Thankful Thursday 13

It is getting late, and I am tired, so I will keep it short and sweet, although I have many, many things to be thankful for this week.

*For safe travels for my father-in-law

*For help unloading another load of helps for the Dominican ministry

*For seeing old friends and having a few minutes to catch up

*For a fun princess party for the youngest princess

*For Poppy being able to be here for her birthday dinner

*For safe travels for the kids and I - even through some pretty rough weather

*For a great surprise when we got there

*For time to spend with our favorite newlyweds

*For crazy country fun: skeet shooting, Bon fires, homemade piñatas, log crossing, church going, brick cleaning/stacking, dart throwing, tractor riding, picture taking, and turkey huntin

*For the fact that my children have just as much fun playing with boxes, balloons, buckets, shovels, and dirt, as they do with video games, and expensive toys

*For a sweet uncle and aunt that love my children like grandkids, and spoil them accordingly

*For a fun shopping trip, and the smiles on my children's faces

*For a picture taking request from my son

*For a video request from my brother

*For a fun day with cousins we rarely get to see

*For a chance meeting with two other cousins I rarely get to see

*For precious time with my aunts and my uncle

*For fun games

* For safe travels home - and that I was driving, instead of Torie when the blue barrel fell off the truck in front of us

*For being home with my prince - I really missed him!

*For great pictures of most of the things mentioned above

For all these things, and many, many more, I am thankful to the Lord!

She's...7!

 She's a little bit encouraging.  (And wants to be just like her big sister,)

She's a little bit loving.  (On anything that will be still long enough.)

She's a little bit thankful.  (For lots of things,)

She's a little bit tomboy.  (She loves basketball and climbing trees with her brother.)

She's a little bit country.  (More so than me...that's a worm folks!)

She's a little bit of an actress.  (Okay, so she put on her own show, after the show...a rock solid performance.  You really had to be there.)

She's a little bit adventurous.  (Not afraid of anything,)

She's a little bit funny.  (Well...okay, a lot funny.  Hilarious to be exact.)

She's a little bit rotten.  (But aren't they all?)

She's a little bit prissy. (And girly, and giggly, and sugar and spice and everything nice...)

She's a little bit angel.  And she's a WHOLE LOT loved!  I can't believe she made her debut 7 years ago today!  What joy and excitement she has added to our lives!  I love her more than pictures or words could ever tell!!!  Happy Birthday to the youngest princess!!  May God bless you with many, many more!!

She's...7!

Thankful Thursday 12

Psalm 105:1 O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.   2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.

*For fun times, and memories made that will last a lifetime

*For new dresses, shoes, earrings, camo and sunglasses

*For fitting in the car, even with an ironing board

*For great food, and plenty left over

*For special times with people I love very much

*For no problem exchanging one of a pair of shoes

*For finding another pair of shoes

*For safety

*For beautiful azaleas in bloom

*For beautiful weather

*For love

*For a once in a lifetime experience, and the memories we will have forever

*For laughter

*For a good night's rest

*For a relaxing morning on the porch

*For excitement that turned into a cool up close and personal experience with one of God's creatures and her baby

*For seeing friends I haven't seen in years

*For a helpful police officer

*For a work crew willing to take a timely break from jack hammering

*For a beautiful wedding for a very special couple

*For a little time with my nephews/nieces that I don't get to see nearly enough

*For getting to meet my nephew's girlfriend

*For my niece just hanging out with us - even if it meant she did not get a good night's sleep

*For a safe trip home

*For getting most of our SAT's done

*For a good, easy week at school

*For being able to join our Young At Heart group for lunch - what a blessing they are!

*For a cake ordered

*For safety in the storm

*For an understanding friend

For all these things and so very many more, I am thankful to the Lord.

Thankful Thursday 11

*For finding outfits for all of us

*For sales

*For a very kind sales lady who more than made up for a very grumpy sales lady

*For friends coming over to play with our children

*For a thief caught, shoes returned to a family member, and safety in the process of it all

*For a friend who took care of the youngest princess while her Daddy and I had other duties

*For my children putting a load of clothes in the dryer without being prompted

*For a good conference and important truths learned

*For a fun day with my daughter, her friends, and my friend

*For a nice, much needed evening out to dinner with friends

*For a wonderful local fire department, and a crises averted

*For an awesome day in the Lord's house

*For the joy of watching my sweet youngest princess skip along happy, innocent, and carefree

*For special times reading to the youngest princess

*For special snuggle time with the youngest princess

*For a chance to talk to the youngest princess about a mistake she made, and see the tenderness of
  her little heart, and her willingness to please, not only me and her Daddy, but also the Lord

*For a friend who was worried - everything went well

*For safety for the ball team

*For someone being able to help me out when I really needed it

*For a door that turned out really cute

*For a good report for a friend

*For safe travels

*For a sweet church member who blessed us with treats for our trip

*For a fun family day

*For dresses, earrings, and shoes

*For a blessing in disguise

*For laughter

*For delicious food, fun, and fellowship

For all these things and many more, I am thankful to the Lord!

Thankful Thursday 10

Romans 15:11  And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.

*For a fun new game my children have learned to play

*For a beautiful sunset

*For daffodils

*For teamwork

*For safe travels for loved ones

*For special times with extended family

*For a fun outing for the boys

*For study time

*For a notebook I share with the oldest princess that is a fun way to share what's on our hearts with one another

*For a reminder of how things should be, and where I have strayed and need to get my focus right again

*For a fabulous church family

*For a choir special that was a special blessing

*For the freedom to hear God's Word proclaimed in truth

*For an exciting new class to help us be better parents

*For finding an outfit for the oldest princess for Fine Arts

 *For finding baseball pants for the young prince

*For Grammy's help

*For a few minutes of down time with my wonderful husband

*For the joy the youngest princess brings to our family

*For safety in a really close call

*For shoes for the youngest princess to wear in the wedding

*For Grammy who went out of her way not once, but twice, to get those shoes

*For safety for Poppy as he traveled

*For friends who understand

*For jackets, warm blankets, and heaters

*For grace - we all need it, and we all need to learn to extend it

*For forgiveness, because where would we all be without it...

*For blessings in disguise

*For a good report

*For the fact that the youngest prince's accident could have been much worse, but wasn't

*For the oldest princess's new hobby

*For a husband who loves his family and shows it in many ways

*For birds that sing their praises to their creator - how can we do anything less?

For all these things, and so many others, I am thankful to the Lord.

Thankful Thursday 9

1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

*For a safe trip for the prince on a rainy night

*For a blessing in disguise

*For time with just the youngest princess

*For more safety for the prince

*For time to finish another book with the youngest princess

*For a safe trip for our whole family

*For the opportunity to see the oldest princess in a cheer competition

*For special honors given to the oldest princess and her friend

*For safety for family members who were dangerously close to an accident

*For a great service at church, and even some comic relief

*For coloring contests

*For paper football games

*For laughing children

*For the word me scribbled out, and Jesus written in

*For a pleasant discovery that the young prince made a good, mature decision

*For warm, comfortable beds

*For electricity

*For running water

*For friends who went out of their way to celebrate with me

*For a friend  who got  up early and make a birthday cake

*For answers to MAJOR prayers for four different families

*For grace - as I have been reading through Liviticus and numbers, I am EXTREMELY thankful for grace

*For conversations with my nephew and my niece

*For the assurance that my children are listening and taking important lessons to heart

*For a fabulous Youth Pastor, and Youth Pastor's wife

*For laughter with the family

For all these things, and of course, many many more, I am thankful to the Lord.

Give me a child who...

Give me a child who does not talk back to adults.

In any form or fashion.

Give me a child who knows that the adult means what they say.  When I say something to my children, they know that I mean it, and no amount of "back talk" by way of whining, crying, begging, pleading, or sassing will change things.

Kids are smart.  They are very quick to learn how to manipulate adults.  If for example, I tell one of my children to go clean their room, and they whine and cry, and I give in and tell them never mind, that they don't have to do it, something clicks within them.  They realize that whining and crying gets them out of cleaning their room...and if it works for getting out of cleaning their room, then why not try it when they are told to wash the dishes, or fold the clothes.  And if it works for those things, then why not try it the next time they don't get their way.  There are endless possibilities!  Mom and Dad go from being in control, to being controlled.

But, if I tell one of my children to go clean their room, and they whine and cry, and I add extra consequences for their whining and crying, my children are quick to learn that whining and crying does not get them out of anything.  It actually only adds to the work they have been assigned to do.  It may take a few times of extra consequences, but they learn that Mom and Dad mean what they say, and obedience with a happy heart (good attitude) is better for the whole family.

Please understand that I am not talking about abusive behavior.  Our children know that they are never to obey an adult who tells them to do something that goes against God's laws.  I am talking about everyday, regular, getting life done kind of obedience.  Take out the trash.  Feed the dog.  Clean your room.  Wash the dishes.  Read your book report book.  Do your homework.  Pick up your toys.  Turn off that video game.  Call me when you get there so I know you are safe.

This is an area where we strive to be fairly strict on our children.  I want my children to respectfully obey adults without talking back or giving an attitude.  We are not perfect in this area, by any means, but we do work at it diligently.  Our children go through stages where this is easy, and stages where this is hard, but we do not give up, because we understand the value of a child who obeys .  We know that a child who willingly obeys authority will have a much more tender heart when it comes to obeying God.

Give me a child who does not talk back to adults, but understands that the adult means what they say, and obeys willingly.  This is a child who will stand out in today's world of children who think they should be in charge.  This is a child who will actually accomplish something in life, and not just expect everyone else to "hand them the world on a silver platter."  Give me a child who obeys with a good attitude, and I'll show you a child who will go far, and make a difference in this life.