!). Yes. At bedtime. Sometimes kids don't always have the best sense of timing, or at least ours sure don't. But I humored her, and let her show me (music stand, music, flute and all) the four notes that she has learned to play. Then she had to put up the music stand, music, flute and all, and go downstairs to clean up the sleeping bag and blankets that she pulled out for our movie night. All the while I was trying to stay awake so that I could read to her.
We TRY to read a chapter of a book each night. We don't do it every night, and we have gone for as long as a month at a time of not reading, but more often than not, we cuddle up and read a chapter a night. It is "our thing" that we have been doing for as long as I can remember. I know that we have been working on the Mandie series since she was in the 1st grade. We have taken some breaks and read some other books from time to time, but my girl loves the Mandie books. We are very close to being done with them ALL (and there is a ton of them...we are on book #30somethingI'velostcount), and I think we will both be a little disappointed when we are completely finished.
Right as we finished our chapter my prince came upstairs ready for bed, but before he could settle in, and the youngest princess was sent off to her own bed, the young prince jumped in with his favorite picture book from his childhood, Ferdinand, (I guess he was feeling sentimental) and I took a few minutes to read it to him like I did when he was little.
Then we all tucked in and headed off to dreamland.
*******************
This morning, I woke up closer to our usual schedule. I guess I know it is time to get back to our school schedule, as much as I hate to. I started a load of clothes, and made a glass of chocolate milk, and sat down to learn more about hospitality. It was still convicting to me, but it was nice to hear that there is a difference between hospitality and entertaining. In today's world, we worry way too much about entertaining, and hospitality often gets lost in the midst of showing off what we have and our flawless abilities. Hospitality is more about opening our hearts and lives (no extra effort, or fancy productions, just love and acceptance) and being real with those around us. Our reality is a messy house full of three busy, growing children and two disorganized adults. Our reality looks nothing like the food, decorations, organizational ideas or parties that I like to "pin" on my Pinterest boards. Our reality is that it is January 2, and I still have not put away all of the Christmas decorations. We have a real tree this year, and it looks good and still smells SO good that we hate to take it down. Reality. GROWTH.
The young prince was up not too long after me. Soon my prince followed and headed out the door to go and work out with his buddies. The girls slept in a little later than the rest of us. Not quite ready to give up their Christmas vacation. And looking at our calendar for the next few months, I don't blame them.
********************
I had the morning free, so I listened to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and sent a text to a sweet friend and asked her if she could meet me for lunch. She was able to, and we had a really good time of fellowship. So much so, that neither of us got around to eating our lunch, we just talked. God is awesome!
I left from our lunch and got home in time to leave with my prince, our children and Grammy and Poppy to do a little shopping and to celebrate the young prince's birthday. His birthday was back in November but Grammy and Poppy were out of the country and did not get to celebrate with him. They wanted to take him out to eat.
He opened his presents from them, and then decided that he wanted to go to Applebee's for his birthday dinner. The "birthday" boy had spoken. Applebee's it was. While we were eating, the young prince, and Poppy told us a little about their trip they had taken a few days earlier. While on their trip, they had visited one of Poppy's favorite used book stores. The young prince described it like this..."It was me, Poppy, and the world's population of mother's basement dwellers." Poppy said he just focuses on where he needs to go, and gets what he needs to get. To which the young prince replied, "Yeah, Poppy was focused and I was like... in culture shock! I'm talking about like, grown men...with kitty cat shirts on!"
After dinner, some of us went to a clothing store, some of us went to a sporting goods store. Then we all went to our used bookstore. I think my prince found more to buy than any of the rest of us combined. The oldest princess wanted to stop at Target - yay! We did, and then we ran through Dairy Queen drive through for Blizzard minis for everyone. Except Poppy who ordered an ice cream cone. I told him there was one in every crowd.
We made it home, and Poppy and Grammy headed out to the lake house where they are staying. My Prince is putting the finishing touches on his sermon for tomorrow. The girls are watching television, and the young prince went to the gym to play basketball with a friend and his friend's dad.
When the young prince gets home, we will all read Proverbs chapter 2 together, and have our prayer time, and then I will be ready for bed.
It was a good day, this last day of Christmas vacation, before real life starts back again tomorrow. I have enjoyed it, and I hate to see it come to an end. But then, I am sort of ready to get back into the swing of things too...So, until tomorrow...Have a great night!
Friday, January 1, 2016
January 1, 2016
We got to bed very late (or early) whichever way you want to look at it last night (this morning). So we slept in and had a lazy morning. My prince cooked pancakes for breakfast. I ate and did my New Years blog. My prince and the young prince were in the living room watching football.
One of the children and I had a heart to heart about open communication, and how important it is in a family. Anything other than open communication could be perceived as sneaking around, and we want to be completely blameless. If we practice open communication, no one can blame us of something, and make the accusation stick. We want to live our lives in such a way that we can be blameless. GROWTH
I spent some time reading/studying a book called Life in Community, in preparation for my Wednesday night small group. It convicted me greatly, because it was on the topic of hospitality. I know that this is an area where I am not naturally inclined. My mother was always wonderful at hospitality. Me, not so much. I definitely am weighed in the balance and found wanting in this area. But hopefully I will learn something through our study, and be able to do better in the future. GROWTH
Eventually all of the children trickled down the stairs, and we just enjoyed hanging out together. Something we do not get to do a lot of, with the kids usually going in several different directions.
At one point the young prince came through with an armload of dirty clothes he had gathered, and announced that they had been "marinating" in his room. I was just excited that he brought them down without me asking. I will take every little glimmer of hope of maturity I can get. Do I hear an AMEN from all the mothers of teenaged boys out there?
I decided I had been lazy long enough, and went upstairs to get ready for the day. The youngest princess came in and said that she had a headache, and it felt like she could feel her heart beating. Yuck. I have been there! I directed her to go down stairs and get some medicine.
My prince and the oldest princess were watching their team play. Thankfully their team was winning. That hasn't happened a whole lot in the last few years, so I am always happy when they do win, and my prince and the oldest princess are happy.
My prince and I had several discussions about the word(s) he wants to pick for the year 2016. He was inspired by a blog he read - Yay!
We decided to go for a late lunch/early dinner to a local Japanese restaurant. The youngest princess did not want to go anywhere, and the oldest princess volunteered to stay home with her, as long as we brought her home something from the restaurant. So my prince, the young prince and I all headed off to eat, with a promise to bring something home for the girls. We had a nice time, and I think the young prince enjoyed not having to compete with his sisters for attention.
I love it that at the restaurant, they know us and treat us almost like family. It has been a long time since I have been there, but still we are greeted with "Hello!" and "How are you!" and "Where are the girls?" Small town life. You just can't beat it.
Then of course there was a run to Walmart while we were out. The boys went in while I sat in the car. They picked up snacks for our movie that we wanted to watch.
When we got home, the oldest princess and I looked at her pictures from the youth New Year's Eve party last night. We played around with putting them in a slideshow. She was able to get some really good pictures of the fireworks.
Then we all gathered in the living room for movie night. Our movie of choice? War Room! My prince and I had seen it at a pre-release screening, and the oldest princess had seen it with a friend, but the young prince and the youngest princess had not seen it yet. Those of us that had seen it before loved it so much that we did not mind seeing it again. I love Mrs. Clara. I would love to have a real life Mrs. Clara in my life. One of my favorite quotes in the movie is when Mrs. Clara tells Elizabeth, "God is a good defense attorney. Leave it to Him." Excellent advice, and so very true. If we will just pray, and take all of our "offenses" to God, He will take care of them. Way better than we ever could ourselves. I know this from experience. I have seen it in action in my own life.
If you have not seen War Room yet, I highly recommend it. It even made my prince fight his "allergies" as he says (his way of not admitting that he was touched by a movie and is crying).
Also, in the middle of all of that, I have a book on my Kindle app that I am reading snippets of when I have a few minutes. It is called Raising a Modern Day Joseph by Larry Fowler. It is an excellent book for both parents and children's ministers (from pre-school all the way through youth ministry). I highly recommend it as well. I feel like I learn something every time I pick it up. GROWTH
Only one phone call in the middle giving us some news that made us sad. But we will take the matter to prayer, minister as we can to those we love, and sit back and watch God do great things.
Now as I type, I have one child at Dollar General, one playing the piano, and one watching television with her dad. It has been a good first day of the year. I love my family and having the time to relax and just enjoy being together. Maybe now I can talk them into playing a few rounds of Dutch Blitz with me? We will see...
One of the children and I had a heart to heart about open communication, and how important it is in a family. Anything other than open communication could be perceived as sneaking around, and we want to be completely blameless. If we practice open communication, no one can blame us of something, and make the accusation stick. We want to live our lives in such a way that we can be blameless. GROWTH
I spent some time reading/studying a book called Life in Community, in preparation for my Wednesday night small group. It convicted me greatly, because it was on the topic of hospitality. I know that this is an area where I am not naturally inclined. My mother was always wonderful at hospitality. Me, not so much. I definitely am weighed in the balance and found wanting in this area. But hopefully I will learn something through our study, and be able to do better in the future. GROWTH
Eventually all of the children trickled down the stairs, and we just enjoyed hanging out together. Something we do not get to do a lot of, with the kids usually going in several different directions.
At one point the young prince came through with an armload of dirty clothes he had gathered, and announced that they had been "marinating" in his room. I was just excited that he brought them down without me asking. I will take every little glimmer of hope of maturity I can get. Do I hear an AMEN from all the mothers of teenaged boys out there?
I decided I had been lazy long enough, and went upstairs to get ready for the day. The youngest princess came in and said that she had a headache, and it felt like she could feel her heart beating. Yuck. I have been there! I directed her to go down stairs and get some medicine.
My prince and the oldest princess were watching their team play. Thankfully their team was winning. That hasn't happened a whole lot in the last few years, so I am always happy when they do win, and my prince and the oldest princess are happy.
My prince and I had several discussions about the word(s) he wants to pick for the year 2016. He was inspired by a blog he read - Yay!
We decided to go for a late lunch/early dinner to a local Japanese restaurant. The youngest princess did not want to go anywhere, and the oldest princess volunteered to stay home with her, as long as we brought her home something from the restaurant. So my prince, the young prince and I all headed off to eat, with a promise to bring something home for the girls. We had a nice time, and I think the young prince enjoyed not having to compete with his sisters for attention.
I love it that at the restaurant, they know us and treat us almost like family. It has been a long time since I have been there, but still we are greeted with "Hello!" and "How are you!" and "Where are the girls?" Small town life. You just can't beat it.
Then of course there was a run to Walmart while we were out. The boys went in while I sat in the car. They picked up snacks for our movie that we wanted to watch.
When we got home, the oldest princess and I looked at her pictures from the youth New Year's Eve party last night. We played around with putting them in a slideshow. She was able to get some really good pictures of the fireworks.
Then we all gathered in the living room for movie night. Our movie of choice? War Room! My prince and I had seen it at a pre-release screening, and the oldest princess had seen it with a friend, but the young prince and the youngest princess had not seen it yet. Those of us that had seen it before loved it so much that we did not mind seeing it again. I love Mrs. Clara. I would love to have a real life Mrs. Clara in my life. One of my favorite quotes in the movie is when Mrs. Clara tells Elizabeth, "God is a good defense attorney. Leave it to Him." Excellent advice, and so very true. If we will just pray, and take all of our "offenses" to God, He will take care of them. Way better than we ever could ourselves. I know this from experience. I have seen it in action in my own life.
If you have not seen War Room yet, I highly recommend it. It even made my prince fight his "allergies" as he says (his way of not admitting that he was touched by a movie and is crying).
Also, in the middle of all of that, I have a book on my Kindle app that I am reading snippets of when I have a few minutes. It is called Raising a Modern Day Joseph by Larry Fowler. It is an excellent book for both parents and children's ministers (from pre-school all the way through youth ministry). I highly recommend it as well. I feel like I learn something every time I pick it up. GROWTH
Only one phone call in the middle giving us some news that made us sad. But we will take the matter to prayer, minister as we can to those we love, and sit back and watch God do great things.
Now as I type, I have one child at Dollar General, one playing the piano, and one watching television with her dad. It has been a good first day of the year. I love my family and having the time to relax and just enjoy being together. Maybe now I can talk them into playing a few rounds of Dutch Blitz with me? We will see...
Happy New Year!
Last year, I read something that encouraged people to come up with a one word theme for the new year. I am not a resolution maker, so that resonated with me. I really liked the idea. Yet, I never went so far as to come up with my word.
Recently, I was reminded again, of the one word theme. As I thought about what I would like for my one word once again, I got caught up in the fact that I couldn't pick just ONE word. Actually two words kept running circles in my head, and both of them were what I would say I want for my life in the year 2016.
Then I decided that just because someone else had ONE word, and suggested that to the world, did not mean that I had to stick to just one word. So, I choose two words for 2016. Two words that are of equal importance in my life right now. Two words that the Lord has laid on my heart. Two words that I will keep at the forefront of my mind, and try to implement into my life each and every day.
My first word is: GLORIFY. I want my life to daily glorify God. I want my life to point others to Him. I want Him to be the one who receives all the glory, because He is the only one deserving of glory.
1 Corinthians 6:20 "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." - It is a command.
Revelation 15:4 "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest." - He is holy and the only one worthy to be glorified.
James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is not variableness, neither shadow of turning." - Everything good comes from God alone, so He deserves the glory for all good that happens.
My second word is: GROW. I want to grow to be more and more like my Lord and Savior every day. Some days may be successful. Some days I may just take itty bitty baby steps. And some days may be complete utter failures (at which point I am so glad that His mercies and compassion are new every morning). But each day, I will strive to learn something new about my Lord, and strive to be more and more like Him. I hope to look back at this time next year, and see significant growth in my spiritual life.
So, there it is. My two word theme for 2016 : Glorify and Grow. Have you heard of this one word theme? Have you picked a word for your life for the new year? If so, I would love to hear what word you picked. If you haven't picked a word, and you feel like maybe this is something you would like to do, then pick a word, and share it with someone who can pray for you, help you stay focused, and encourage you to follow through with it. I am excited. And a little bit nervous.
One more thing I would like to do is to write a one year story of our lives through a blog a day this year. We are just a normal family, facing everyday trials, receiving many more blessings and much more mercy and grace than we deserve. I am going to try to do a blog a day for us. For me, so I can look back and see my progress, or lack thereof.
Feel free to read as many, or as few, as you would like. I am sure some will be long, and some will be very short. Some days will be blog worthy, some will be downright boring.
Some days may be nothing more than a picture or two or twenty (Ya'll know I love to take pictures!). Plus all three children received new cameras for Christmas, so I may share some of their pictures so you can see the world through their eyes from time to time. I've been impressed with many of their pictures so far. And I love seeing their individual creativity. Maybe you will too.
Some days you might catch a glimpse of your own family in our struggles and triumphs. Some days you may think we live on a different planet than the one you live on. To me, that is the fun of it all.
Most days I will post in the evening, some days really late. It all depends on our crazy schedule that changes from day to day. Very little routine here, as you walk through this year with us, you will see.
Some days, I may not be able to post at all. But I am going to try my best not to miss many days.
This year will bring big changes for us. The oldest princess will graduate. The young prince will start his Senior year. The youngest princess will move up into my class. We have an exciting family trip planned that the oldest princess and I have dreamed of for several years.
I am looking forward to it, and to sharing it with you!
Love and Prayers for you all in the New Year! Happy 2016!
Recently, I was reminded again, of the one word theme. As I thought about what I would like for my one word once again, I got caught up in the fact that I couldn't pick just ONE word. Actually two words kept running circles in my head, and both of them were what I would say I want for my life in the year 2016.
Then I decided that just because someone else had ONE word, and suggested that to the world, did not mean that I had to stick to just one word. So, I choose two words for 2016. Two words that are of equal importance in my life right now. Two words that the Lord has laid on my heart. Two words that I will keep at the forefront of my mind, and try to implement into my life each and every day.
My first word is: GLORIFY. I want my life to daily glorify God. I want my life to point others to Him. I want Him to be the one who receives all the glory, because He is the only one deserving of glory.
1 Corinthians 6:20 "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." - It is a command.
Revelation 15:4 "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest." - He is holy and the only one worthy to be glorified.
James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is not variableness, neither shadow of turning." - Everything good comes from God alone, so He deserves the glory for all good that happens.
My second word is: GROW. I want to grow to be more and more like my Lord and Savior every day. Some days may be successful. Some days I may just take itty bitty baby steps. And some days may be complete utter failures (at which point I am so glad that His mercies and compassion are new every morning). But each day, I will strive to learn something new about my Lord, and strive to be more and more like Him. I hope to look back at this time next year, and see significant growth in my spiritual life.
So, there it is. My two word theme for 2016 : Glorify and Grow. Have you heard of this one word theme? Have you picked a word for your life for the new year? If so, I would love to hear what word you picked. If you haven't picked a word, and you feel like maybe this is something you would like to do, then pick a word, and share it with someone who can pray for you, help you stay focused, and encourage you to follow through with it. I am excited. And a little bit nervous.
One more thing I would like to do is to write a one year story of our lives through a blog a day this year. We are just a normal family, facing everyday trials, receiving many more blessings and much more mercy and grace than we deserve. I am going to try to do a blog a day for us. For me, so I can look back and see my progress, or lack thereof.
Feel free to read as many, or as few, as you would like. I am sure some will be long, and some will be very short. Some days will be blog worthy, some will be downright boring.
Some days may be nothing more than a picture or two or twenty (Ya'll know I love to take pictures!). Plus all three children received new cameras for Christmas, so I may share some of their pictures so you can see the world through their eyes from time to time. I've been impressed with many of their pictures so far. And I love seeing their individual creativity. Maybe you will too.
Some days you might catch a glimpse of your own family in our struggles and triumphs. Some days you may think we live on a different planet than the one you live on. To me, that is the fun of it all.
Most days I will post in the evening, some days really late. It all depends on our crazy schedule that changes from day to day. Very little routine here, as you walk through this year with us, you will see.
Some days, I may not be able to post at all. But I am going to try my best not to miss many days.
This year will bring big changes for us. The oldest princess will graduate. The young prince will start his Senior year. The youngest princess will move up into my class. We have an exciting family trip planned that the oldest princess and I have dreamed of for several years.
I am looking forward to it, and to sharing it with you!
Love and Prayers for you all in the New Year! Happy 2016!
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