I went to a funeral yesterday. It was a funeral with mixed emotions. You could see the sorrow in the faces but so many of those faces also had joy mixed in. The pastor told about how this man, Ed had shared his faith and loved the Lord so much. Here was the end of the earthly story for this man, but yet he was just at the beginning of his eternal life with Chirst. It was both sad and exciting to think about.
Today I went to a baby shower. It was so surreal to think about the day before I watched a family say goodbye until we meet again to their loved one and then here I was watching a young woman saying hello to a new life entering into the world. The circle of life that God started at the beginning of time is so precious and every part of it truly does point us to our Father God's great love for us.
I talked with my girls about this subject on the way home from the baby shower. It was really quite wonderful to hear them commenting on how God is in control of all parts of life, the sad and the happy. They both said that we should trust God when he makes these decisions, that he isn't being mean when he takes someone home to him. That is a big insight from a 7 year old and 9 year old. I just kept driving my vehicle while my heart rejoiced in my God's working in their hearts.
Well, my heart is full. My conversation with Jesus today involves requests and praises for this family that is grieving and for this young mom who is waiting for her precious baby to arrive.
What a full life we have in our Lord Jesus!!

They know how to do what?

Have you ever watched your children do something and wonder, "where did they learn to do that?" Today I did. My Mom-in-law gave the kids a bunch of marbles today. So I am in the kitchen making supper and hear their conversation. I come around the corner and there they are all three of them making a circle, putting marbles in the circle, and then shooting marbles trying to get them out...anyway, I was astounded that they knew how to play. Where did they learn that?
My kids set me staight- Laura Ingalls. Emily has been reading the Little House books and they like watching the Little House TV series. So..now my question has been answered but it made me wonder how many other things have they learned via books and TV without my knowledge.
Hmmm.......what is a mom to think about that? Monitor, be aware, take note, and PRAY!!!!

Amazing facts learned....fun in the process...

Well, did you know that Play Doh came from Ohio? We were studying Ohio and up popped the invention of Play Doh! Look it up...very fascinating! It was a wallpaper cleaner to start with!!

Okay, so my kids have to pick a state from the region we are studying and do a report on something they found interesting from that state. Emily loved the Play Doh invention. My kids have two bins full of Play doh utensils and such...so, it was no surprise to me that she enjoyed that particular fact. So off to the computer we go to find facts about Playdoh.

And then back to the kitchen to write the report and to experiment with recipes.

Here is her version of Play Doh. It made enough to fill 3 to 4 Play Doh containers! Very cool.

We also learned to use gelatin for color and smell. We also found out that if you use baby oil instead of cooking oil in the recipe it lasts longer and smells wonderful....just google Play Doh recipes and you will have many to choose from.

We had so much fun watching this Play Doh emerge from flour and salt to something moldable!

Kinda reminds me of us with the Lord....today (except for this wonderful time with Em) was a hard day for me with my patience. And I just started wondering if I will ever be molded completely into Christ's image...something I long for but continue to see that it is truly taking all of God's love and his grace to mold this mom!! Well, happy Play Doh molding....

An Apple a Day....

Learning about the relationship of bees and apples!!

Doing the Bee Dance to pollenate the Apple Blossoms! Too funny!

Mom, look at all these apples!

After apples and more apples, Katie found the Farm area.
Of course, she found the horses (minature!) right away!


What fun we had at the Apple Orchard. It was purely amazing to see all the detail that goes in to making a apple AND then to realize that God did all that with his voice at the beginning! Incredible. What a Creator we have!

My schedule...God's plans!

I happen to "love" my day planner. I like knowing when and where I am supposed to be weeks in advance. Sadly, I have not been planning out the actual day to day the same way. Everyday I need to accomplish certain things- like schooling my children! But, there are so many days that I am ending with that being the only thing I accomplish. Yikes.
As I look back at what I just wrote I realize that it is quite backwards...I mean if you look at it in the light of Scripture. I am not to be "worrying"/"planning" so far in advance because I do not know the plans that God might have that are completely different from mine and I do not know how he will care for each of the needs that arise in the coming days. Yes, I still need to be on top of things scheduling appointments and so on... But- what I really have as a guarantee is that I have today, moment by moment.
Today as I talk with the Holy Spirit I know what he wants me to do. I know for a fact he wants time with me, he wants time with each of my children, he wants attitudes and actions to reflect his image, he wants me to take care of my home, making good decisions for my household (Prov. 31), he wants me to school my children (all over the Proverbs and Deut. 6) in knowledge and in the wisdom of the Lord, he wants me to be a wife of noble character so that Jerry can trust me with the home and children. In all this there is a pattern, a schedule of sorts, if I follow the Scripture.
The Lord is to be above all and in all. So HE is where I start my day.
My husband is to be one with me and I am to serve and honor him. So next, I need to meet any needs he might have before he is off to work. Which for my husband means to tidy our room, make his lunch, his clothes are where he needs them, he is loved on by me, and his children have the freedom in the early morning hours to play, talk, and enjoy daddy without me giving them any instruction or chores.
My children (Eph. 6) need order and consistency as well as an example to follow, we need to start with a tidy room, a good breakfast, and then it is time to FOCUS the priorities!
1. The Lord is to be above all and in all. So HE is where they need to start their day.
2. My girls needs to learn to be caretakers of the home. So here is where their chores come in.
They also need to learn to serve- helping their little brother with his chores.
3. My Josh needs to learn to "work for his bread" so to speak- so he has chores to accomplish.
4. Honoring parents needs to be a priority. Listening to a devotional with mom and then answering questions from the Word is so important to our morning.
5. Knowledge and understanding of the world we live in (Proverbs, Acts) should be next on our schedule. (This is SCHOOL TIME!!) Oh, boy, this is the challenging part- fitting three levels of learning into workable segments. But, with the Lord's leading this CAN be accomplished.
6. Serving others and working on relationships (Body of Christ/a witness to unbelievers), this is the time of day that at least once a week and most of the time it is more like three times a week we take time to schedule in ways to be with other people.

Okay! So, in writing this out for myself I am seeing that I can accomplish this with a little diligence. I can do this if my focus on how God sees my life as a child of his, a wife and a mother our continually before me.

Lord, I know I fail at this more times than I succeed. I allow the selfishness of "my time" to get in the way of what you have prepared for me to do in light of your Word. I need to take the time everyday to focus on your Spirit allowing you to change my perspective, my wants- basically my will!! Jesus- please intercede for me as I learn to allow the Spirit to control my daily plans. Spirit please pray for me when you see me going my own way, please speak to my conscience and help me to make the changes you want moment by moment. Thank you for your mercy to this mom who just doesn't get it and then when she does still wants her own way. Oh, change my heart, Oh God!! I love you.

If you out there reading this blog think, wow, this woman needs help...you are right. I think all of us need more encouragement then we let on. So, pray with me that daily we will seek God's plans not our own wants. That our husband and our children's needs will come before our own "me time". Oh...what a way to live!

My kids...

Don't you just love the fact that kids enjoy life. They don't worry if someone is coming to the door or if someone is documenting their silly faces...they just enjoy. The are not concerned with "image"! I love this in my own kids. I love to see them dress up and act goofy! I love to watch them go from reading a book to getting their siblings on board for acting out the story. Imagination is an amazing gift. I have felt very pressed upon by the Holy Spirit to let my kids have more time for this kind of play. To let them be children...to encourage their minds to create. Our God is the Creator and we are created in HIS image so this is the image I want to impress upon my children to be like. To create, to love, to care for others, to anticipate His relationship with them, what more could I ask for in regards to the lives of my children? To be like their Creator. For this moment...I am taking in these fun moments of creativity and laughter...

To live....

Well, a new friend that I made this past weekend at a retreat encouraged me to try blogging. Not sure about it just yet but I sure did have fun setting up this site. Putting down all my interests and so forth....
I think that I want to write frequently about what God is teaching me and my children. What a great way for us to be able to look back through the posts and see God's hand in our every day lives. This could be life changing....
As far as blogging about my present thoughts...well, they are numerous. But, what came to my mind today is the fact that I want my kids to grow up completely comfortable in who God made them to be...to live with the concept of it is "all or nothing"! I was thinking about how God wants me to live. He is an all or nothing God. He does not enjoy the lukewarm in fact in Revelation it says he would rather spit us out than have us lukewarm. I believe that my relationship with the Lord encompasses every single aspect of my life including my personality, the way I am...so, I need to embrace the fact that I am personally a "live big, live loud, live with emotions" kind of a gal. My oldest daughter, Em lives cautiously but when sure of things or people- trusts completley, My middle girl, Kate lives with abandon, and my youngest, Josh is still figuring it all out...but I have noticed that their personalities have made their relationship with Jesus so unique. When Em prays she listens. When Kate reads her Bible she takes it to heart.
Anyway, I am praying that today I live for God completely with my whole body, soul, and spirit!!
What a way to LIVE!!