Trying Out New

We started out this past month with birthday fun and celebrating Easter. My dad celebrated his 68th birthday at the beginning of the month and we traveled to spend the day with him. It was a great time spent with family and Caleb really liked playing with his cousins. So, it's no secret I'm a daddy's girl and I do believe I have the BEST dad in the whole world! :)
I'm so blessed to have been given such a godly example in a father. He's truly amazing!!

In our home, since our families live too far apart, we alternate holidays. This year Easter was spent with Trevor's family. Easter afternoon included non-stop playing with cousins for Caleb, an egg hunt, and yummy food. I am thankful for our families and the times we're able to spend together. 

 

It was so neat to see how much Caleb has changed from this time last year. I can remember trying to show him how to hunt for eggs and we even "practiced" the week before so he would have some understanding of what to do. Although he would pick up the eggs, he still didn't seem to really care about it. He was more interested and curious with other things. This year he was all about it. He knew what to do and would get SO excited to "find" the eggs. He would see an egg and say "Eggs!". And of course, he didn't want to wait to check out what was inside of the eggs. Let's just say... he had WAY to much chocolate and candy over Easter weekend.  

Although he has had his moments of "terrible twos", I'm truly lovin this stage. He is SO fun. He gets so excited about everything. Although that same passion can also come out in opposition to what I'm having him do, I wouldn't have it any other way. Well, ok, maybe I would change the difficulty of keeping him in the grocery cart, or the fact that he doesn't want to leave certain places without a screaming fit, or the days when I feel like a terrible mom and just want to keep him at home and never attempt to take him to another store. Ha! Ok, it's not perfect but the good completely outweighs the bad. 

His new phrase this month is "never mind". He uses it in such a way that it actually means "no". For example, when I ask him to come to the table to eat, his response is "never mind". :) So, were working on this! He also has such an extraverted personality. I try to give him opportunities to be around other children each week and he will always find a little friend to play with. This past week he was looking out the window at home and said, "mommy, go see peoples?" He doesn't meet a stranger, which we're working on, because this past week we were picking up a pizza and he decided to say "hi" to a stranger and then drive his toy car across their "behind". Yep, I may have turned a few shades of red and tried to politely apologize. Thankfully the man laughed about it... shew!!! Anyway, it's never a dull moment!

This month has been quite full of travel and trying out some new things. Not only did we travel to see family, we traveled for a mini weekend adventure that involved Trevor's online course. It felt good to just get away for a few days and also be able to see some friends!! 

I've also been experimenting in the kitchen. Ya know, I've always wanted to be a girl who could cook, bake, and come up with these fabulous recipes but I have finally realized that's just not who I am. Understand, I enjoy cooking, baking, and trying new recipes but I've learned that my attempts usually disappoint or just don't turn out the way I was hoping. But, that has not kept me from trying and I have also realized that the simpler the recipe, the more likely I will have success! HA! :) Anyway, for a while now I've been trying to help my family eat healthier. And for the most part we do, but I have been trying to find easy recipes to replace some of the convenience/ snacky foods we eat on a regular basis.  Anyway, in an attempt to lessen the junk, I found some recipes on pinterest that I can make instead of buy that have been a success. One food we eat a lot of are granola bars. I've finally found a couple of recipes that are easy and yummy. I also like the fact that I know exactly what ingredients are in the bar. I'll post a link to the recipe here and here The peanut butter version has become our favorite.

 A food that Caleb snacks on a lot are crackers and I found a recipe for a whole wheat cheesy cracker and it was actually pretty good. The only thing is that I rolled out the dough a little too thick and they kind of looked like doggie treats.. which is not very appealing. :) But, hey, Caleb really liked them and they were super easy to make. I'll post the link for that recipe here. 

So, all of this experimenting with new things has really had me thinking about my spiritual life. Each day has its own troubles, worries, and problems. There is no escaping it because we live in a sinful world. But, I do have a savior who gives second chances, renews my mind, and brings peace and joy. Each day brings a newness... a choice to either allow the world to fill me up or to be filled up with Jesus.

I'm realizing it's a daily battle to let God renew my mind... to see people and situations as He sees them. In order to live my life as a service completely unto Him, I MUST allow Him to renew my mind. If not, I'm constantly worrying, or focusing only on my and my family's needs, or wasting my time on worthless activities and thoughts, and then I usually miss what He was calling me to do or see. As a Christian, everywhere I go, everything I do should be in service to him. I am so realizing this about myself. God is not a compartment in my life that only comes out certain times of the day. It truly is a battle.. there is so much distraction in this world that wants to capture our thoughts away from God. I recently had an opportunity to share Christ with a person but completely blew it because honestly, I did not have my mind focused on Him.  It wasn't until I left the store, that the Lord reminded me that he gave me an opportunity but I was not listening or prepared. So, I'm choosing to see each day as "new", to see it as a new opportunity to be filled by reading God's word, and through prayer and praise. I'm so thankful I serve a God who is forgiving and loving, and continues to teach and guide me.

Romans 12: 1-2

Therefore I urge you, brethern, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, be be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

On a lighter note, I'll leave you with a picture of a really crazy, scary shirt monster....

Life

This poor little spot has been much neglected for quite sometime now. A lot has happened over the past year.

 Life... busy, fun, exciting, frustrating, overwhelming, scary. It seems life comes in seasons. As I look back over my thirty-(cough, cough) some years, I  can completely see how this is so true. I was married in my early twenties and of course, like most newlyweds, I tended to view my future and life with rose colored glasses. Of course, I had read the books,  had pre-marital counseling, and seemed to think I had a good grip on life. But I quickly realized that life requires work, effort, patience, understanding, endurance, and most importantly, a solid relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ. Even though I "knew" these things, as I experienced "life", I became fully aware that it is not easy. I've experienced pain, loss, heartache, as well as joy, happiness, fulfillment, excitement. But, what I've learned the most is through it all, there has been one constant in my life who has proven himself to me over and over again... Jesus Christ. No matter what situation I have ever faced, he has been what I needed. He has been my peace, joy, firm foundation, and constant through every storm and joy of life. 

I say all of this because as I was thinking of possibly taking down this blog, I realized the original reason I started writing was to journal my journey.... which can not be separated from my relationship with Christ. I want to continue to document what the Lord has done and is doing in my life. May it be a source of encouragement to you and a reminder to my family and friends of the God I serve. He is a good God, a mighty God, the ONLY God! 

Over the past year, I have said good-bye to my job as teacher to stay at home with my boy. Originally, this was not my plan. But, of course Isaiah 55:8 reminds me that my ways are not always His ways. God had began tugging at my heart in the fall of 2013. You see, I have a story here. If you don't know me, then you need to know that my husband and I were not suppose to be able to have children. Well, the exact wording from the doctor was "you may have a chance with medical help". In other words, infertility treatments, surgeries, etc. Let me stop here and say I have nothing against medical help for those dealing with infertility. But for my husband and I, we both agreed that we did not want to go down that road. I had witnessed this same scenario with friends. After surgeries, traveling once a month for treatments, it completely took over their life and in the end they still ended with heartache and disappointment. I did not want that kind of life. We surrendered it to God and said your will be done. If you want us to have children, we will. If you don't want us to have children, we won't. Either way, we wanted God's will. Now, I realize I just made it sound like we were just happy go lucky either way. But in truth, we were heartbroken.  I cried... a lot! I prayed.... a lot! It was my desire to have children and be a mommy. Ever since I was a little girl, all I really wanted to do in life was to be a mommy. So, for 11 and half years we waited, we doubted, we trusted. We even attempted foster care. You can read about that here and here. Looking back now, we know God had a plan. Then we had the surprise of our life. In February of 2012, we found out we were going to be parents. Only God! We welcomed a healthy baby boy on October 18, 2012. 

 I went back to work after three months and did ok. It was difficult at first, but I loved my job and students and my boy was being taken care of in the same building which made my transition fairly easy.  But, truth be told, I felt like staying home wasn't an option for me, ever. And honestly, at the time it wasn't... but God had a plan.I survived the next few months until summer break and then enjoyed the best summer I had ever had. When I went back to work in the fall, I just felt dissatisfied. And then it happened, God spoke to my heart and began placing that strong feeling and longing in me to be at home, raising the blessing he gave me. I've been through enough in life and have read in scripture that when God says something is going to happen, it will! But, I doubted, was scared and unsure and honestly could not see how it would work out. But.... God had a plan. In reality, I wanted it to happen. But, oh my faith needed some work. Then I happen to come across an old prayer journal I had written three years earlier. It was one of those days. Longing, desiring, heart aching to be a mom. I wrote how I just wanted to be a mom, a stay at home mom. I completely realized that God was giving me the desires of my heart. I needed to trust him, depend on him and watch him work out the situation. Which is much like how Trevor and I got together... haha! that's a whole other story. Anyway, I prayed and asked God to increase my faith and I surrendered to his call. 

Here I am six months into this stay at home mom gig and I must again say God is faithful. Has it been easy? No, not completely. Have there been sacrifices? Absolutely. But God has provided in more ways than I could have ever imagined. The joy of being with my son everyday has completely outweighed any sacrifices I needed to make. 

So, this is my new season for now.  Again, I can't say it enough... God is faithful.  I choose to soak it up, enjoy it, take it in, knowing that this season will not last forever. 

New Year

Now that January is almost over, I’ll write my New Year’s post! HA! So, HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!!! I hope your 2014 has had a great start and that many exciting things are in store for you this year!

Well, just like everyone else, I’ve made my goals for the year. There’s something exciting about a new year. It makes me feel like it’s a chance to start fresh in certain areas of my life. For the goals I’ve made, some are going well and others well; let’s just say they’re slow coming. (Like trying to make it to the gym 4 days a week!!) But, my main goal this year is to draw closer to the Lord, plain and simple! The hubs and I are doing the same read through the Bible in a year plan and have been taking time to share. Can I just say I LOVE this! I love how it is deepening our relationship and drawing us closer to the Lord. Years past, we’ve usually done our own plan, but this year Trevor encouraged us to do it together.

This year I’m choosing to place my attention, focus, and priorities on what matters! I think years past, I’ve had good intentions but often get distracted. So, with all that, a word that keeps coming to mind is legacy. With thinking about striving to be a godly woman, I’ve pondered a lot about this word. What do I want to pass on to my son? Is it material possessions, ideas, good morals, certain skills, etc.? As each day passes, I realize that what I do matters. My attitude, my ideas, and especially my relationship with the Lord are being watched, and observed by little eyes. My prayer this year is to seek Him first, in all things, in all matters and concerns. And as we go about this journey, I pray that my son will see, know, and choose one day to live and serve the one true GOD! That this desire of God will continue with his children and his children’s children, and so on. I want to leave a legacy of faithful followers of Jesus Christ, no matter the cost.  I recently read an article in a magazine that encouraged parents to not stress out about how they are raising their kids. The article stated that parents today are more involved in their children’s life than they were twenty years ago. Their reasoning for this is because parents carry more guilt today because more households have both parents working. So, their advice is for parents to let go of the guilt and not stress over how they are being raised. They suggested that parents really do not have as much influence on their kid’s life anyway, and so we should not feel the need to try to think we’re making an impact that carries into adulthood. I completely disagree. I believe that God has given me a great responsibility as a parent and what I do with it does matter.  Now, the article included some aspects of parenting that are negative that I did agree with that may be associated with guilty parenting, ~ over indulgence, instant gratification. I’m not trying to pick on the magazine; I actually have a subscription and do enjoy reading it. But, I know and have to keep in mind that their advice and articles are not written from a Biblically based view point.

So, I know my example to my son needs to look more like God and less like the world. I have other goals this year but goals that are worthless compared to the desire and need to be filled with more of God.

Well, now that I just spilled my heart all over the page, I’ll share about what’s been going on around here. Since it’s been so long since I’ve updated about the boy, let me give you the rundown. J

He is quite an active 15 month old. He is happy most of the time and loves to say “hi”, “bye- bye” and blow kisses. Lately, he is all about his cars, train, riding toys, balls and books. He can also make the best “car” noise when he drives his cars!! J He jabbers constantly but is coming along with his words. Other than dada and mama, he can say dog, ball, car, shoe, night-night, tree, and star. He loves being around other kids. When I drop him off at daycare, he gets really excited, giggles, and waves bye. He’s still eating well and his favorites are any kind of fruit, sweet potatoes, and bread. His sleeping is still a work in progress! J Sometimes he sleeps through the night and sometimes he wakes up 2-3 times per night. He seems to be a light sleeper and only a couple of times has he slept for 10 hours or more. He usually averages 9 hours. But unfortunately, he still wakes up early. I’ve even tried putting him to bed later but he still wakes up around the same time. Christmas morning he gave us a present by sleeping until 6am! He usually gets up at 5:30- 5:45am.

I was off work three days last week due to MLK day and snow days!! WHOOT! WHOOT! So we were able to have some serious play time around here. As Trevor was up with Caleb one morning, I could hear those little feet walking around and that little squealy voice. Why would I want to sleep?! I can’t wait to get up and squeeze that sweet boy! Needless to say, he’s a joy and blessing in every way.

Since I didn’t post at Christmas, here are some highlights in pics:

Have a blessed New Year!! Matthew 6:33

Confessions of a Working Mom

Ok, so I wasn’t planning on taking this long of a break from blogging… but I did. Anyway, life has been whizzing by and I can’t believe it’s been over two months since I last posted. But as you can imagine, life is very busy now…. especially with a 6month old.

As a working momma, life can be quite challenging at times and there seems to be very little time to sit down and relax. Since going back to work in January, I have struggled with balancing or making time for my many roles, such as, balancing housework, feeling guilty when I leave Caleb at daycare, making time for myself, cooking meals, sleeping, and so and so on! If you don’t know me or haven’t read any previous posts, you may not know that I’m a girl who likes routine, lists, organization, and of course, being able to check things off my list! So, figuring out how to be a working mom has, at times, worn me down. As time has slipped by, I am continually learning to keep placing everything back into God’s hands and forever asking God for wisdom!!! And just let me tell ya… when you ask God for wisdom, he definitely gives it! He helps me to put things back into perspective and reminds me that I don’t have to do it all. I don’t have to be perfect….”Whew”. Just knowing this gives me peace and takes weight off my shoulders. I don’t know if anyone else feels this way at times but it is definitely something I struggle with. I’m so thankful I serve a God who is not asking me to be perfect, to do all the right “things”. He desires me to seek after Him with all my heart, to be available to be used by Him. I’m reminded in scripture to be like Mary and not Martha. (By the way, a good book that I’ve read on this topic is Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver.) Now that I’m four months into this working mom thing, I can look back and see how God has given me strength, given direction, and has shown me how to balance this life he’s given me.

One thing for sure, my husband and I are a team. I could not do this without him. Many times since I’ve had Caleb and when Trevor was sick, I’ve thought about some friends I know who have raised their kids as a single parent and I must say, I should have prayed for them more. It’s a tough but rewarding role that can be challenging even with two parents sharing the load. Trevor and I have divided some of our household chores so that one person isn’t doing it all and to keep us on the same page. Since we both work, this is so helpful.

Another thing we’ve decided to do is turn off the TV. Several years ago, I worked at daycare taking care of 2 year olds. One family in particular made a huge impression on me. Of this family, both mom and dad worked but yet they were not the typical working family. As I observed their son, I noticed just how much he was content with little things. Even at Christmas, when I asked him what his favorite gifts were, he said, “Thomas the Train underwear and pajamas.”:) I finally asked the mom how they made it work. How do you foster family time when you both work? She said that they had decided weekday evenings were to be focused on family. They weren’t going to be a family that came home each evening and plopped down in front of the TV and not spend time with their son. She said they ate dinner together and they played with toys, games, and read books until bed time. They did not turn on the TV until after their child had gone to bed. For over 8 years, what she said has stuck with me. That family was proof to me that it was possible to create a strong family even while both parents work. So, we’re trying to keep the TV off in the evenings until Caleb has gone to bed. We haven’t been doing this every night but we’ve found that we enjoy our evenings so much more when it is off. We don’t let Caleb watch TV anyway, at least until he’s 2.

Some other things I do to help the mornings run smoothly are pack Caleb’s daycare bag and my school bag the night before. I hang out our clothes the night before. Ok, so I try to do as much as possible the night before. I sometimes even set out Caleb’s bowl, spoon, and bib for his breakfast for the next morning. It just makes the mornings less hectic. I hate rushing to get ready and there have been days I’ve had to do this.

I’m still a work in progress. I don’t have it all together (as much as I would like to say I do). As I have a desire to try and do it all…. I know it’s not possible and that some days things will be hectic and not flow the way I want it to. But I’m learning to keep my feet rooted in God’s Word and let Him lead the way. There’s no other place as comforting and peaceful as being in the hands of God.

Well, that sums up my last umm.. four months! Ok, well, while I’ve been learning the ropes of motherhood, I have been having fun along the way. Caleb is 6months old now!!!!!! He’s halfway to a year, ahhh! So, I am trying to soak up every little minute with him. He is SO much fun and such a good baby.

We went to the doctor for his 6mo. check up and he weighed 16lbs and 3oz, and 26 and a half inches long! He loves his jumper, rolling around on the floor, and anything to chew on. He also loves to listen to us sing to him and he has started this squealing phase. Bath time has become a favorite for him because he like to kick his legs and splash the water. I also love the way he raises his eyebrows up as if he is intently listening to me. He is content most of the time and smiles all the time. He also has his two bottom teeth in. He also is doing great with eating solids. His favorite food is apples. He seems to like most any fruit! Of course he’s saying “da da” and that just melts Trevor’s heart. I’m still working on him saying “momma”. He’s formed his lips like he was going to say it a few times but he never has. And who knows, maybe he was wanting to say “monkey”!! We celebrated his first Easter with Trevor's family. We had a great day despite the "blah" weather. He even got to find three eggs with daddy. He’s growing like crazy and in just a couple of weeks we’ll be looking at a seven month old!?!

I have 24 days of school left until summer and I just can’t wait!!!!!!!!

he found a water toy in his egg!

decorating cupcakes at Easter

We also have a lot going on this month that I’m looking forward to… visiting family, planting my garden, maybe strawberry picking (okay, Anna Ruth?!), and Caleb’s baby dedication at the end of the month. Hopefully, I’ll post on some of these events, but, if not… you know what I’m doing…. Heehee!!

Have a blessed weekend!!

Reflection of 2012

The year 2012 will forever be another “pillar” or “stone” in my spiritual walk that will be a constant reminder of who God is. This past year has been a reminder of His faithfulness and that His power and will are greater than all others! As 2012 began, I never dreamed that by the end of the year I would become a proud momma of a sweet little boy. After being married 12 years and wishing and praying for a child for more than half of this time, God answered our prayer. At the beginning of last year, I had focused all of my attention on my job, husband, and home. I had given my desires over to the Lord and was content with life. I had really convinced myself that God had other plans for me. I’m so thankful that His plans are better than mine and His ways are higher than my ways. What an amazing year!

On to 2013… what does God have in store for this year? As I give this year over to the Lord and make my plans, I ask that His will be done. For I know that His plans far exceed my dreams and desires. Thinking on a new year, there has been a song that God keeps bringing to my heart. It's by Matt Redmond and the title of the song is Never Once. As I look back over the past year and the challenges and blessings we experienced, God is always faithful! The chorus of this song says, " Never once did we ever walk alone. Never once did You leave us on our own. You are faithful, God you are faithful." There is nothing more comforting or fulfilling than knowing that I'm being held in His hands. He is a God who loves and cares. So be encouraged today! Whatever situation you're going through, God is WAY bigger and asks us only to trust Him. 

On a lighter note, our little cutie just turned 3 months old and I can't believe how fast he is changing. He's starting to have so much personality.

He jabbers away and laughed for the first time this past Monday. He melts my heart every time he smiles at me. Even the other night I was feeding him his bottle and all of a sudden he stops and just smiles. I wanna just eat'em up! Although, he may be working me now as if it will pay off later... this momma's gotta work on her "soft" heart!! He started daycare on January 7, and I must say that was such a difficult day for me. Caleb did great but my heart was broken. It is comforting to know he is in the same building where I work and it does help that I'm able to see him usually once throughout the day. This past Wednesday, I had my lunch/ recess break and was able to be with him and feed him. Fridays are the easiest because I know he's at home with daddy! God is truly helping me as each day gets a little easier. I know that God has called me to teach for now and that He'll provide everything needed to do His will- including taking care of Caleb... and me! -And He even provides snow days which allowed me a 4 day weekend!!! One night this past week I was sharing with God my heart on this issue and He reminded me that this is just a season. So for now I'm going to do my best "as unto the Lord" at my job, being a mommy, and a wife. I'm choosing to enjoy this time of my life instead of complain because I know God has it under control.

The Best Birthday Present EVER!!

Introducing.... Caleb Warren

Caleb was born on October 18, two days after my 35 birthday! He weighed 7lbs 15oz and was 21 inches long.... be still my heart!!!! :) 

The past two months have been a whirlwind. We survived the first two weeks, which was quite an adjustment. I think the biggest adjustment was learning to live on 3-4 hours a sleep at night, and not consecutively.  If you know me personally, I LOVE my sleep. I wouldn't consider myself a morning person or a night owl. I just like to sleep, take naps, etc. I know this makes me sound lazy :) but I'm really not... I just really enjoy sleep! I'm now use to my new normal and wouldn't change a thing. But...my whole labor experience started off without sleep. I went into labor on Wednesday night the 17th, at 10pm. We waited until 1am to go to the hospital when my contractions were 5-7min. apart. I had dialated 4-5 centimeters. The hospital admitted me and I was finally able to get a room around 3am. While waiting on a room, the nurse wanted me to walk the hallways. Trevor and I walked for a while until I was tired and ready to lay back down. When we went back to the triage room, they had cleaned it up and told me I could go to my room. Unfortunately, they were cleaning the room and I could not go in yet. So, we kept walking. Boy, was I ever glad to lay down. I was able to make it to 7am until I asked for an epidural. Can I just stop and say... thank you Lord for epidurals!! After the doctor broke my water around 9:30am, things really progressed. After pushing for an hour and a half, Caleb was born at 5:08pm. Unfortunately, from the doctors breaking my water, I received an infection that also affected Caleb. I had them lay him on my chest and then we weren't able to see him again until 10pm. The nurses had trouble giving him an IV. So, by the time he came back to the room, I couldn't rest because I just wanted to hold him and stare at him the whole time. We sent him back to the nursery at about 3am for three hours. So, no rest Wednesday night and only 3 hours Thursday night. Needless to say... I was already exhausted when we came home from the hospital. Now that Caleb is almost two months old, he gets up a couple of times a night and easily goes right back to sleep of which I'm very thankful. 

I can't express into words how much I love being Caleb's mommy. He brings so much joy to my heart! He had his first Halloween spent at our friends Scotty and Nancy's house, we spent his first Thanksgiving visiting Trevor's family out of town and survived our first nights stay in a hotel. We're looking forward to his first Christmas and all the memories that will be made. We're also looking forward to our photo session this coming week with a photographer at the Hotel Roanoke. 

Caleb's tree with colored lights, items from the showers, his first ornaments, and some of mommy and daddy's ornaments!

Opening his first present

a Pooh ornament for his tree from Nanny

I'm down to my last few weeks with him before I go back to work. I must say I can't believe how fast time has gone and I'm not exactly super excited about going back to work. I know God has it under control and I just need to rest in him. Until then, I'm savoring everyday and taking time to just sit and hold my little one knowing that this season doesn't last forever.  

Playing Catch-Up!

Ok, so I dropped out of blogland for a little while but not permanently. It's been a busy past couple of months and it just seems when I finally get a chance to blog, I'm too tired or seem to find something else more important to do. So I'm finally on spring break and am able to relax a little this week before going back next week to finish out the year! 

Well, a lot has happened so I'm going to highlight some fun and great things that I've been up to over the past months. First of all, as an update from one of my last posts, I was very excited to finally see SNOW!! 

Not only was this snow beautiful, but was enough to close school for the day!! Yippee!! 
But what's really crazy, the weather had been so warm that I was worried that it was going to damage my daffodils that had bloomed much earlier than usual but the snow actually melted quickly and they survived.

 Normally they bloom in March but I took this picture on February 21. 

I also had a lot going on at school. We celebrated the 101st day of school with 101 Dalmatians and of course lots of counting activities. The students enjoyed dressing up as dalmatians and celebrating with a party at the end of the day. We also celebrated Dr. Seuss week and Read Across America. We kicked it off by watching Tim Tebow read Green Eggs and Ham. I love Dr. Seuss week! We had such a fun week!!

To end the month of February, I was able to enjoy a Girls Night Out with some girls from church. It was such a great time of worship and fun. I really enjoyed hearing Mandissa and singing some of my fav songs that she sings. Another artist that I wasn't as familiar with but seemed to know some of her songs is Laura Story. Wow, she was great and what an amazing testimony she has. I needed this night so much and I enjoyed being with these great ladies!

And then yesterday, I was able to see my family for Easter. We had a great lunch and enjoyed spending time with the kids. My dad's birthday was this past Tuesday so we not only celebrated Christ's resurrection but my dad's b-day. We had fun eating cake, hiding eggs, and  just spending time together. 

We had a great day but the wind ended up being a bit chilly for hiding eggs outside. We did it a few times but decided we would rather be inside. 


Trevor and I also had a big surprise in February. We found out we are having a baby! It's been a whirlwind of a couple of months and at times I still find myself in awe and amazement of God's blessing. As most of you know, we have not been able to have children and as from previous posts we pursued foster care upon which the door was closed. Over the past year, we had become content with not having children and enjoying the life God had blessed us with. As I continue to learn, God desires us to be content in whatever situation we've been placed in. At times, it may feel like we are in a deep, dark pit but it's important to remember that God will never leave you, no matter how you may feel. Not only will he never leave you, He also has a plan for your life. In my case, I had made a decision to trust God and live for him with or without children, in times of plenty and in times of need. It truly helps you appreciate the tough times in life because it helps you to remember who is ultimately in control and where your strength and foundation has been planted. Although Trevor  and I are very excited and thankful for this gift, we realize that this child is not our own. This child belongs to God and we pray that he or she will bring Him glory. So, we continue to trust in God. We have six more months to go. He is in control and we must trust and believe that his timing is perfect and his will is perfect. 


Have a blessed week!

Check this out

I just came across this you tube video on another blog this week about the book, Kisses from Katie. I had seen the book at the store but I never actually knew what it was about. I now have to read the book.... what an amazing
young lady!

Renewanation

Last Tuesday night, I attended a benefit banquet with the staff from my school. The banquet was for an organization call RENEWANATION and included area Christian schools, churches, businesses that have supported them. This organization was birthed out of a pastor's heart to see every child in America be offered a Christian based education. Their mission is to secure a bright future for America and the world by instilling a Christian worldview in the hearts and minds of children.

Ok, so I must admit I really wasn't looking forward to going last week. Actually, I was looking forward to the dinner part. The banquet was held at the Hotel Roanoke and I knew I would at least enjoy a nice dinner. I know, that sounds awful, but it's the truth. Lately, my weeknights at home have been few and far between and I felt like this was just "one more" thing added to list of places to be. Well, I must say, I am so thankful I went and when I left I felt refreshed, encouraged, and  sensed God speaking to my heart. And an added bonus, my school was one of three in our area to receive a $10,000 grant. What a HUGE blessing!

The speaker for the evening was Dr. Jeff Meyers from Summit Ministries in Colorado. Wow, did he have a powerful message. He challenged us, as Christian educators and parents, to not sit on the 'sidelines" and continue to allow the world to take control of the minds of our children and youth. He reminded us of how important it is to take every situation to teach our children to have a Biblical worldview. He referenced Deuteronomy chapter 6, specifically verse 7-9 ... You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
He gave a really neat example of this. As a researcher, he had done tests on the effects of video games and the brain. So, he said he came home from work and told his children that they wouldn't be playing video games for awhile. Of course, his kids quickly tried to convince him that there was a "new" kind of game system that kept the body active while playing. Their example was playing tennis... so he said okay, you want to play tennis, then get in the car. He took them to play tennis. Then he said they continued to push and said they could also act out bowling on this game system. He said, ok, you want to bowl.... then get in the car. He ended up taking them bowling. Finally, his kids told him that they actually liked to play the "shut 'em up" games. He said, ok...... get in the car.  LOL! He took them to buy airsoft guns and they played in their backyard that evening. His point was that as he was playing with his children, he was also teaching them, spending time with them, using the situations to talk about God.  One morning as he was coming downstairs for breakfast, he said he could hear his children discussing "deep theological" issues like Clifford. You know.... the big Red Dog! lol   Their discussion was whether Clifford really loved God or not. So as he was listening, his three year old said... "I don't think he loves God because he never talks about him." This really made me think. A biblical worldview does not just happen by chance or just by going to church.... it starts in the home and then filters out into other influences... school, church, etc.  Because their father spent time playing with them and while playing, talked about God... he was instilling a Christian worldview in their hearts and minds.

Eventhough I'm not a parent, God has called me to be a teacher. I pray that I am instilling in my students a christian world view and that I'm taking every opportunity to teach them about God... not just during our Bible lesson but in every part of our day.

A challenge to you.... are you taking every opportunity to develop a Biblical worldview in the lives of the children in your life?!

I encourage you to check out the renewanation website.

Have a blessed week!!

Foster Care- part 2

Well, it's been a while since I last wrote about our progress with our pursing to be foster parents. Probably, because there was no update to post until about a month ago. It's taken me this long to finally write about it. The week before Christmas we had our second home visit where they check our home to make sure it meets their requirements and standards for being able to bring a child into our home. In other words, our home needed to be ready and prepared as if we were going to take in a child the next day. So, needless to say, we worked hard at preparing for the visit. The visit went really well. We were able to turn in some of our completed paperwork and our home finder followed up with us on what was left to be completed and we scheduled a time for her third visit. As you can tell, we'd been planning and preparing mentally, emotionally, and physically for the past four months. So it came as a shock when we received an e-mail the next week stating that we had been rejected because of the age group we desired. My husband and I had decided that our age limit would be ten years old. We've been married for 10 years and felt that was appropriate and didn't feel we could handle going any higher, especially since we've never had children. Well, we were told if we wouldn't accept a teenager, they would have to reject us. Wow! You can imagine the emotion I felt. I was disappointed, angry - partly because I felt like we had been deceived into thinking we would get a child. I also felt like I had been punched in the face.

Now that I've had time to think about it, pray about it, talk to friends about it, I have finally become okay with it. I really had believed this was the direction God was taking us. We had great support. People were asking us how they could help. Someone had given us a bed and it just seemed that everything was working out and moving in that direction. Throughout the process, we had continued to pray that if this wasn't God's will that He would close the door. I am comforted knowing that His plans are greater than mine and His ways are better than mine. Although I don't understand, I know that God has something better in mind. And as Trevor and I pray about what other options we have, we also know that it could be God's will for us not to have children at all. Although that's hard to breathe in, I desire more than anything in life to please him and if that means not having children then I submit to his will.

As I have been wrestling with this for the past month, the Lord has used His word to strengthen me. Here are a couple of scriptures that I continue think on..
Psalms 20:7 says " Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we will trust in the name of the Lord our God.
James 1:2-3 says "Consider it all joy my brethern, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Here is a song by Hillsong United that has been encouraging and uplifting to me during this time.

Eventhough my circumstances can weigh me down, when I began to worship Him, being in His presence just makes my situation seem so small! I can't imagine how bleak, miserable, and hopeless my life would be without Him.

So, I ask for your continued prayers as we pray and seek where to go from here. Hopefully, as I tell my story whoever is reading this will be encouraged and know that God has a plan and purpose for you!!


Have a blessed Week!

Entering a New Phase of Life

Well, it seems a lot has taken place since my last post. I must admit I knew the month of September was going to be busy but I had no idea how exhausted I would be by the end. September was the start of several things for me . Let's see, the first week of the month the new school year started, children's choir at church began (I assist my husband), we began Financial Peace University at church on Thursday nights, and on Saturdays we began Foster/Parenting training classes from 8-4pm. Now with keeping that consistent schedule each week with school meetings and appointments thrown into the mix... WHEWW... that's a lot to do (especially for me). So, now I'm trying to get back to my "normal" life!

I guess as this month has brought many new exciting things, I wanted to write about the excitment my husband and I have about becoming foster parents. Let me say, first of all, this was not something I nor my husband had origninally planned for our lives. My husband and I have been married for ten and years and have been trying to have children for the past five . As we have dealt with infertility and have heard what the doctors have said, we began to seek God for wisdom and guidance. As I look back, God was always leading and He was always guiding... I just couldn't see it. Over the past several years, God had placed many different people into my life with different stories of being foster parents or foster/ adoptive children. As those seeds were planted, God began to speak to my heart about fostering and adoption. I have always had a love for children and I can look back over my life and see how God had been preparing me for this all along. Although  this may not have been the plan I would have originally chosen, there is nothing else I'd rather do! You see, I believe this is part of God's plan for my life... His purpose for me and I put my faith, hope, and trust in Him.  "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." Philippians 2:13. 

Well, it's been a year now since my husband I officially decided that was the direction God was taking us. It has been an exciting journey, one that we're still on. We are looking forward to seeing what God's going to do and excited about meeting that hand-picked child He has for us. We just completed our first step which is attending the six training sessions. It will still be another six months before we are able to get a child. Please pray for us.. we are excited but nervous as well. Pray that God will give us wisdom as we prepare are heart and home for this child.

Blessings,

Mary Ann