First off, I am really excited about this year. I know this sounds cliche and maybe corny, but albeit - I am anticipating seeing the Lord move/work in a way I've yet to experience this year. I say that in full awareness that sometimes He works out of pain, but whatever the venue of His light and purpose being illuminated this year, I'm ready to watch Him show off.
I guess if I had a "resolution" this year it would simply be less of me, more of Him.
Sounds hypocritical to say as I sit here writing a BLOG (about yours truly, nonetheless), but in all seriousness I think if I could sum up this past year it would be God revealing the yuckiness of my heart (selfishness, laziness, unkind words, comparing to others - not Him, self-righteousness, bitterness, lack of grace, self-promotion, and so forth) and the areas where I chose exalting self over Him. And I'll be honest - it's an ongoing process with me where I feel like a failure more than a victor. But that's the good part...that it's not about me obtaining victory but relinquishing my life to the VICTOR.
His patience is humbling and brought me to tears this morning as I contemplated it.
And you know what one of the greatest truths that has been a theme over this past year is? It's that the Bible is not about me. Who would have thought!
A teacher this morning summed it up perfectly to what I have been learning this morning:
The bible is ONE book, with ONE hero, who is on ONE mission. And that mission is to seek and save the lost, bringing all nations to worship and glorify Him as Lord.
And then HE invites us - His children - to partake in that mission alongside Him...to die to self (our dreams, pursuits, fame, wealth, etc) and surrender to Him for the sake of reaching all nations for Him. It is themed from Abraham in Genesis to Revelations how God blesses his people so that they can, in turn, be a blessing to the nations.
I loved this question from this morning's teaching:
"What if we utilized our western wealth to gather world worship?"
What if we used our blessings (which we all have abundantly) to bless the nations and tell them of God's redemptive power?
Anyway, I'm not really sure why I sat down to write this other than sometimes I can't help but write thoughts down that seem like they might explode within me (I'm a nerd), but I truly am crazy excited and bursting with anticipation for what lies ahead.
I know one thing: this year is going to be busy. And I know a lot of people knock being "busy" and say you need to free your schedule more and experience freedom from busyness, but I'm choosing to embrace it this year (if you hear me complain about it - smack me please). Between raising kids, being a wife (a good one, ha), discipling, being discipled, basketball season, taking a weekly college missions course (with homework that actually gets graded and class projects), mission trips, summer overseas adventures, community group, supporting the husband and their basketball ministry, one child that starts kindergarten in august (oh my!) and let's not forget the 4th child being born at the end of April (double OH MY) - this year is sure to be full of some unexpected craziness, to say the least.
Ha. All of those welcome ample opportunities for the Lord to continue to strip me down.
Here we go!
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Monday, December 9, 2013
Slow Season
This past week we have had a major winter storm blow through that left us with a foot of snow, ice, and super cold temps. It has resulted in no school for almost a week (when it will all be said and done), minimal travel, no work for Jason (thus no games or practices), and lots of time together. I was initially bummed about this because Jason's parents had planned to take all the kids for a few days last week, while Jason and I got time to ourselves to celebrate my birthday. But this past week has proven to be, in some ways, better than our previous plans.
I was chatting with one of my cell group girl's moms the other day and she said something that really rung true:
"All this nasty weather has really slowed down the Christmas season this year!"
How true is that?! I hadn't thought of it that way, but in a time of total business (especially for us since basketball season is in full swing), we have been forced - on the heels of a Thanksgiving break, mind you - to relax and enjoy this season. I started thinking about all of the fun things we have been able to do together, that every other season, are just not possible.
1. Make/decorate cookies
2. Watch "Polar Express" and eat homemade hot chocolate
3. Sled
4. Build snowman
5. Snowball fights
6. Sled
7. Go to a Razorback basketball game (we never get to do that in season!)
8. Go out to eat - twice!
9. Sled
10. Do advent dinners by candlelight
11. Sleep in
12. Have fun breakfast's - all together!
13. Bake brownies & cookies
14. Sled
15. Wrap presents together
16. In-home date night with Jason
17. Actually get my real camera out and take pictures
18. Watch all the Christmas movies that have been DVR'd that we haven't had time to do yet!
It really has been a great little week of slowing down and enjoying each other. I am thankful for it!
ADVENT:
This year we started doing advent with the kids. I kind of have my own way. I know some people pre-make activities and have readings every single day for the first 25 days of the month, usually with a "project" or activity to go along with it (every single day). But I know if I set out to do that, I would fail - miserably - and it would frustrate me and take the joy out of celebrating our coming KING!
So this is how we do it and it has been incredible thus far:
1. I have our little advent centerpiece with the center "Jesus" candle, and the surrounding three candles in the middle of our kitchen table.
2. We "do advent" every Sunday night at dinner time. I make a meal, and we light the corresponding candle for that Sunday's advent. Then the following Sunday, we light the previous one, and the new one...we add a little light each Sunday, anticipating lighting "the big one" (as the boys call it) on the day Jesus will be born and we will eat by "all of the light".
3. Each Sunday, I "storytell" (something a group of friends and I have been learning over the course of this year) parts of the Christmas story while we eat.
4. The first Sunday was storytellling the prophecy part of Jesus being born from Isaiah - as we ate by the light of the prophecy candle.
5. We also sing a Christmas song together (with motions, of course) and we all take turns praying for things we learned from the story.
Each Sunday, we end up spending about an hour doing this at the table because the boys are so into it and have tons of questions. The wide-eyed wonder in Noah's eyes as I tell the story is a picture I will never forget. It's priceless. Jason and I agree this is the best "tradition" we've ever done. I look forward to it every week!
Probably the neatest part was last week when Lincoln was able to piece together himself how their anticipation back then of the King being born, was the same as what we feel about the King coming back - it was awesome. Which of course always leads to talks about Tucker, whose third birthday was yesterday. I love love love our conversations about Jesus coming back. Nothing grounds me more than talking about these things with a 3 & 5 year old - child like faith.
Another highlight was seeing the boys grasp the concept of how Jesus was born in a stable, not a palace - and how He continued to live on earth.; not in luxury, but in simplicity and humble circumstances. This has been soooo hard to teach the boys - especially at this time of year. Sometimes they "get it" and other times they fail (just like me!) but I pray our kids (along with Jason and I) can always remember the way our Savior led the example in the midst of a consumer-driven world where we're told we "deserve" everything. What a hard perspective to attain on our own merit.
I was chatting with one of my cell group girl's moms the other day and she said something that really rung true:
"All this nasty weather has really slowed down the Christmas season this year!"
How true is that?! I hadn't thought of it that way, but in a time of total business (especially for us since basketball season is in full swing), we have been forced - on the heels of a Thanksgiving break, mind you - to relax and enjoy this season. I started thinking about all of the fun things we have been able to do together, that every other season, are just not possible.
1. Make/decorate cookies
2. Watch "Polar Express" and eat homemade hot chocolate
3. Sled
4. Build snowman
5. Snowball fights
6. Sled
7. Go to a Razorback basketball game (we never get to do that in season!)
8. Go out to eat - twice!
9. Sled
10. Do advent dinners by candlelight
11. Sleep in
12. Have fun breakfast's - all together!
13. Bake brownies & cookies
14. Sled
15. Wrap presents together
16. In-home date night with Jason
17. Actually get my real camera out and take pictures
18. Watch all the Christmas movies that have been DVR'd that we haven't had time to do yet!
It really has been a great little week of slowing down and enjoying each other. I am thankful for it!
ADVENT:
This year we started doing advent with the kids. I kind of have my own way. I know some people pre-make activities and have readings every single day for the first 25 days of the month, usually with a "project" or activity to go along with it (every single day). But I know if I set out to do that, I would fail - miserably - and it would frustrate me and take the joy out of celebrating our coming KING!
So this is how we do it and it has been incredible thus far:
1. I have our little advent centerpiece with the center "Jesus" candle, and the surrounding three candles in the middle of our kitchen table.
2. We "do advent" every Sunday night at dinner time. I make a meal, and we light the corresponding candle for that Sunday's advent. Then the following Sunday, we light the previous one, and the new one...we add a little light each Sunday, anticipating lighting "the big one" (as the boys call it) on the day Jesus will be born and we will eat by "all of the light".
3. Each Sunday, I "storytell" (something a group of friends and I have been learning over the course of this year) parts of the Christmas story while we eat.
4. The first Sunday was storytellling the prophecy part of Jesus being born from Isaiah - as we ate by the light of the prophecy candle.
5. We also sing a Christmas song together (with motions, of course) and we all take turns praying for things we learned from the story.
Each Sunday, we end up spending about an hour doing this at the table because the boys are so into it and have tons of questions. The wide-eyed wonder in Noah's eyes as I tell the story is a picture I will never forget. It's priceless. Jason and I agree this is the best "tradition" we've ever done. I look forward to it every week!
Probably the neatest part was last week when Lincoln was able to piece together himself how their anticipation back then of the King being born, was the same as what we feel about the King coming back - it was awesome. Which of course always leads to talks about Tucker, whose third birthday was yesterday. I love love love our conversations about Jesus coming back. Nothing grounds me more than talking about these things with a 3 & 5 year old - child like faith.
Another highlight was seeing the boys grasp the concept of how Jesus was born in a stable, not a palace - and how He continued to live on earth.; not in luxury, but in simplicity and humble circumstances. This has been soooo hard to teach the boys - especially at this time of year. Sometimes they "get it" and other times they fail (just like me!) but I pray our kids (along with Jason and I) can always remember the way our Savior led the example in the midst of a consumer-driven world where we're told we "deserve" everything. What a hard perspective to attain on our own merit.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
4th Time Around
First off, thanks so much for all of your excitement you shared with us on facebook concerning our news!! I thought I'd share a little more detail about it all for those interested.
I am actually still early, a few weeks shy of exiting the first trimester, so the journey has just begun. Oddly enough, I feel like I've been pregnant for a long time because I've already had about 4 ultrasounds. I had some "issues" early on that mimicked a potential miscarriage (hence, the numerous ultrasounds) but it turned out to be a subchronic hematoma (i.e. blood clot) which seems to have now mostly resolved. That was a crazy experience going from being certain I was losing the baby one weekend, to the next, being able to see everything was actually just fine. Very thankful for the Lord's protection over this little one.
10 Things:
1. Yes (believe it or not) this one was planned. In fact, Lincoln has been the only child not planned (yes, we actually planned to get pregnant when Lincoln was only 6 months old...ha). We really wanted 4 kids and didn't want to spread them out. I love how close in age our kids are, and how they always have little playmates around. So we knew if we wanted 4, the time was now.
2. Now, when this one is born, none of our kids will yet be in Kindergarten. My due date is late April and Lincoln will start in August, but we will have 4 kids under the age of five. I understand my love for them being "close in age" will also be total chaos and madness. Lincoln is my helper and I actually think it will be a lot harder with him gone to school.
3. No, I am not going to home school him, though :)
4. The boys are excited! Lincoln is so stinking sweet. He got crazy excited when we told him and he goes, "Now I get to take care of TWO babies!!" He does so great in this area. The other day, he went and got Adelynn out of the bathtub - all by himself - dried her off, and carried her to her room for us to put her PJ's on. Love that kid. Noah is excited too and wants a girl. Lincoln wants a boy because we already have a baby girl. He also says "I want her to be our only sweet girl."
5. Jason agrees with Lincoln - he wants Adelynn to be the only girl; I'm kind of the same, though for her to have a sister would be super special.
6. Noah said if it's a "boy" he wants us to either name him "Max", "Gideon", or "Jesus".
7. This pregnancy has been the worst (physically) so far. Each one gets harder with the sickness and such, and this one beats them all. I just feel plain pitiful most of the time. Hoping it soon subsides.
8. I didn't show until 17-20 weeks with Lincoln (my 1st), and with this one, I'm showing now. The joy of multiple pregnancies.
9. Yes, I already have some names (I, as in "I haven't discussed with Jason")
10. More than anything, we're so thrilled the Lord has given us this new little child and cannot wait to teach him/her about the wonderful Savior who is Jesus. We take Matthew 28 seriously - just making disciples up in this house. Ha. :)
I am actually still early, a few weeks shy of exiting the first trimester, so the journey has just begun. Oddly enough, I feel like I've been pregnant for a long time because I've already had about 4 ultrasounds. I had some "issues" early on that mimicked a potential miscarriage (hence, the numerous ultrasounds) but it turned out to be a subchronic hematoma (i.e. blood clot) which seems to have now mostly resolved. That was a crazy experience going from being certain I was losing the baby one weekend, to the next, being able to see everything was actually just fine. Very thankful for the Lord's protection over this little one.
10 Things:
1. Yes (believe it or not) this one was planned. In fact, Lincoln has been the only child not planned (yes, we actually planned to get pregnant when Lincoln was only 6 months old...ha). We really wanted 4 kids and didn't want to spread them out. I love how close in age our kids are, and how they always have little playmates around. So we knew if we wanted 4, the time was now.
2. Now, when this one is born, none of our kids will yet be in Kindergarten. My due date is late April and Lincoln will start in August, but we will have 4 kids under the age of five. I understand my love for them being "close in age" will also be total chaos and madness. Lincoln is my helper and I actually think it will be a lot harder with him gone to school.
3. No, I am not going to home school him, though :)
4. The boys are excited! Lincoln is so stinking sweet. He got crazy excited when we told him and he goes, "Now I get to take care of TWO babies!!" He does so great in this area. The other day, he went and got Adelynn out of the bathtub - all by himself - dried her off, and carried her to her room for us to put her PJ's on. Love that kid. Noah is excited too and wants a girl. Lincoln wants a boy because we already have a baby girl. He also says "I want her to be our only sweet girl."
5. Jason agrees with Lincoln - he wants Adelynn to be the only girl; I'm kind of the same, though for her to have a sister would be super special.
6. Noah said if it's a "boy" he wants us to either name him "Max", "Gideon", or "Jesus".
7. This pregnancy has been the worst (physically) so far. Each one gets harder with the sickness and such, and this one beats them all. I just feel plain pitiful most of the time. Hoping it soon subsides.
8. I didn't show until 17-20 weeks with Lincoln (my 1st), and with this one, I'm showing now. The joy of multiple pregnancies.
9. Yes, I already have some names (I, as in "I haven't discussed with Jason")
10. More than anything, we're so thrilled the Lord has given us this new little child and cannot wait to teach him/her about the wonderful Savior who is Jesus. We take Matthew 28 seriously - just making disciples up in this house. Ha. :)
Monday, October 7, 2013
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Friday, August 16, 2013
Masculine & Feminine
This might sounds like a strange thought, but I have often wondered over the course of the years what a "man" relationship with God must feel like for a man...I mean, being called the "bride of Christ" and the image of a "Rescuer & Savior" or "falling so deeply in love with a Heavenly Father" have greatly appealed to my girlie senses and desire of a "knight in shining armor", but a man?
I really have thought of this before...multiple times! Yet, i know men have very deep, loving relationships with Jesus (bear with me); I've just always wondered what that feels like for them.
But then I remember that God made us in His image, which means that he is both feminine and masculine - in perfect harmony - which also gives credit to why he created marriage between man and woman to exemplify our relationship with Him in perfect harmony (that's another conversation).
Then today, riding home in the car, I got a glimpse of Jesus in my boys' hearts...in one of the "masculine" ways he created them - in His image.
It.Was.Awesome. And I wish I had it recorded.
But basically, it starts with Noah's question:
"Mom, how is Jesus going to come back and get us?"
And then the conversation went on with soldiers, swords, flying white horses, armies, war, conquer, and 2 sets of complete wide eyes and total excitement! I think we were all shouting at some points. Pure awesome.
Noah would express fears of getting hurt in the final battle, and Lincoln would assure him, "Noah, we are on JESUS' side - we can't get hurt!"
And then they asked if the swords would be like their pirate swords...to which Lincoln said "I bet Tucker throws me a sword when he rides by Jesus...and we will fight together!"
And that has to be one of the most beautiful pictures created in my mind at that moment.
Noah asked me what would happen, though, if he just "died on the ground" before Jesus came back. With joy I told him, no worries - he would go straight to Jesus, preparing for the war, and would ride in with Jesus to throw us our swords!
We often talk about our "mansions" that Jesus is building us and the life we were meant for in Eternity (they are fascinated by all of this), but talking about the WAR, the final battle, the ending, and the victory with Jesus was just plain awesome today.
It's so great to see their little hearts start to capture an eternal perspective (and so hard to teach in our culture!), so my heart melted when Lincoln said, "But before Jesus comes back to get us, we have to tell everyone about Him so they can join our army!"
And then he named 2 people he would pray for.
So great to see the masculine side of our Savior come alive in my boys' hearts today!
I really have thought of this before...multiple times! Yet, i know men have very deep, loving relationships with Jesus (bear with me); I've just always wondered what that feels like for them.
But then I remember that God made us in His image, which means that he is both feminine and masculine - in perfect harmony - which also gives credit to why he created marriage between man and woman to exemplify our relationship with Him in perfect harmony (that's another conversation).
Then today, riding home in the car, I got a glimpse of Jesus in my boys' hearts...in one of the "masculine" ways he created them - in His image.
It.Was.Awesome. And I wish I had it recorded.
But basically, it starts with Noah's question:
"Mom, how is Jesus going to come back and get us?"
And then the conversation went on with soldiers, swords, flying white horses, armies, war, conquer, and 2 sets of complete wide eyes and total excitement! I think we were all shouting at some points. Pure awesome.
Noah would express fears of getting hurt in the final battle, and Lincoln would assure him, "Noah, we are on JESUS' side - we can't get hurt!"
And then they asked if the swords would be like their pirate swords...to which Lincoln said "I bet Tucker throws me a sword when he rides by Jesus...and we will fight together!"
And that has to be one of the most beautiful pictures created in my mind at that moment.
Noah asked me what would happen, though, if he just "died on the ground" before Jesus came back. With joy I told him, no worries - he would go straight to Jesus, preparing for the war, and would ride in with Jesus to throw us our swords!
We often talk about our "mansions" that Jesus is building us and the life we were meant for in Eternity (they are fascinated by all of this), but talking about the WAR, the final battle, the ending, and the victory with Jesus was just plain awesome today.
It's so great to see their little hearts start to capture an eternal perspective (and so hard to teach in our culture!), so my heart melted when Lincoln said, "But before Jesus comes back to get us, we have to tell everyone about Him so they can join our army!"
And then he named 2 people he would pray for.
So great to see the masculine side of our Savior come alive in my boys' hearts today!
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
All Creation Declares His Glory
A sweet friend shared a video by a pastor I had never heard of. It was amazing and led to another link of another video that blew my mind. I am so thankful the Lord gifts people with ways to relate His message in fresh new ways. Same message of His love, but the fact that He can use people to speak it in many different "languages" that reach our souls in new ways is mind blowing.
What an incredible, living Jesus we follow, that even for someone like me - who has followed Him most of my life - He continually reveals more of His heart, His plan, and the Gospel itself continuously in my life.
These 2 videos are short and worth the watch. I've never seen anything like this before.
What an incredible, living Jesus we follow, that even for someone like me - who has followed Him most of my life - He continually reveals more of His heart, His plan, and the Gospel itself continuously in my life.
These 2 videos are short and worth the watch. I've never seen anything like this before.
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