Praise Him in the Dance

Preparing...... He is coming.....

I love this time of year.   I love Advent.  I plan, plan, plan and the children look forward to it.....  

then sometimes life gets so busy.....   and it gets pushed back... back... back.  

But it should be at the FRONT, FIRST......  MOST IMPORTANT.   For it is all about HIM. 

This year Advent starts on November 30, 2008.   We will be reading Bartholomew's Passage (A Family Story for Advent),  we will also do our Advent bags....   opening one each day when we read about the coming of Jesus.   I just put something really simple in each bag for the children.  

Another idea that I want to do is our "Christmas Project."   I start thinking early about a family that we can "do" our project on.....   we have done two families in the past years.   You buy an inexpensive Nativity set and each day you mail ONE piece to a "family" (of your choice).   I have a little devotion that goes with it (someone online sent it to me years ago and I can not remember who~ )  that you read everyday.   You start soon in December (allowing time for mailing) as the family gets a "surprise" everyday.... the last day being as near as can be to Christmas Eve... and the piece then is JESUS.   I have a family in mind.  (shhh....)  I haven't shared this b/c it is suppose to be a secret ..... and several of you read my blog.  :)

A friend of mine at   www.joyfulmomma.org  Kimberly  has some neat things. She has just written a new ebook about Gingerbread Houses~ Baking.   She also has one on Advent and that is where we received the idea of doing the bags....  it is a wonderful ebook.  Stop by and visit her site. I love her sharing ideas with me.... she is a good friend.  

We had a great Thanksgiving.    We started a new tradition of taking a twin sheet and with sharpies I drew "Happy Thanksgiving 2008" and then let the children draw on it.   I traced their hands and wrote their names and ages in each hand.   It turned out really nice. I took pic and will try to download some here soon.    Amber & Michael even traced their hands, and Amber drew our family... she is very good at drawing.  :)

Make memories~

Fun Times~

This past week it has been freezing here in South Georgia.  We put the sprinkler on the tramopline and the children LOVE what they saw the next morning!

          Ice Crystals

Over at Holy Experience blog she is talking about Advent Conspiracy....   it is a great read.  Plus a touchy clip for you to watch.  Makes us all think.....     talks about doing MORE with your family and buying LESS. Ann continues to touch my heart as she writes.

The little boys & me...... 

I do not post many pics of me.... but wanted to share with all of you.  May each of you make memories this week of Thanksgiving...    baking, reading, and THANKING God for so many blessings~

Over the River and Through the Woods

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only a few short days away? At this time last year my family and I were getting ready to drive up to Idaho to spend the holiday at my grandparents’ house. That was the first time we got to see their new home. By the time we arrived, a blanket of snow had fallen and covered the town, making it look just like a wintery scene out of a movie.

Read the rest of this post here...

Tis the Season (almost!)

Well, now that I've neglected both blogging and commenting for a week and a half, I guess it's time to update again. 
I'm sick with a full-fledged cold, and have spent the past couple of days curled up with a blanket and either my laptop or the book I'm reading.  I'm feeling a tad bit better overall today, although my head still feels like it might be in danger of exploding.  My dad is sick again too... he keeps telling me I made him sick, but I tell him he started it.  :-) 

I've been refusing to listen to Christmas music or anything until after Thanksgiving, trying to enjoy each season and not rush the holiday.... but today I think I'm just in the Christmas spirit!  haha.  I found myself singing Amy Grant Christmas songs in the shower this afternoon, and just feeling excited about one of my favorite times of year.  Hard to believe that after Thanksgiving, the Christmas season will be here, and it'll be less than a month until the 25th! 

What are you all doing for Thanksgiving?  We'll be celebrating at home, and Briana will also be home for a few days.  We usually spend the morning watching the Macy's parade, the afternoon cooking and hanging out together, and eat our big meal at supper-time. 

Just to update you... my summer plans MAY be changing.  I'm really not quite sure what's in the plans right now, but knowing that God sees my past, present, AND future gives me a lot of peace!!  :-) 

Have a great weekend and God bless!!
~Ashley

Give thanks to the Lord
For He is good;
His lovingkindess is everlasting!!

Sweet Memories

New Post

Thanksgiving..... 2008

What are your plans this Thanksgiving? Please share any ideas, traditions, special things that you do or will do.  I love hearing and sharing with you.

I think I have realized with Thanksgiving & Christmas that I like the weeks leading up to the day as good or maybe better than the DAY of the holiday.  I know that may sound weird but I plan special things and we space them out, we read our Advent stuff & decorate our tree.... we Christmas carol, read and watch Christmas specials. We tell what we are thankful for, read our Thanksgiving books,  bake....  

A friend shared that each Thanksgiving they take a sheet and use it as a table cloth.  Each family member colors, writes and they trace their handprints.  I really like this idea. Thanks, Janne! 

We will read our "thanks" out of our "Thankful Box" on Thanksgiving day.   We will be home Thanksgiving day this year.   In years past we all went to my parents and had Thanksgiving with them and my sister. Then they came here for Christmas.  It is hard to believe they (mom & dad) are both gone.  This will be the first Christmas without my Mom.  Our second Christmas without my Dad.  I hope my sister comes up for Christmas (she is alone, no children and a widow).    Life moves on....  with some tears, memories & more cherished moments with family. 

 Wesley & Papa (my dad) Christmas 2005

Make memories~

Matthew 9:16-17

"But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.
Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved."  Matthew 9:16-17

I spent some time reading and meditating on these verses yesterday, and this is what they mean to me. 
-- I cannot add Jesus to my life, like a patch, or like the icing on the cake.  That's not what Jesus is.  He will not be an "added bonus" to my life. 
-- I cannot have both Jesus and my old life.  I can't expect to keep them both.  It's what is within a person that makes them clean or unclean; if we have Jesus within us, how can we expect to keep living the same life as when He wasn't in us?  It just doesn't work that way. 

I think many of us probably don't realize what we're "getting ourselves into" when we accept Jesus.  He isn't just added to our life to make it better -- He wants to CHANGE our whole life and to BE our life!  He is God and He will not be mocked.  He does not delight in lukewarm, half-hearted following.  He asks for hot or cold, all or nothing (Rev. 3:15-16).  "Take up your cross and follow Me."  That's FULL commitment. 

Think about it -- when you first accepted Jesus and began following Him, did you realize how much He would change your life?  Did you anticipate being where you are today?  I can say that I didn't!  I first accepted Christ at six years old, so I didn't really know or expect much at that point except I knew I needed to be saved.  After recommitting my life to God in my early teens and beginning to take my faith much more seriously... I committed to live for Him, but I don't think that I understood still what that really meant. 
Because today, looking back, I'm in awe of what God has done.  My life today is different than I ever, ever expected it to be, both physically and spiritually.  God has changed and is changing my life and my goals in many ways. 
And I'll be the first to say that I still have a long, long way to go!  Am I at that place of "taking up my cross" FULL commitment?  I'd like to think so, but only He knows the depths of my heart.  I'm getting there, and He is a gracious, patient Father.  He is still working on me, even this very day -- teaching me new things.  Challenging my beliefs.  Strengthening my faith.  Taking me down paths I'm unfamiliar with.  Pruning away what's unimportant and wrong and making me more like Jesus.  Getting rid of my old wineskin (old life) and moving me to the fresh, new one.  That's what He does with His children, because HE is good!!

A few things I'm slooowly learning... just in hopes that they might encourage someone else:
1.  It's okay to make a mistake and feel foolish sometimes.  It's not the end of the world. 
2.  When I feel stressed about something, there is usually some kind of fear as the root cause.
3.  When God says "all things", He means ALL THINGS. 

Let's run the race and fight the fight of faith!  There is endless depth to the Christian life, and GOD is what it's all about.  I'm convinced that life isn't worth living if it isn't lived for Him.
"Life is just a breath.  All that will matter forever and ever in our heavenly state is the glory that came to God through our lives... Undoubtedly and ultimately we will be most blessed when God is most glorified." -- Believing God by Beth Moore
 

I am still here.....

yes....  here.

Lots going on.... 

We celebrated 28 yrs of marriage this past weekend.  Our oldest will celebrate his 1st year of marriage tomorrow.  I can not believe it was a year ago.....    time moves on.

A dear friend of ours, Sandi ... went to be with Jesus this past week.  A week ago tomorrow.  My heart hurts.  She impacted so many people.  She glorified God in all she did.... her life, her illness, even in her death. I miss her.  I am praying for her husband, daughter & son.   Her son is my Dakota's age... they are friends.  Sandi was 44.  You can go here if you want to read about her testimony

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=27586494235   

       Sandi.....

I appreciate you stopping by..... your comments....  the holidays are coming.  I will post soon and share some activities and ideas we will be doing.

Thank you.... and if you think of it could you pray for the Sears family.  Did I say ... my heart hurts?

Camping Trip Photos

Here are some photos from our family's camping trip to Cumberland Mtn State Park. 

Briana and me getting ready to go for a bike ride thru the campground

My parents

The four girls by the lake

Hanging out at the playground

Enjoying a warm campfire and s'mores on a cold October night

"Can I take it home with me??"  ~Daniella

I love camping in the fall - it's so pretty!

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I'm still thinking, researching, praying, and narrowing down my options for where I'm going to go as a summer missionary.  I emailed the top 8 out of 13 that I was most interested in, and most of them have emailed me back with more information.  I've already ruled out at least one of those.  Looks like I'm probably going to be going somewhere out west... California, New Mexico, something like that.  We'll see.  If you would, please help me pray that I'll know just where God wants me this for this summer!!  Thanks bunches. 

Also, thanks for praying for my family.  My dad went to the doctor, and he had a sinus infection, throat infection, double ear and double eye infection.  No fun!!  Marissa (11) has also been sick, but she's getting better pretty quickly.  Daddy is on antibiotics and is starting to feel better.  Thankfully, the rest of us have stayed well!! 

God bless and have a great weekend! 
~Ashley

With a grateful heart,
With a song of praise,
With an outstretched arm,
I will bless Your Name...
I just want to thank You, Lord!
-- "Thank You Lord" a song the choir sings