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Thoughts Along the Way
Friday, May 29, 2009
Hello! I'm Here!
Yes, I know, it has been an incredibly long time since my last blog post.
A lot has gone on since my last post.
First and foremost, Ruthie Eloise entered this world on March 9. She is a beautiful baby and a joy to all of us. She has an instant fan club in her brother and sisters. They are so into everything she does and they love to make her smile and giggle.
If you want to see pictures and basically stay more current with what is going on in my life.... I know, it is so exciting.... I am on Facebook and would love for you to be my friend over there. At this time of my life, it is way more easier to keep up with popping on Facebook than it is to write a blog post on a regular basis. So, search for me Christa Herrema Mullins on Facebook and let me know that you are a blog friend.
I hope to "see" you soon!
In Him,
Christa
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Thursday, November 13, 2008
HALT!
I received the devotional below from a dear friend today. As I read it, I just knew I needed to post it here to share. As moms, we are often faced with different times in our lives that can potentially lead us to depression. It is so helpful to know that we can be aware and prepared to act to help ourselves from falling in too deep.
First of all, let me state that I am not a professional! I do not know all the ins and outs of clinical depression. I am just a mom who has dealt with some depression in my life. I am not against seeking professional help, and am all for medication if it is needed.
When I realized that I was depressed, the Lord was beginning me on a journey to learn to depend more on Him. I began to really personalize His Word and see how it related so personally to my life and what I was going through. I started praying passages to Him and seeing how He would guide me to specific Scriptures to teach me, heal me and/or comfort me.
In this season of pouring out into my children's lives, it is vital that I am being filled by my Lord and doing the things that help me to be able to serve and love with a joyful heart.
With that said, I share with you the thoughts below... I hope you find them helpful.
From Quiet Moments with God devotional:
Hebrews 12:1 TLB Let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up.
Those who counsel the clinically depressed often suggest the HALT! method to their patients. HALT is an acronym based upon these four words:
. Hungry
. Angry
. Lonely
. Tired
Too much of any of these conditions can result in a stress overload and lead to a downward spiral that eventually crashes into a form of depression. When two or more of these conditions are present, the downward plunge happens faster, with greater pain. And, if all four conditions are present as an ongoing pattern in a person's life, the person's depression may not only be deep, but life itself may be endangered.
To compound the problem, hunger anger, loneliness, and exhaustion tend to cluster together. If you are overly tired, it's easier to become angry. If you have missed a meal, you are likely to get tired more quickly, and so forth.
Therefore, any time you are feeling too hungry, too angry, too lonely, or too tired...it's time to call a HALT! and to take immediate remedial action. Have a healthy bite to eat. Release your anger in prayer, exercise, or an act of reconciliation. Call a friend, and pour out your heart. Take a nap, or go to bed early.
"Call it to a halt" and "enough is enough" are well-known phrases we need to apply on a daily basis. Don't neglect your personal nutrition. Get enough sleep. Balance your life with friendships. Live in peace with the people around you.
As you prepare to come to the end of your workday, it's especially important you remember to HALT!. Don't push yourself into overdrive, even if you have to work overtime. Avoid setting yourself up for a crash by staying well fed, calm, in touch with friends, and refreshed.
"Holy Leisure" refers to a sense of balance
in the life, an ability to be at peace through
the activities of the day, an ability to rest
and take time to enjoy beauty.
An ability to pace ourselves.
-- Richard Foster
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Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Learning to Follow What the Lord Has for Me
As I write this, it is the morning after the PPEA's Annual Tea. I had thought that I would go, after all, I am a board member! Many friends would be there and this would be lovely time of fellowship. It sounded like a good thing to plan to do, right? Well, all along, I never felt settled about going, and it was more than just because I am 5 months pregnant and evening activities wear this momma out. Well, I took this unsettled feeling as a leading from the Lord to stay home last night.
And you know what? I could see His purpose almost right away. In the afternoon, when I would have been getting myself ready and then heading over to help with preparations for the Tea, I was able to help a friend in a time of need. If I had gone to the Tea, I would not have been as readily available to help and probably stressed out besides. Also, my husband came home from work with an armload of work that he needed to work on last night. If I had planned on going to the Tea, he would have been left with all that work to do as well as taking care of the kids. Or it could have ended up that he would have asked me to stay home and I would have been disappointed or even worse, mad at him for making me miss out.
I'm sharing this because the Lord is teaching me to be lead by Him, to rest in what has for me, not for anyone else....for me!
Not too long ago, I felt the need to keep up with what my friends were doing. I thought I had to keep up. But, I'm not supposed to be looking a others for direction in my life...I'm to be looking to the One who made me. Staying really busy and being out and about does not work so well for me. It stresses me out and drains me. I need down time and time of quiet. You may not be like me, the Lord has a plan for your life, too.
When I am seeking Him and spending time in His Word and talking with Him, I am more able to hear His leading in my life. When I quiet my heart and wait for His still, small voice, He shows me the way to go.
I just found this verse yesterday, and it goes so well with what He has been teaching me...
The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." Psalm 32:8 NLT
I just love this verse! He wants us to come to Him, He wants to show us the best pathway for each one of us. The question is, are we going to Him and asking?
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Thursday, November 6, 2008
Awakening
Please forgive me.
I know that it has been a long time since I have posted an entry. If you have found your way here, thank you for your patience. I just have not had much to say lately.
Life has gone on. Sam has had a birthday. Girls are growing and thriving. The air is cooler now, so the kids have been running around outside, hollering and chasing. It is good.
In October we found out that we are having another girl. :-) Her name is Ruthie Eloise and we are all looking forward to her arrival in March. I just cannot wait to smell her little fuzzy head and cradle her warm little body. But for now I enjoy feeling her soft jabs within my belly. There is nothing like it in all the world... to feel your little one moving around inside you.
This morning I was digging through the two books of Timothy trying to find the verses that instruct us to pray for our kings and those in authority over us. Finally I found them, (1 Timothy 2:1-4) but as I was skimming through the books of Timothy, I was realizing what a treasure trove these books truly are. There is so much in these letters that tell us how to live as Christians. I am feeling drawn to study these books. So, I think I should.
Here are the verses from Timothy that I was looking for:
1 Timothy 2:1-4
"I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, for He wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth."
I hope to be writing here more frequently, but I honestly can only write when I feel like I have something to say. I'm really still not sure how I feel about blogging and having my thoughts and activities out there for anyone to read and see. I certainly do not think that who I am or what I have to say is all that interesting. My desire is to share what the Lord is doing in my life, in the hopes that it will draw you closer to Him.
Let me close with two verses my sister sent my way this week:
Psalm 20:7
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
Isaiah 12:2
Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the LORD God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.
May His name be praised!
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Thursday, September 18, 2008
Thinking about Labels
I've never been one who likes labels for people.
Oh, yeah, I've been guilty of using them for other people, but I have never liked having them applied to me. Labels are so confining and miss the fullness and uniqueness of a person. They can help begin understanding, but they never can fully encapsulate the person it is placed. on.
Some labels that can be and have been applied to me are Stay-at-Home Mom, Homeschooler, Bread baker, Christian, Republican, Blogger... you get the picture. Each one of those labels forms a picture in your head of what I am like. Now, your picture may be different from someone else's depending on what your thoughts and experiences have been with others with the same labels. But, those labels can never fully describe who I am and how those different parts of me actually look walked out in my life. They can cause assumptions. And you know what they say about assumptions.....
When I don't really know someone, the labels can help begin the conversation of getting to know each other. They can be a good starting point. But when the conversation does not go beyond the labels, there is not true knowledge of the person. You are not truly known.
In a book I'm reading the author talked about forming friendships with people is about being known to that person and knowing them in a personal way. It is not about changing them. That is big.
It is so much easier to slap a label on someone and hold them to that label if we do not really know them. And it goes the other way, too. When they do not really know us, they tend to just see our labels and not what is underneath.
A friend and I were talking this morning about how many women are on anti-depressants. It seems that almost everyone you meet is on some form of medication to help them make it through their day. I have to wonder, how much of that is brought on by living with so many labels and trying to hide behind them, or to live up to them?
To know and to be known...
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Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Off the Top of My Head
It's amazing, really, how little it takes to make me happy.
A little heated milk with some coffee poured in, some Sucanat stirred around.... a cup full of warmth and goodness.
Sunny, blue skies.
A calm tummy.
Quiet kids.
And then, it's equally amazing how quickly that happiness goes flying out the window.... how little it takes to make me cranky and irritable.
Loud kids.
Messy kitchens.
Interrupted schedules.
A wave of nausea.
Why can't I remain in that place of peace and contentment even when my circumstances change? I know that I am supposed to keep my eyes fixed on the Lord....that when my hope is in Him and not my circumstances I will find everything I need.
But, is that even possible for me?
Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Matt. 19:26
Is this a Romans 12:2 question? (Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.)
Somewhere, deep down, the way I think must be off. It needs to change. Deep down I must think that I can do SOME things on my own. Deep down I must think that I can't trust that God's way is best.
Oh Lord, thank You for never turning me away when I come to You. Thank You for helping me to see that what is impossible for me is not impossible for You. Please keep working in me. Please keep changing the way I think, rooting out what is wrong thinking and replacing it with what is true.
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Monday, August 25, 2008
Joy Comes in the Morning
My heart has heard You say, "Come and talk with Me," and my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming!" Psalm 27:8 NLT
Praise the Lord! He called to my heart, and finally, my heart responded and went and talked with Him! He drew me to Him and it is so awesome.
As I have announced on here earlier, I am pregnant. I have just hit the 12 week mark and I have been sick. Really sick....oh yeah, and tired. I have, also, unfortunately, taken my focus off of the Lord and set it squarely on my circumstances and how I have been feeling. Yes, it is very easy to focus on how I am feeling when I am really nauseous and trying to keep my lunch down, or when I really tired and I feel like doing absolutely nothing. But, easy does not equal right or best.
I was a big lump of blah. I had no desire to do much of anything, and even when I did pick up my Bible, or try to pray, that fell flat, too. Everything was starting to be colored grey in my life.
But, for whatever reason, this morning was different. I picked up my Bible and my journal and again, I was just doing it because I knew I "should". I had no special feeling or excitement. I was just going through the motions. But, the Lord was calling to my heart to come and talk with Him. My head and my ears just weren't clued in yet.
I started to write in my journal. And just started to write how I was feeling to Him. I felt guilty, really, like I shouldn't be saying all this to Him... I was complaining, really. But as I wrote, it was like a gentle rain was falling on the dry soil of my heart. He was there with me. I knew He could hear me. And I could feel my heart softening. I told Him it was like I had been in this dark, grey room with big walls all around me for so long and He just broke through that wall this morning.
But the Lord waits for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for Him to help them. Isaiah 30:18 NLT
Somehow, He got me to Himself this morning. And He was there, ready to show me His love and compassion. And I am so blessed!
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Friday, July 25, 2008
Friday Evening at Our House
Well, life has been not so exciting around here lately..... morning sickness does that to a person. I'm not complaining.... I'm just sayin'.
Seeing that I have not posted much lately, I thought I would post some very recent (as in I just took them and uploaded them) pictures of everyone (except me) to let you see how the kids are growing and how handsome my darling husband is.
Here they are!
Here's Sam the man. He's getting so tall. (He's almost as tall as me...not quite, though...) The chain around his neck has "The Ring" on it....as in from the Lord of the Rings.... you know "One ring to rule them all, one ring to bind them...." Sonnie and I have been watching 1/2 hour installments of the LOTR triology with Sam and Sophie in the evenings after the "little girls" go to bed, so Sam and Sophie have been very into everything to do with LOTR.
Here's my Sophie-girl. She didn't really want her picture taken....that's my Soph. She is also getting tall and her feet are now bigger than mine! UGH! She my dragon-loving, book reading, artsy girl.
Josie. This girl is something else. She is a bundle of energy and determination. She loves to make books, to draw, to create almost anything you can think of. She is getting her top front two teeth in .... which in a way is really weird because she hasn't had her front top right tooth since she was three. (She had to have it pulled due to an abscess.)
Gracie, or Fancy Nancy as she is otherwise known as, just had to have two pictures. Gracie loves to dress up (Did you notice all the rings in the top picture? Gramma brought those over and Gracie is loving them!) She sings and dances and is moving almost all the time...except during our special time together each day after her nap, when we sit together and watch "cooking shows" on TV.
And last, but never least, is my husband. What a guy! (He has great hair, too!) He has always been a wonderful husband and father, but, he is really shining during this time when I am feeling yucky almost all of the time. He has gone grocery shopping for me, done dishes, made meals, been working on several projects around the house and most importantly went and got me Thai food for dinner tonight. Thank you, Honey!
So, that's a quick update on us. We're just hanging out on a rainy Friday evening enjoying being together.
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Wednesday, July 16, 2008
It's been such a long time....
Where have I been? Ha! That's a good question! Where have I been?
For whatever reason, I just have not been inspired to write on my blog for a long time. For those of you who keep faithfully checking in to see if I have added anything new, I am so sorry for my long absence. I honestly just did not have anything to say.
Life has been moving along. Summer has arrived. Sonnie is on break from his teaching job and is doing his summer job of testing homeschooled students. We bought a membership to the Aquarium and have loved going over to watch the fishes. It is a wonderful place! Also, because we are members, we also have free admittance to other area museums, etc., so we have been trying to take advantage of all our perks.
Here are some pictures of our first visit to the Aquarium:
Also this summer I have had some new and exciting things going on. Earlier this month, I turned 40. So far it has not been a big deal, I've already been dealing with the evidence of getting older, such as, grey hair, high blood pressure and this 40 year-old body. (Oh joy!) I was able to celebrate not only with my husband and family, but my dear friend Stephanie took me out for a walk on the beach and a smoothie (which was great and VERY green!) and the following week my dear friend Mary arranged a special dinner at Red Lobster and surprised me with extra friends. It was a wonderful time and I felt very loved. AND, I had crab legs for the first time ever! For pictures of this fun event, click here. But WAIT, don't go there until you read the next paragraph!
As a special 40th birthday present from my Creator and King, I received the blessing of a new baby growing within! Yes, I discovered that I am "with-child" shortly after my birthday. We are all excited and looking forward to the arrival of a new Mullin's baby in March 2009.
And with that little nugget, I will close for now. Hopefully, I will be writing again sooner than later. Please just be patient with me!
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Thursday, June 5, 2008
Over and Over Again
I am so thankful that the Lord is so patient. He is the Ultimate teacher, realizing my need for constant repetition. Thankfully, His Word, our Guidebook for life repeats over and over His theme...."Come to Me."
He brought that theme back to me once again, because I needed to be reminded. I had gotten off track, once again. My focus was off. My intentions were good, but my Source had been blocked, because I was not going, I was not listening, I was seeking in wrong places.
Lovingly, quietly, He began placing before my eyes and ears His Words. Repeating the refrain that I forgot to sing. It started with the hymn we are learning this week.... "O God, Our Help in Ages Past.... our hope for years to come. Our shelter from the stormy blast and our eternal home."
Then the deep discussions came. Talks about why we do what we do, the paths God leads us in and that our path may not look like someone else's path, but really they are the same, if we are following Jesus; if we are following His voice.
A verse at the end of a friend's email yesterday was brought before my eyes again this morning:
The Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says, "Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength." Isaiah 30:15
Oh how quickly I get distracted from the Lord! Even when I knew He had just showed me some big things about how we raise and school our children, I somehow just took the ball and ran. I thought that I needed to figure out the "how" now that He had given me the "what". I got overwhelmed, once again, bogged down by this "new assignment" from the Lord. I forgot to stay close to Him, to keep my eyes fixed on Him, to put my whole trust in Him.
But the Lord waits for you to come to him so He can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for Him to help them. ... and you will hear a voice say, "This is the way; turn around and walk here." Then you will destroy all your silver idols and gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags. "Ugh!" you will say to them. "Begone!" Isaiah 30:18, 21-22
If I try to figure out what God wants me to do, my ideas, my plans can become idols in my life. He will show me His way, if I ask Him to and if I wait for Him. And there is even more. He will give me the desire and the strength I need to do what He tells me to do!
Yesterday, as I was reading to the kids from a devotional, He spoke again to my heart. This verse was the theme of the devotion:
For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him. Philippians 2:13
God is so good!
Over and over in His Word He tells us to stick close to Him, to abide in Him, to listen only to His voice, to trust in Him with all our hearts. The Bible is full of many different ways of saying, "Come to Me."
Lord, thank You for repeating Yourself! Thank You for not getting frustrated with me. Thank You for not giving up on me. Thank You for patiently telling me again and again, "Come to Me."
My heart has heard You say, "Come and talk with Me." And my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming!" Psalm 27:8
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Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Keepin' It Real
I wanted to add an addendum to my post from this morning.
I am much "lighter", shall we say, this afternoon. Yes, I was in a bit of a funk this morning... and those memories from when I was a little girl just came to me. I had to write. That part feels good. It is good to write, to express what is going on in my head, to get it out.
I do so much better with writing than talking. Well, except with Mary... 
When I write, and I'm in the mood to write, I can express myself so much better.
OK, enough self reflection. I just wanted to share that I didn't have a terrible day. It was a little blue, but nothing too awful. I also just took a long walk in the hot sunshine....that always seems to help.
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Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Dancing Around the Edges
When I was a little girl I went to Spruce Street Elementary School.
I really didn't want to be at school. I just wanted to be at home.
At home I was safe. At home it was warm and quiet and comfortable. I could be in my room and pretend and think and sing. I could read my Little House on the Prairie books and take a nap in the sunshine patch that shone brightly on my golden shag rug.
There were times, I'm not sure how many, that I would run away from school.... I just couldn't be there any more. A friend lived near the school, near enough for my little girl legs to run to, and so I would run there. I had no idea the fear or concern that may have caused my mom or my teachers. I just couldn't stay there any more.
Yesterday, I talked to my mom on the phone. Immediately she heard it in my voice. She heard it, even before I was ready to admit it even to myself. Flatness. It made me mad that she could sense that I was having "a day". I don't like it to show. Besides, I hadn't even recognized it yet.
Depression is not something I feel like advertising. And to be honest, I still don't know that you could call what I have depression. Tired, sad, blue. Overwhelmed. Just wanting to be home.
And yet, the strange thing is, even though I don't really want to admit it to anyone, especially my mom, I have to write about it.
If you have checked my blog lately, I have not written for a long time. But, today, as I realized how I was feeling, I was drawn to write it out.
Part of all this is accepting who I am, what my weaknesses are, and how I walk that out in my day to day life. As I talked about this with Mary she described my boundaries as "intimate". I cannot handle wide open boundaries....many activities, many relationships, going, doing, being. My boundaries are closer, more controlled, less chaotic. And that's OK. God works in and through my weaknesses.
I am still growing in my understanding of who God has made me. The closer I get to 40 the more I am understanding and the more I am learning to lean on the Everlasting Arms. I know I have a long way to go. But I am not alone. Nor do I have to do this in my own strength.
Great is His faithfulness.
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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Changing the Way I Think
"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think..." Romans 12:2
God has been using this verse in my life recently to CHANGE THE WAY I THINK! :-)
This verse was a memory verse that I was assigned as part of the Freedom Workshop that I attended for the past six weeks.
One of the ways God is changing the way I think is through the memorization of Scripture. (Actually this is a major way He is using.) Never before did I truly understand the importance of memorizing the Word of God. Yeah, I knew it was something Christians should do. And, I had at times been able to memorize some Bible verses and rattle them off occasionally.
BUT, as I have submitted to the authority of my leader in the Freedom Workshop and completed the assignments of memorizing the verses each week, I am beginning to see that it is so much more than knowing the words in the right order and where they are located in the Bible.
As I memorize the verses, I think about them. I meditate on them. They have penetrated deep within my heart. (Proverbs 4: 20-22) It does help that we have also been reading the surrounding Scriptures in which these verses are located. I have read them in context. I am understanding their meaning. They are becoming a part of me. They are changing the way I think! (see Romans 12:2) :-)
Last night as I was beginning well into a pretty regular interior scene of feeling sorry for myself because I had things to do around the house as part of my duties of wife/mother, the words of Romans 12:2 came to my mind. Yes, I had been attempting a conversation with the Lord about how I was feeling....and it was then that He reminded me that I needed my thinking to be changed.
If my thinking is correct, my actions will be correct. And as God changes the way I think, I will be transformed into a new person! The new person that is already inside me. The new man who is no longer listening to nor engaging the sinful nature that is still present within me.
I am so thankful for this evidence that the Lord is changing the way I think about my life and about memorizing His Word.
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Monday, May 12, 2008
Being Renewed Day by Day
Where have I been? Good question.
Where have I been?
I pretty much crashed after a very busy month of good things and many celebrations. Four birthdays, an anniversary and a college graduation. Whew! Field trips, Freedom Workshop, art festivals, you name it, we did it....almost. It was a lot for this little momma to handle.
And you know what? I thought I had it all together. I certainly didn't want anyone to know that a little extra activity wore me out. But it did. Too much activity for me along with too much sugar from all those celebration cakes as well as too little exercise, added up to me flirtin' with depression.
I admit last week was a hard week for me. I had been really looking forward to just getting back into a normal routine - settling back into school with the kids, getting my laundry done and my house back in order. I didn't count on my weak earthly body and mind showing what they're made of.
I honestly thought that now that I have gone to Freedom Workshop and I am learning to - through the power of the Holy Spirit - turn from my sinful nature and listen to God's voice and follow Him.... that I would be free from anxiety and depression. Ha!
Well, I think that first of all that is rather prideful, isn't it? Yeah, I go through 6 weeks of the Freedom Workshop and I've got it down! Something that Debbie, the one the Lord uses to lead this workshop, says she still doesn't have down! She still forgets to remember.... and so do I.
For a reason only God knows, and I know that He knows what is best, anxiety and depression are part of my weaknesses here on earth. I praise and thank Him that it is not clinical. He is using my weakness in so many ways to glorify Himself through my life as well as to get me to Him, over and over and over. Without my weaknesses, I truly would think that I could do this life all on my own. So I thank Him for my weaknesses.
I was reading in 2 Corinthians 4 and 5 this morning. The Lord is so good.
This is what 2 Corinthians 4: 5-7 says:
You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
It is all about Him. My "message" to all I come in contact with is to be Jesus. The light and power inside me is Him. My troubles, trials and dying body all serve to display His life. When I share with others about my sufferings I do not want the focus to be on the sufferings, I pray that Jesus is seen through me and my sufferings.
2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 says:
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
I had to confess to the Lord that I focus on my troubles way more than I look forward to what is to come. My desire is that His life shine through my "dying body." As I sat in the quiet this morning and focused on His Word I felt it "penetrate deep within (my) heart." I felt it bringing "life and radiant health" (Proverbs 4: 20-22) to me as He uncovered the meaning of His Word to me.
And so begins a new week. I am trusting in the Lord for the strength I need. How about you?
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Thursday, May 1, 2008
15 Years!
15 years ago today, my dad walked me down an aisle and gave me away to be wed to my husband.
On May 1, 1993 I married the only man for me. I began a journey that I could have never dreamed of. And I wouldn't trade it for anything.
We look like babies, don't we?
My sister, brother, brother-in-law and sister-in-law were our attendants. We had a morning wedding in Lake Seminole Park. It was a beautiful morning and I wouldn't change a thing.
I love you, Sonnie! I look forward to what the next 15 years (and more) will bring.
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Thursday, May 1, 2008
Happy Birthday Josie!
Josie turned 7 yesterday!
Seven years ago this precious girl entered this world and our lives. She is truly a gift from the Lord and I am blessed to be her mom. Josie is full of life and smiles. She is full of creativity and can usually be found creating a book or a picture or a paper iPod. She loves to have tea parties and is a wonderful hostess. God has great plans for this girl, I just know it. She is just bursting with potential.
Yesterday was a big day and a special day as we celebrated Josie's birthday. Early in the day Grammy brought over cupcakes for our mid-day celebration.
(I am so sorry about the changing picture sizes, Photobucket is not co-operating with me this morning!)
At lunch time Josie and I picked up Josie's friend Haley and we went to Emma's Rose to have a special tea party. We had a wonderful lunch of finger sandwiches, scones with cream and jam and cake. The tea was very good, too!
They even had a sweet little hat for Josie to wear because she was the birthday girl. We so enjoyed having Haley join us for tea. The girls were perfect little ladies and even tried sandwiches that they had never tasted before.
We headed home and had celebration number two with Gramma and Aunt Dreama. There were lots of presents and laughs. Here is Josie with her new American Girl doll, Mia, from Gramma:
After supper we had celebration number three with Grammy and Pop. Grammy made a beautiful tea pot cake with her friend Mary Jane. They did a fantastic job on the cake and Josie loved it.
Grammy and Pop also gave Josie the real tea pot in the picture. The cute outfit she has on is from Gramma. Josie also received lots of craft supplies, from both Gramma and Grammy, so she will be set to create many masterpieces for a long time.
We had a wonderful day celebrating this wonderful girl. I am so enjoying getting to know Josie as she grows in grace. She has a heart for the Lord already and easily memorizes His Word. She is a blessing and an encouragement to me.
I look forward to the next year with my Josie, and for hopefully many, many years to come.
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Wednesday, April 16, 2008
My Salt and Light Share 4/16/08
This morning I was "doing school" with Gracie. Her Bible story was about the Israelites in Egypt. We read that they were slaves and had to work very hard, making and carrying and building with big, heavy bricks. Here is a picture of the page in her children's Bible that we read from:
As I looked at that picture and read the words I had this huge realization that when I am trying to work to please God, or when I am listening to my sinful nature tell me what to do, I am just like the Israelite slaves in that picture. When I am forgetting my position in Christ, and that the sinful nature was crucified with Christ and that it no longer has any power over me...it is like I am dragging one of those huge stones up an incline all by myself. The sad thing is that I have been living far too much of my life like that. The awesome, most wonderful thing is, I don't have to live like that any more! My sinful nature was crucified with Christ! It doesn't have control over me! I don't have to listen to it, or do what it says! Another huge thing I am learning is that I can and should be completely honest with God about how I am feeling, what I am hear, what I want to do, what I don't want to do.... you name it! He desires honesty in the innermost being. He already knows how I am feeling, what I am thinking, what I am wanting to say.... I don't have to hide from Him. Praise the Lord! And when I share it all with Him, He can work in me and through me. Halleluiah!
Romans 8:12-14
So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature is urging you to do. For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But, if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds you will live. All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
I was reading Ephesians 1 this morning. Wow! If you ever need a "pick-me-up", a reminder of what God has done for us, read this chapter! As you read it, talk with the Lord. Thank Him for what He has done for us through Christ Jesus!
Another thing I am learning is that I don't have to try to produce the fruit of the Spirit in my life. Because, the hard, cold truth is, I CAN"T DO IT! I just can't. Oh have I tried. But I can't. BUT, when I turn to the Lord and stop listening to the sinful nature, and I am honest with Him about what I am feeling, and I pour it all out to Him....He can clear out all the sludge and the yuck and clean me out and His Holy Spirit (which I have 100% of, by the way, and you do too, if you are a Child of God) is unleashed inside me (because when I'm listening to my sinful nature and doing what it is telling me to do, I am quenching the Holy Spirit) and the fruit of the Spirit (that is already all inside me because the Holy Spirit is in me) can come bursting out of me. Whooo Hoooo! I can stop trying to produce fruit on my own! Whew!
Let me give a quick example that happened this morning. This morning, Sam was rolling around and having a hard time getting going with his day. I was starting to get frustrated with him because I have an agenda, and he was just not sticking to "my plan" for the day! Come to find out, he has a headache and it appears to be a big one. Now, did that help the momma love to start flowing? No way! My sinful nature was right there yapping in my mind...."Oh great! Here we go! Another day down the drain because Sam has a headache. Oh, and I'll have to do his chores now, too! Great!" And I was wanting to just run down that usual path of irritation, self pity, anger... But then, I remembered what I was learning yesterday in the Freedom Workshop. I HAVE NO OBLIGATION WHATSOEVER TO DO WHAT MY SINFUL NATURE IS URGING ME TO DO! So, what do I do now? I went in my room and started telling God exactly what I was thinking and feeling. I basically told him exactly what my sinful nature was telling me, above. Well, you know what? It truly was like it just melted away. That sinful nature just lost it steam and stopped talking. Next thing I knew I was asking forgiveness for my attitude. I was praying for Sam and for his healing. I was asking the Lord to show me what HE wanted me to do today. I even started praying for other people! I was actually able to go into Sam's room and in true love ask him how he was doing, I took care of what he needed, I even joyfully went out and took care of the chicken! (which is one of Sam's chores) Praise the Lord! Now, if I can remember to keep doing this! :-)
I wanted to share that story, because, I am just learning how to do this. And, yesterday, when Debbie shared story after story of her own journey with this, it was so helpful to me.
Psalm 27:8
My heart has heard You say, "Come and talk with Me." And my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."
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Sunday, April 13, 2008
This week at our house - 4/7 - 4/11/08
We got back into the groove of schooling around here this week after a week off for Spring Break with Dad. While it is always nice to have a break, I usually really enjoy getting back to our regular routine...and I have very much enjoyed getting back to our Heart of Dakota. Yay!
Gracie - Little Hands to Heaven
This week Gracie has been learning about Joseph, the letter E and the number 6. We even started trying to incorporate a memory verse from the "Big Thoughts for Little People" devotional book. Gracie continues to enjoy the finger plays and she is really quickly picking up the letter sounds and recognizing the letters, as well as learning her numbers.
Here she is helping her kitty follow the shape of the letter E:
And here she is acting out Joseph's brothers bowing before him with Bambi and her dragon doll:
Josie - Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory
This week Josie and I read about what it was like for the Christians in England to gather to worship apart from King James' church. I think this was very eye opening for both of us and I kept thinking of the Christians today in places like China who are having to memorize chapters and books of the Bible and meet underground to worship together. We read about why the English Christians had to go to Holland and about the freedom to worship they found there.
In science, to help understand how bees transfer pollen from one flower to another, Josie (and Gracie) did a fun activity with crushed Goldfish crackers and two plates.
Josie dipped her fingers in the crushed crackers on the one plate and then "flew" over to the other plate and saw how the "pollen" fell off onto the plate. This was a fun and easy way to help learn about how bees help flowers.
Josie continues to do well with her Bible verse memorization, spelling, math and phonics. We are using The Reading Lesson and she is doing great with it. I love it because it is so easy to use. It is truly "open and go". This is the fourth "learn to read" program I have used, not all of them with Josie, and I have to say it has been the best one for us so far.
Sam and Sophie - Bigger Hearts for His Glory
We are finding our groove with having all four kids "doing school" and Sam and Sophie are finding their groove with Bigger Hearts for His Glory. This week it has worked well to have them get going on their independent work - English, math, Extension reading, and reading their Adventure genre books - while I work with the little girls. When I am finished with Josie and Gracie, Sam and Sophie and I gather together and work on History, Bible, Poetry, Dictation, Science and Storytime.
This week we read about the end of Christopher Columbus' life and John Cabot's explorations. We saw how Proverbs 11:2 (their memory verse) certainly applied to these men's lives in a sad way.
For science, the kids had a notebooking page to do. Here are pictures of their pages. (I'm sorry if they are not very clear.)
Sophie's Page
Sam's Page
We are enjoying the notebooking assignments. It is so helpful to have these assignments so clearly described. I have tried to do notebooking previously in our schooling, but with not as much success. When I tried to do this before, I was just taking a subject we had been learning about and trying to pull out on my own what the kids should do on their pages. Or, I was expecting them to come up with their own ideas. That was too wide open for the kids. Maybe they were not ready for that. Having clear directions spelling out what to do on their pages has been so helpful! Thank you, Carrie. We're finally notebooking successfully!
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Sunday, April 13, 2008
Gracie is Four!
Yes, it's true, my baby is four! It is really hard to believe how fast it all is going by.
Last Sunday was Gracie's fourth birthday. We had a nice day of celebrating this precious little girl.
We started out with presents from us first thing in the morning. It was fun to hear her discover that there were presents on the little table, and that they were all for her. Once we gathered everyone from their beds, she dove in and opened them all as fast as possible.
One of our gifts to her was the new Fancy Nancy book "Bonjour Butterfly". Gracie truly could be Fancy Nancy! She just has a certain flair about everything she does.
(Sorry about the poor quality of this picture...but I had to include it!)
About mid-morning, Gramma and Aunt Dreama came bearing presents and DOUGHNUTS!!! Yay! We all enjoyed the doughnuts very much and Gracie enjoyed diving into a pile of fun presents.
Here she is all dressed up in special things from Gramma:
After a nap and some homemade pizza, we had the final celebration of the day with Grammy and Pop. As you can see, Pop really got into the party spirit:
Nice hat, Pop!
We had fun opening presents, once again, and finally sang Happy Birthday and had cake and ice cream.
Happy Birthday, my sweet girl! I love you! Thank you for all the life you bring to our lives!
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Sunday, April 13, 2008
My Little "China" Girls
A couple of weekends ago we went to the "Folk Fair" downtown. It was a beautiful day, although a bit on the warm side. We had a fun time as a family with Gramma and Aunt Dreama joining us too.
The fair was set up in a park downtown on the water. There were many, many booths set up by people representing countries from all over the world. Each booth displayed information about the country as well as items to buy and food too.
We enjoyed a sampling of Polish peirogies, sausage, thai rice snacks, thai coffee, spinach pie, fried plantains and more.
We spent some time in the main tent where they had performances by people from the various countries. While we were in the tent we watched some very talented dancers, many of them were little girls, performing Irish folk dances. We also listened to a bagpipe ensemble. They were all wonderful to watch.
At the Chinese booth the girls all found outfits that they wanted, so Daddy bought each one the clothes they picked out. Here is a picture of our "China" girls in there outfits after a bath....
We have been enjoying taking little trips around our area lately. We have also been up to Heritage Village a couple of times to enjoy the various festivals they have had recently. Last weekend we attended one with military items and people dressed in military garb from the 1940s. I had a nice chat with a man about the Victory Gardens that families planted during the war and we enjoyed a display about war photographers. We also were able to tour the first floor of the doctor's house that they have on the grounds. We all left feeling very thankful that we live in this day and age.
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