Monday, September 27, 2010
In Training
When the ladies come (in a healthy amount of time...I love my little boy but I don't want him to still be my little boy when he's 35...I just won't have a basement for him to live in), he will be ready.
This Man
This is a good man:
(This is actually the same sweatshirt he was wearing when I fell in love with him for the first time)
A man who is a faithful husband, living with me in understanding
A man who is an attentive and loving daddy who watches over the physical, emotional, and spiritual well being of his children
A man who knows how to be super
A man who puts in the extra effort
A man who truly listens
A man who is careful with his words
A man who cares about our marriage and what his children are doing
A man who is a hard worker who invests not only his time but his whole person in whatever job he is doing
A man who loves family: his, mine, and the one we're raising
A man who is concerned for my happiness
A man who changes diapers, plays tea party, tells stories, tucks his children in at night
A man who will slow down, stop what he's doing to hold a baby or check on his kids to make sure they are sleeping soundly before he goes to bed
A man who is calm in the face of strife
A man who knows how to appologize
A man who is kind
A man who makes his time with the Lord a priority and shows his family, by example, how to live for the Lord
A man who is handsome
A man who still takes my breath away, gives me butterflies in my stomach, and makes me laugh instantaneously
I love THIS man.
Psalm 1:1-3
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
(This is actually the same sweatshirt he was wearing when I fell in love with him for the first time)
A man who is a faithful husband, living with me in understanding
A man who is an attentive and loving daddy who watches over the physical, emotional, and spiritual well being of his children
A man who knows how to be super
A man who puts in the extra effort
A man who truly listens
A man who is careful with his words
A man who cares about our marriage and what his children are doing
A man who is a hard worker who invests not only his time but his whole person in whatever job he is doing
A man who loves family: his, mine, and the one we're raising
A man who is concerned for my happiness
A man who changes diapers, plays tea party, tells stories, tucks his children in at night
A man who will slow down, stop what he's doing to hold a baby or check on his kids to make sure they are sleeping soundly before he goes to bed
A man who is calm in the face of strife
A man who knows how to appologize
A man who is kind
A man who makes his time with the Lord a priority and shows his family, by example, how to live for the Lord
A man who is handsome
A man who still takes my breath away, gives me butterflies in my stomach, and makes me laugh instantaneously
I love THIS man.
Psalm 1:1-3
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
The Beach
WOW...it's so different to take an evening trip to the beach rather than have to plan a whole day affair. We take the kids to Sunset Bay because it's so much calmer and has plenty of sand to play in!
The other night we had an early dinner and went out as a family. We had so much fun all together...a much needed time to catch our breath and enjoy the joy of being a family.
The other night we had an early dinner and went out as a family. We had so much fun all together...a much needed time to catch our breath and enjoy the joy of being a family.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
A New Blog Found
I'm not exactly sure the path I took to get there...but once I arrived, I was stuck. Such an encouragement and such a place to learn. Thanks for your hard work, Joy!
http://www.thestayathomemissionary.com/
go there. You'll appreciate it and you'll learn.
http://www.thestayathomemissionary.com/
go there. You'll appreciate it and you'll learn.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
When You Find Yourself on a Journey
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Mt 11:29-30
I stop to rest a while, to look back and remember where I have been. My feet hurt from the journey, through many mountain highs and valley lows, and they are dirty. They are cut in a few places and they are weary. They tell of places been and experiences earned. My feet will tell a lot, but my heart will tell more. My feet cannot tell of the places they did not walk, for in those places were where I was carried.
When one season is complete and another begins anew, it is easier to look back and see what truly happened. During the season, vision and ability to understand reason is often blurred. It is only in looking back that we see how far we were brought. How much we have accomplished through His plan. How much we would have missed if we were the ones deciding...deciding in those moments where all hope had been lost.
I am just coming out of such a season. I am starting to look back and see truly what just happened. How it has shaped me, how it has changed me, and how I am supposed to learn from it. Now, please understand something...this season was a long journey for me, but it may not even be signifacant enough to dirty another's feet. That is an important truth about seasons. They will be translated differently in every life. A lesson that took me a long time to learn may not even be discussed in another's life. There are some seasons that will stay hushed. There are some that will stay dormant for another time. And then there are some that should be talked about so other's may learn too.
I want to share my season. Other's may learn. Or I will learn more from documenting my lessons. More so, this will enable my young children to learn from something they are too young to remember now. They will meet their own such seasons soon enough. But I believe there is also power in their seeing their parents learn and grow under the strong yet gentle hand of the Almighty. His faithfulness should be spoken and taught from generation to generation. When we cried out, He answered us.
This is the year, the season, in which I started learning to take His yoke. To give up my burden and take His. Where I started learning the true power of WHOM we pray to. It's not about the details or the miracle that took place for our life...it's about deep cries and answered prayers. It's about meeting amongst the people and sharing about HIS glory. It's about those who have been around us or who encountered us for the very first time seeing that when we're on a journey it is not us deciding. It is Him. It is not us accomplishing anything. It is Him. The only thing we can claim at all is being weak. Even the strength to cry out to Him for help in our weakness came from the power of His glory and grace.
In my years of knowing Him and being His child, I have often chosen the easy way. The burden that looked deceptively light. The life that was appearing in obedience but had never really been tested. While I understand, in His grace, the Father started me on more of a quiz than a true test...I've never been a quick learner. Never a good test performer. It took me a while to walk through this lesson. To be ready for the quiz that might equip me for the later exam.
In this season there was kicking and screaming. There was questioning of direction. There was repetition. If God was a literal teacher, there probably would have been red pens and bad grades and flash cards to review once again. It was not always handled with the graciousness that is attractive to remember. Trust and submission were not always displayed firsthand.
And there is the path once more. When in my humanity, I was achieving dirty and scraped feet, He was there. He was there to offer His way. His burden that was light. His arms to pick me up and carry me. He did not want my earned experiences to only be those of a sinful heart. He had plans for a hope and a future. He wanted my earned experiences to be those of a faithful God who met His child and showed unending grace and power. He wanted to bring me from this season to where I could look back and know the ONE "who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." Psalm 103:3-5
There will be seasons to come on this journey. There will be mountains that seem higher and valleys that seem much lower. However, these seasons will be different. They will have a traveler who is more experienced in learned faithfulness, powerful faith-prayers, and trusting a God who is strong and gentle. A God who provides rest for this traveler.
I stop to rest a while, to look back and remember where I have been. My feet hurt from the journey, through many mountain highs and valley lows, and they are dirty. They are cut in a few places and they are weary. They tell of places been and experiences earned. My feet will tell a lot, but my heart will tell more. My feet cannot tell of the places they did not walk, for in those places were where I was carried.
When one season is complete and another begins anew, it is easier to look back and see what truly happened. During the season, vision and ability to understand reason is often blurred. It is only in looking back that we see how far we were brought. How much we have accomplished through His plan. How much we would have missed if we were the ones deciding...deciding in those moments where all hope had been lost.
I am just coming out of such a season. I am starting to look back and see truly what just happened. How it has shaped me, how it has changed me, and how I am supposed to learn from it. Now, please understand something...this season was a long journey for me, but it may not even be signifacant enough to dirty another's feet. That is an important truth about seasons. They will be translated differently in every life. A lesson that took me a long time to learn may not even be discussed in another's life. There are some seasons that will stay hushed. There are some that will stay dormant for another time. And then there are some that should be talked about so other's may learn too.
I want to share my season. Other's may learn. Or I will learn more from documenting my lessons. More so, this will enable my young children to learn from something they are too young to remember now. They will meet their own such seasons soon enough. But I believe there is also power in their seeing their parents learn and grow under the strong yet gentle hand of the Almighty. His faithfulness should be spoken and taught from generation to generation. When we cried out, He answered us.
This is the year, the season, in which I started learning to take His yoke. To give up my burden and take His. Where I started learning the true power of WHOM we pray to. It's not about the details or the miracle that took place for our life...it's about deep cries and answered prayers. It's about meeting amongst the people and sharing about HIS glory. It's about those who have been around us or who encountered us for the very first time seeing that when we're on a journey it is not us deciding. It is Him. It is not us accomplishing anything. It is Him. The only thing we can claim at all is being weak. Even the strength to cry out to Him for help in our weakness came from the power of His glory and grace.
In my years of knowing Him and being His child, I have often chosen the easy way. The burden that looked deceptively light. The life that was appearing in obedience but had never really been tested. While I understand, in His grace, the Father started me on more of a quiz than a true test...I've never been a quick learner. Never a good test performer. It took me a while to walk through this lesson. To be ready for the quiz that might equip me for the later exam.
In this season there was kicking and screaming. There was questioning of direction. There was repetition. If God was a literal teacher, there probably would have been red pens and bad grades and flash cards to review once again. It was not always handled with the graciousness that is attractive to remember. Trust and submission were not always displayed firsthand.
And there is the path once more. When in my humanity, I was achieving dirty and scraped feet, He was there. He was there to offer His way. His burden that was light. His arms to pick me up and carry me. He did not want my earned experiences to only be those of a sinful heart. He had plans for a hope and a future. He wanted my earned experiences to be those of a faithful God who met His child and showed unending grace and power. He wanted to bring me from this season to where I could look back and know the ONE "who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." Psalm 103:3-5
There will be seasons to come on this journey. There will be mountains that seem higher and valleys that seem much lower. However, these seasons will be different. They will have a traveler who is more experienced in learned faithfulness, powerful faith-prayers, and trusting a God who is strong and gentle. A God who provides rest for this traveler.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Living Life and Settling In
Playing "Super!!" We truly have a super Daddy. Sophie was running around with her Super Sophie blanket. Then she stopped, gathered blankets for Daddy and AJ, and said: "Oh, let's all be super together!"
Time with Daddy at Sunset Bay! Sophie was amazed by the water. AJ of course went right to work!
First Day of Kingsview Christian School! Preschool began on the 9th and she is LOVING it. Mommy is LOVING it too. I love taking her into the classroom. I love picking out her school clothes, seeing the papers, being in the classroom, having a routine, hearing about her day. All. of. it.
Today was picture day. I'm not going to lie. She looked adorable. Her account of the time: "I waited my turn. I sat in the spot. I smiled at the very funny man." These should be good pictures!
Time with Daddy at Sunset Bay! Sophie was amazed by the water. AJ of course went right to work!
First Day of Kingsview Christian School! Preschool began on the 9th and she is LOVING it. Mommy is LOVING it too. I love taking her into the classroom. I love picking out her school clothes, seeing the papers, being in the classroom, having a routine, hearing about her day. All. of. it.
Today was picture day. I'm not going to lie. She looked adorable. Her account of the time: "I waited my turn. I sat in the spot. I smiled at the very funny man." These should be good pictures!
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