Jesus Saves

Remember Them

I recently sat down and visited with a girlfriend whose husband is deployed. I picked her brain and asked how they felt about all that is going on. Her answers were so sweet. Here is a family that is sacrificing so much for so many, and yet they expect nothing in return. (I, on the other hand, take the trash out and think I deserve a parade.) I asked her what some of the hardest parts of the deployment are for her husband. One thing she talked about is how (where he is stationed) he sees the fallen soldiers come through daily. Yes, daily. Sure the media has stopped showing the names of the fallen, but that doesn't mean that men and women are not still laying down their lives for the freedoms that you and I enjoy. We can not forget that they are still over there, without their families at Christmas, and putting everything on the line.

What can we do to support these amazing individuals?

1) There are many organizations accepting donations for the troops. It's just everyday stuff like toothbrushes, cds, and tissues that they want.

2) We also need to be informed and involved. Find out who your elected officials are and what they stand for. Write emails to your Senators and Congressmen letting them know how you want them to vote. Remember, they represent you, so tell them how you feel.

3) Pray. Pray for the soldiers. Pray for their families. Pray for the witness they can be to others around them. Pray for the natives of those countries and that their hearts would be turned to Christ.

4) And, as my friend said to me the other day, "If you want a godly nation filled with those whose hearts are turned to Christ, witness to your neighbor." I was so moved by this. Being active is great, but God's work in the hearts of those around me will be what brings about real and lasting change in our nation. What better time to talk to your neighbors, or a cashier, or the mailman, or anyone about Christ than at Christmas time?


I am so thankful for the freedoms that our family enjoys and grateful to the men and women who sacrifice it all to make those freedoms possible.

Christmas Decorating

As you can see, the Christmas decorations are out here at this squirly house. I sent my 5yr old in to the living room this morning to do a quick clean. After a short bit, she came back to me beaming from ear to ear. She said she had cleaned and decorated the room for me. Here is a picture of how she decorated for us:

I thought it was so cute, I just had to leave it like this.

Christmas decorations are wonderful. They brighten every one's day. It is priceless to see my 2 and 3 yr old sitting and playing with the manger people. You can sit and listen to them imagine what is going on in that manger. Then there are the many stuffed animals, mini-Christmas trees, and dancing Santas each playing a different song and constantly singing. Have I mentioned I love Christmas? Scott and I were even married in December with a holiday theme (many, many moons ago). I hope your holiday season is filled with oyj, I mean JOY:) It truly is "the most wonderful time of the year".

Busy, Busy, Busy

So much has been going on here. Seems like there has hardly been time to stop and chill. I guess it's no different than any other house out there. I've spent the last week cooking and taking food from one relatives' house to the next. We've spent the last month almost consumed by play practices for the church Christmas play coming up. Busy, Busy, Busy! Now basketball practices and games are starting. But, it is all worth it. Seeing how much the girls enjoy their activities and the friends they are making, makes it OK that life is busy.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I hope you did too. Ours was somewhat a "redneck" thanksgiving. We took our guns out to Scott's aunt's farm and shot skeet. It was so much fun. My aim wasn't bad. I told Scott that I thought I could defend myself if someone broke in just as long as the bad guy stood really still for about 5 min. while I got my aim just right:) Oh well, maybe I'll rely on the dog and house alarm instead.

It was so nice to take 3 days off school last week, but very hard to get back to the routine this week. Remember how I wrote a while back about my little ones spending one night in our room while they were sick and thinking that was the new way we would do things? Well, my older girls can be that way with school too. I guess we are all like that. The lighter load is much more preferable. But, tomorrow is Wednesday and we should be back into full swing by then.

There have been so many "training opportunities" around here for our kiddos lately that blogging has had to move to the back burner. This is the stage of life we are at. They are our eternal work so I must put them first. It seems that in our house their are highs and lows. There are moments of peace and love, and then there are moments of training and love. We are definitely in a training phase. I don't dread these times because this is when I can really see their hearts. So, if I don't blog for a while it is just because I am busy trying to mold 6 little hearts so that they will follow Him.

Thankfulness

It's that time of year.

It's on every one's mind.

But, how do we stay truly thankful during all the hustle and bustle?

Last night our pastor shared on this and it was so good I had to pass it on to you.

In Luke 17 you can read the story of the ten lepers. These ten men approached Jesus as He was heading to Jerusalem and begged to be healed. Jesus sent them to the priest and the scripture says that "as they went, they were healed." Only one of the men, after seeing he was healed, returned to thank Jesus. In verse 19 Jesus says, "Get up, go your way, your faith has made you well."

While all the men were healed, only this man was made well.

What does this tell us? It shows us that thankfulness is healing to our soul.

During this Thanksgiving holiday we should lay our offenses down and share with those around us how thankful we are for them.

How do we provoke ourselves to thankfulness?
*it starts with a heart of thanking God
*you stop looking at what others are doing wrong and choose to look at the good in their hearts
*Ask God to help you be sensitive to others
*become more focused on people rather than projects
*make a list of things that others have done that blessed you and then respond to those things


Now that you have your mind and heart in the right place, set a goal to formally thank someone, daily!

How can we express our gratitude?
*be specific
*write it down
*call them
*ask others if you can pray with them and through prayer express thankfulness for that person and what they do

As Christians we have all been healed. It is time to be thankful and through that bring healing to our souls and to those around us.

Challenge: Who will you show an attitude of gratitude to today?

Family Pics Can Be Fun!

After years of going to the mall and taking family pics in a cramped, hot room, we decided we had had enough. We never really got those truly happy smiles out of the kiddos because we were all hot, crowded, and contorted just to fit into the small space. All that has changed now, thanks to a wonderful photographer named Tiffany Gardner. We did pics with her for the first time last fall and loved the whole experience. So, we decided to use her again this year, and look what we got.


Those are the smiles that were missing from the indoor photo shoots. She is so good at capturing that perfect shot. Plus, it is painless. She makes the whole experience so pleasant and enjoyable. The girls commented to me the other day, "She is always happy!", and she is.

How cute are the chubby little fingers of little P, or the yellow M & M that you can see A hiding, or the half polished nails of the older girls. She has captured this moment in time in such a sweet way.

Here they are! Best friends to the end of the road.

She truly captured their squirliness here!

I saved the best for last. It looks like a picture out of a fairy tale.

Once upon a time their were six little girls who spotted a rabbit hopping by (they really did). Thank goodness Mrs. Tiffany was there to capture that moment on film. Now their mom will always remember this fairy tale time in life.


*Disclaimer: Tiffany Gardner has not given me anything to say this. I am simply overwhelmed at her talent and the sweet nature she has shown our family. If you would like to have a wonderful family pic experience than please contact her at tiffanygardner@me.com .

Taking a Peak into Their Hearts

I was driving home the other day with all my squirls in the car plus one extra. My older ones were having a friend stay the night. They were rocking out as we drove down the road, when on came a song that I love. In the past, I had told the girls that this song was my song to daddy. Of course I turned it up a little more and joined in on their jam session.

From the back seat I heard S say to her friend, " This is my mom's song to my dad. She absolutely adores him."

I almost teared up. I do absolutely adore him. I want them to know that and be sure of it to their very core.

Our marriage is not perfect. We are not perfect. But, we do want to show unconditional love, God's love, to our girls. What better way to show that than in our own relationship.

It is in these moments, like the car, that God lets me get a peak into their hearts.


Wow! I have been soaring ever since!