The story of "O"

Owen is TWO (Oct. 4) so I thought I would share the story of our little man, Owen.

Warning - this is LONG.

To say that Owen was a surprise is a huge understatement. Eric and I were still "discussing" whether we wanted a third child. I come from a family of 3 and I was pretty sure that I wanted another baby while Eric comes from a family of 2 and was pretty sure that he was done with two kids.

My friend, Dina, and my co-workers knew I was pregnant before I even did. I remember going to lunch with my department and I got grief for my food choices. I didn't think they were odd and had a logical reason for everything I ate (salad, pickle w/lots of salt on it, and a blackberry cobbler). They joked with me about being pregnant and even more so because my two older children were born during the last quarter of the year which is VERY busy at work. No one wanted me to be on maternity leave during that time again. LOL! I think my exact words to someone when they asked me if I was pregnant was "Hell no" (tsk tsk - I know!) Their joking got to me and I went out that night and bought a pregnancy test and it was negative - this was on a Thursday.

For some reason, I questioned it again on Sunday night and after our small group left our home I ran to Wal-Mart and picked up a three pack of pregnancy tests. I didn't tell Eric yet that I was doing as I didn't want to freak him out unnecessarily. Well, the first test came up positive as did the following two!!!! OH MY GOODNESS. I was in shock. And, Eric, well, the guy who NEVER calls in sick was so shocked that he called in sick and literally stayed in bed with the covers over his head all day & night. LITERALLY.

Now, onto my friend, Dina. I later found out that the week prior to finding out I was pregnant, I had walked into her house and her first thought was that I was pregnant and that it was a boy. She told me later that she was actually mad at me because she thought I was keeping it a secret from her when in fact, I didn't know yet.

The pregnancy went along well, no real complications. We found out that we were expecting a boy mid-way through and quickly came up the name Owen Francis. Owen because we liked the name & Francis after my grandfather who had passed away while I was in college.

Fast forward to late September. Eric's grandpa, Lester, was very ill and ended up passing away. That was so hard. So hard. He was such a wonderful man of God and a tremendous grandpa & great grandpa. I was heartsick because I was due any day and we couldn't travel to his funeral. I tried everything to get this child out early so that at least Eric could attend the funeral to no avail. This child did NOT want out.

My mom came out and to help with the kiddos and I still hadn't had Owen. It wasn't that I was overdue, I just wanted him to be born. When I was 40 weeks, 1 day I had a dr. appt. and the dr. said that I could be induced in another week. WHAT?????? I was NOT going another day being pregnant. So, I went home, and took 2 T. of Castor oil, as I had done with the previous 2 pregnancies, and waited to see if it put me into labor. About 5:30 pm I was getting a bit frustrated and wasn't feeling great so Eric & my mom took the kids to the park. My stomach started hurting but it wasn't contractions so I wasn't sure that it was labor. It hurt like crazy though. Eric called about 6:30 and I was pretty sure that we needed to go to the hospital but he didn't get home until about 7 pm. At that point, the pain that I was experiencing had turned into timeable contractions and they hurt. They were at the point where I needed an epidural with Morgan and I was STILL AT HOME. Ughh. It was the hardest thing I did to say goodbye to Morgan & Drew without scaring them by the pain that I was in. I could have knocked Eric out too. I am in crazy pain and he wants to IRON HIS PANTS before we went into the hospital. Are you kidding me????? Put the stinkin' pants on and let's go.

We get to the hospital and they don't have a labor room cleaned up yet so we were put into a post-partum room. I was checked and was at 4-5 cen. I immediately asked for the epidural but they couldn't give me one until I had a bag full of fluids first. NOOOOOOO!!!! They did give me some Stadol and then proceeded to ask me to sign a bunch of papers. Hello - I am on another planet and you want me to answer questions and sign documents? Seriously? Why the heck did I pre-register if I was going to have to do all this???? I've heard many say that Stadol doesn't take the pain of the contractions away and is worthless but I have to tell you, it took the edge off the pain enough to make me happy. They said it would last 30 minutes and I kept close watch on that clock. I finally got moved to a real labor room and the epidural guy was called. The Stadol started wearing off and wow, that was some stinkin' pain. I remember just crying that I couldn't do this anymore while Eric sat there trying to convince me that I could.

FINALLY the epidural guy shows up. I sit up to get the epidural and it was the strangest feeling, unlike the past 2 times. It literally felt like I was sitting on Owen's head, like he was right there. I sure as heck wasn't about to tell them either until I got the stinkin' drugs!

Epidural in and working and the nurse checks me. I am 9 cms. dilated and the only thing holding Owen in was my bag of waters. The nurses can't break the water, only the dr., so we waited. About 20-30 minutes later the dr. shows up & breaks my water. Shortly there after I started to push and out comes Owen without much work.

He was born 2 hours after getting to the hospital, around 10:30 pm (I think). This was nice because both Morgan & Drew were born around 3 am. He weighed 9 lbs 2 oz and was 21 inches long.

After Owen was born, in the delivery room, Eric & I decided to change his name and include his grandpa's name - Lester. It seemed funny to many that we had two middle names but they both were special to us. We wanted to honor our grandfathers and so we named our little boy Owen Lester Francis.

My wonderful mom had come out for 2 weeks to help me with each of my children but had gotten there shortly after we were released from the hospital the previous two times. It's hard to plan flights in advance for obvious reasons. It was so special to be able to have her come up to the hospital within the first hour of Owen's birth and hold him. I love that memory!

So, here we are, two years later. He's still my baby. Such a cute little man.

Happy Birthday Owen!

Here are some pics:

Me, in labor, ready to get to the hospital. Don't I just look *great*?



Minutes after Owen was born.

Funny picture of Owen just after he was born.


Newborn photos (less than 2 weeks old I believe)

My three kiddos (Morgan was 3, almost 4, Drew was 22 months, Owen was less than 2 weeks)

Eat More Chicken - TONIGHT!

A family from our small group, the Johnson's, are in the middle of adopting a sweet little girl from Malawi (you can read her story here). As you can imagine, it's not cheap to adopt and the Johnson's have been doing many fundraisers in an effort to help with the cost.

Tonight Chick-Fil-A in Smyrna is donating 20% of sales to the Johnson family. Just come in between 5 - 8 pm and eat, present them with the flyer and let them know that you are there to support the Johnson family. Don't worry, if you don't have a flyer, Crystal will be there with plenty of extras.

This is a great opportunity to serve another family in a practical way. Please come, enjoy some YUMMY food and help bring baby Savannah-Hope home!

Thanks!

Knock on wood, I'm doing good.

I have to do a little bragging on myself here, I just can't help it.

Out of the last 7 days, I've gone to the gym 5!!!!! M, T, W, F, Sun!!!

After seeing many depressing photos of myself and feeling like crap because I weigh as much as I did when I GAVE BIRTH to Morgan, and close to what I did when I gave birth to Drew & Owen, I decided to suck it up and work on things.

I'm doing a modified version of Weight Watchers, taking vitamins, and exercising and so far I've lost about 8 lbs (in 2 weeks)! It feels good!


So - 8 lbs down and 40 more to go!

Baby #4 coming! - UPDATED

Did you think I was talking about ME???? :) I wish, Eric doesn't. LOL!

Please pray for some good friends of ours, the Duda's, as baby #4 is on his way today! So excited for their family!

Baby Nicholas arrived safe & sound yesterday. Congratulations to the Duda family!!!! Can't wait to meet him in a couple of weeks.

Update on prayer request

A couple of days ago I posted a link to a blog about a local family facing the loss of their newborn daughter to Trisomy 18. This family are Christ-followers and their testimony through all of this has been incredible.

They lost their little girl yesterday.

If you have a moment, please say a prayer for this family.

Thanks!

Please forgive me.

Do you ever have one of those moments where the lights just go on and suddenly you see something clearer than you've seen it before?

I have to tell you, I had one of those experiences tonight and it doesn't make me very happy with myself. Actually, I'm quite irritated with myself because I just realized how big a hypocrite I really am.

Stay with me here.

Matthew 18:21-35 tells the story of a man who owed the king a large debt. The slave begged the king to let him pay the debt and the king, knowing that the slave didn't have the money to repay him, forgave the large debt. The slave left and ran into someone who owed him money. This person begged him just like he had begged the king. Instead of forgiving the debt, the slave got mean about it. The king heard what happened and wasn't happy.

"Then summoning him, his Lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you entreated me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, even as I had mercy on you?' And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart" (vv. 33-35).

I claim to follow Christ and I tell people that He loves them and forgives them yet I realized tonight that I have been carrying some unforgiveness in my heart toward someone for almost 1.5 years. If asked, I would have said that I forgave this person (people) but that I was holding myself back because I just didn't want to get hurt again - it wasn't really unforgiveness but self preservation. That was a load of crap.

My God saved me and forgave me of all my sins, a huge debt that there was no way I could re-pay, and yet I wouldn't forgive these people for what happened between us several years ago. See any similarities?

I have a huge sense of justice and fair-play and when I think that things are wrong, or I am utterly convinced that I am right, I don't want to give in. The idea of forgiving someone and asking them to forgive me makes me feel like I'm admitting they were right and I was wrong, and well, there are times when I just don't want to go there.

At the beginning of this story we find Peter asking Jesus how many times should he forgive a brother that sins against him - seven times? Jesus responds as follows in v. 22, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."

There shouldn't be a limit to the number of times we'll forgive someone. We shouldn't say that we've been hurt one too many times so we are done. I said I was done and totally disengaged from a relationship that I shouldn't have for selfish reasons. What a great picture of Christ I painted for these people.

I know this person reads this blog and I'm sorry for not truly forgiving you before now and I ask that you forgive me for how I've treated you & your family this past year & a half.

Let's start over little sis.

Pray for this family

There is a blog that I know several of us check out from time to time, Rocks in My Dryer, and it had a post that I followed to another blog. This is a young family who happens to be here in the Nashville area. They just had their second baby girl a short time ago and she has Trisomy 18 (I think) and is going to die. They are Christ-followers and their testimony as they walk through this fire is amazing. If you have a moment, please take a read and say a prayer for them.

Webkinz - The Dueling Daddies

I don't know if you all are familiar with Webkinz but Morgan, Drew & Owen each just got one from Eric after his last trip. You can get online and take care of your pet by earning money doing jobs & playing games. Morgan and Drew LOVE playing this and apparently, so does Eric.

I just went downstairs and he was playing Webkinz checkers with his cousin, Jeff, whose daughter also has a webkinz!!! Two grown men playing WEBKINZ!

The other day Eric went online and played for a while and "bought" Morgan a chair for her pet's virtual room.

The things these daddy's do for their children - such a sacrifice.

How it should be

I know we all have had experiences with the church where people didn't act "right" or treat each other "right" or serve each other "right" but I just LOVE it when I see the church act the way that it should. LOVE IT.

I love it when a group of people come together to meet a practical need of someone else. Jesus did it over and over again and He commanded us to do it as well. I have seen it repeatedly throughout this past year in our small group by providing meals, money, Christmas presents, prayers, encouragement, etc. and it encourages me each and every time it happens.

I'm thankful to be in a group of Christ-followers who believe in making the Gospel of Jesus practical to the world around them.

Edited to add a link to a blog I read tonight on this very subject. Check it out, it's worth a read. (Do you guys think I read too many blogs? LOL!)

Again!

For some reason today I've been thinking about certain experiences that I've had in my past that I wish I could experience again. I'm not talking about changing anything, I just wish I could go back in time and experience it again. Does that make sense to anyone?

Here's the list I came up with:

1. June 18, 1991 - when I accepted Christ. I've told the story a lot but sometimes it seems so far away and I wish I could experience the emotion of it again. It was amazing.

2. May 13, 2000 - my wedding day. It was a PERFECT day - not too hot, not too cold - PERFECT.

3. I don't remember the date but I do remember the last time that I saw my Pop-Pop before he passed away. He lived in PA and we had gone out there several months prior to his passing for something, holiday maybe. Maybe it was God's way of preparing me for what was coming because I distinctly remember hugging him and thinking that this would be the last time that I ever got to do that. It was. I would like to go back and give my Pop-Pop another hug and get another one of his whisker kisses!

4. Feb. 16, 2001 - day we found out we were pregnant with Morgan. That was a crazy day. I wasn't even "late" yet but we were trying and I ran home at lunch and took a test. I remember calling a friend at work who had kids and asking her what 2 lines meant - did they really mean PREGNANT? I ran to the Dr. office for a blood test and they confirmed that I was pregnant.

5. October 28, 2001 - actually, back it up to the night prior when I went into labor with Morgan.

6. April 2003 - when we found out we were pregnant with Drew. Remind me sometime to tell you how he was my April Fool's Day joke on Eric & my bosses.

7. December 20, 2003 - the day Drew was born (starts out Dec. 19th in the evening).

8. January 2005 - when we found out we were pregnant with Owen. I'll tell the story of how we found out on Owen's birthday in a couple of weeks.

9. October 4, 2005 - the day that Owen was born. Nice short labor!

So, there you have it. If I could, I would LOVE to go back and experience these things again. I know, that's impossible, and probably a stupid thing to think about but I was thinking about it today and well, now you know.

If you could relive any moment from your life, what would it be?

Amazing story - definite prayer request

My mother-in-law just forwarded me a blog for twin girls, grandbabies of some people in her church, that were born at 24-25 weeks (I think). It's amazing how technology today can help these babies survive outside the womb 16 weeks early!

http://www.emersonandstella.blogspot.com/

Prayer Request - Neighbor

If you all could say a few prayers for my neighbor that would be great. She had a baby last week on Monday and today got a uterine infection that has her in the hospital for 2-3 days. They have 3 kids ages 3 and under.

Thank you very much for your prayers.

Our little relief pitcher?

Okay, I have to confess, I don't get it really, Eric just said this when I mentioned that I thought Owen was going to be left-handed. I guess most relief pitchers are left-handed? (Sorry honey that I'm not more up on baseball terminology - at least I know who to root for - GO CARDS!)

I can't remember when you can really determine what hand is the predominate one in kids but I swear Owen is going to be a lefty. He uses it almost exclusively when doing stuff like coloring, putting Lego's together, eating, etc.

I vaguely remember wondering with both Morgan & Drew but they tended to use both hands equally, Owen does not.

So, what do you think? Is it too soon to tell? Neither Eric nor I are left-handed so this could be interesting I guess.

Utterly Ridiculous - Suing God? Really?

There are some ridiculous things out there but this one takes the cake at the moment.

State Senator Sues God

What a ridiculous waste of time and money.

Two birds - one stone

So, my ear is still a mess. I never realized how much we rely on all 5 of our senses until one was impaired. This really stinks but instead of harping on the bad things, let me list a few of the good things.

1. The children fighting with each other is quieter! :)

2. Right now I can hear all the noises that my body makes on the inside loud & clear (stick your fingers in your ears and eat or talk, you'll understand kind of what I mean.) Well, forget Weight Watchers, just having to listen to myself chew things like tortilla chips or bubble gum is enough to stop me from eating!

So, there you have it, two birds (kids & weight) with one stone (ear infection).

Oh & if I saw you at church today & didn't reply to you, chances are good that I didn't hear you or that I was so spaced out on the meds that I stupidly took on an empty stomach that I couldn't respond. Sorry!

One year ago today

One year ago today I arrived in TN with my mom & my kiddos, Eric had come ahead of us by a week to start his new job. I remember being completely & utterly exhausted from the week we had just gone through. While it's nice to have the movers come & take care of things, don't kid yourself, it's still a lot of work, especially with three kids! We had a good-bye party for the kiddos and it tore my heart out to say good-bye to all the friends in Oklahoma. I don't think I've cried that much in a long time.

It was hard to leave but also easy to leave at the same time. I just KNEW that this was the path that God had us on, I even remember having conversations with my close friends and also my mother-in-law one year prior about how I felt strongly that our time in Oklahoma was up. I'm not a patient person by any stretch of the imagination so when I felt God telling me that it was time to move on, I was ready to go. We had to wait a YEAR!!!

Eric found out he had a job and within three weeks we sold our house, came house hunting in TN, and bought a house. Again, our current house was one of those times when it was VERY clear to me that this what the Lord wanted for us. Both Eric & I had found this community online and found a floor plan that we both liked. I found out that a house with this exact floor plan and in this neighborhood had just become available. That was exciting to me because I really just wanted to move in, I didn't want to be in intermediate housing until a house that we liked could be built. I was SO frustrated with the realtor that we'd been hooked up with because he was a BIG fan of Williamson county and just came over to Rutherford because we insisted. We walked into this house and I KNEW, again, that this was the house God wanted for us.

My mom was a lifesaver (she's amazing if I haven't already told you so) and she came out to help me and drive out with my and my three kids. We stopped half-way and stayed in a hotel and then we pulled into town on Sept. 14th. I was a bit over-whelmed by just the traffic. WOW. The town we moved from doesn't have traffic. If it does, it just means it takes you 10 minutes instead of 5 minutes to get most places!

Don't get me wrong, I was excited! There was a Chick-Fil-A and Target just 10 miles up the road and LOADS of scrapbook stores. For a girl like me, that's pretty darn close to heaven!

We closed on our home on Sept. 15th and began the adventure of unpacking and making it feel like a warm & cozy home. The first night we were in the house we realized that our dishwasher was busted and so we had to wash the dishes by hand. Let me clarify, my amazing MOM washed the dishes by hand.

We got through and while Eric worked I found my way to places like the Discovery Center, library story hours, and, of course, Chick-Fil-A & McD's.

We also lived across the street from First Baptist and the gentleman that sold us our house went to that church. He recommended it and then a neighbor did as well, so we tried it out. I thought it would take us forever to find a church that we felt right being at but it happened with one stop. This was yet another time that it was very clear that this was where God wanted us. It was a big church but we found a Sunday School class (small group) that we felt like we fit with and have been going ever since.

We feel so blessed to be here. We have made some fabulous friends, gotten active in our local church and have managed to find our way around to some cool places! I am so thankful that God has put us in this place and can't wait to see Him work in our lives here.

To my TN friends, thank you so much for being welcoming and helping our first year in TN to be an amazing one! You are a true blessing.

Oh my

Can I complain one more time about my ear?

Seriously - childbirth aside, this is the single most painful experience that I've ever had. OUCH.

I actually found some Vicadin that I was given when I had strep throat and took it last night it hurt so stinkin' much.

Please let that antibiotic work faster!!!!

Ouch!

I am feeling like a bad mom right now because I don't think I realized just how painful ear infections are. My kids have obviously had their fair share of them, hence the 5th set of tubes between 5 kids that we recently put in.

I got a cold last week and it made my ears have that airplane, clogged feeling. They didn't hurt, just were stuffy and I couldn't hear well. I woke up this morning to extreme pain in my right ear and went to the Dr. Turns out I have a VERY bad infection, so much so that he's not sure we will be able to stop the ear drum from rupturing. He remarked that he rarely sees ears quite this bad. Nice. Can I just tell you that it HURTS LIKE CRAZY????? He gave me a prescription for Vicadin and I was half tempted to actually fill that one but I didn't. What is a mom to three kids going to do after taking that stuff, really?

So, the next time my kids have an ear infection, I'll probably be a bit more sympathetic as this STINKS!

They are their father's children

I often give Eric a hard time because he can be quite particular about a few things. He likes to have a neat house (nothing wrong with that) and it bothers him when there are spots on the carpet or marks on the wall. It bothers me too but I don't notice it quite as easily as he does.

Anyway, he has reason to be proud of 2 of his kiddos today as they are following after their daddy's footsteps.

This morning before going to school Morgan noted a stain on the carpet and immediately showed her daddy. Imagine the proud look on his face LOL

This afternoon I could not vacuum without Owen helping me - it made for a SLOW time but the kid LOVES to vacuum, much like his daddy. I remember a Christmas several years ago when Eric asked for a hand-held vacuum that had rolling heads with brushes on them to use on the stairs. I got him one and he hadn't even finished opening the rest of the presents before he was using it on the stairs.

I know, you girls are jealous, aren't you? He vacuums (stairs even), does dishes, laundry - I'm a lucky girl! :)

Add the above to Drew's window washing abilities, and, well, we MUST have the cleanest house on the block.

Prayer Request - Wilhoite Family

I don't know this family personally, I just happened to find her blog several months back and was drawn to it, I think because she has a child the same age as my Owen. She is struggling with leukemia and is not doing very well right now. Please say a prayer for her & her family.

Thanks!

Deeper Still

WOW! What an amazing conference. I can't even begin to tell you everything what God taught me through this weekend because, well, it would take forever and I'm still processing it.

I'll give you a few of the highlights though.

Imagine, if you can, 23,000 women in one room all praising God with their whole hearts. It reminded me of a quote from an article that I just read and posted about, "Passion filled the air and we were overcome by their outrageous joy." This was definitely OUTRAGEOUS JOY. I just stood there and watched all those ladies worshipping and was blown away. Can you imagine what heaven will be like? I can't even begin to wrap my head around that thought. Awesome.

There was a real focus on God's Word this weekend that I just loved. I'll be the first to admit that I struggle with reading my Bible. How can I expect to really know God if I don't spend time with Him? This weekend gave me a renewed passion to spend time in God's word even more.

I have so much more I could say about what God showed me but I'm going to have to work on that for another day.

First soccer games!

Morgan & Drew had their first soccer games today! I missed them because I was at the Deeper Still conference but Eric took them and they did great! Drew had fun practicing and playing with his team and Morgan had fun during her game, even scoring 4 goals!

WOOHOO Beth Moore weekend

Just have to share my excitement.

Tomorrow a small group of ladies is starting a Beth Moore bible study called "Daniel." I am SO excited as I have really been praying for a women's small group to do something like this. I SO need this. I can't wait.

If that wasn't enough, Beth Moore will be in Nashville this weekend and I AM GOING!!!!!!!!!!!! I am missing M & D's first soccer games which really does bum me out but I AM GOING TO SEE BETH MOORE!!! Can't wait to see what God teaches me!

Stay tuned.

Johnson family needs prayers & help!

A couple in our small group just found out that they are going to be new parents again when they adopt a little girl from Malawi. This little girl has quite the story and needs our prayers.

Please read her story, pray for this situation and, if you can, help them bring her home.!

Outrageous Joy

And I am not talking about my children either. :)

I have to tell you, sometimes I get so frustrated with Christians, especially those of us in the United States. We have it all - the freedom to worship and share Christ without fear of persecution - and we tend to waste it bickering with each other over how we choose to go about doing that. Sometimes I think people enjoy being miserable and being the center of attention, regardless of whether it's negative attention. We get so caught up in our right to share our opinion that we forget that just because we have the right doesn't make it right. Taming of the tongue -- forget-about-it -- we let it all fly, screw the consequences.

We are so full of ourselves, aren't we?

I am always reminded of how petty and ridiculous the American church can be when I receive my monthly newsletter from The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) or get an email update from Life of Hope Ministries.

There ARE people in the world that choose to follow Christ and by doing so they choose an actual, physical death. They are KILLED, literally, because they are a Christ-follower. Don't believe me? I dare you to subscribe to The Voice of the Martyrs FREE monthly newsletter and see for yourself. Your walk as a Christian here in the United States WILL be challenged when you read the stories of those persecuted for their faith in Christ.

I read one such story that I wanted to share with you. It was one of those stories that has helped me today keep things in perspective.

In this month's newsletter there was an article from one of the high school students who went to Vietnam with VOM earlier in the year. A reality show detailing these adventures called "Underground Reality: Vietnam" was taped while there and is available here.

At one point the students traveled 13 hours to the Central Highlands of Vietnam to visit a tribal church and deliver 500 Bibles. The students didn't know what to expect as they knew that by just being there they brought additional danger to the local underground churches. This students words:

"I was expecting to see a church trying its most to hide and conceal itself. Nothing could have prepared us for what we were about to experience. The small, dilapidated, wooden shed held hundreds of people, jammed in together. These believers were not just singing, they were praising God from deep within their hearts. Passion filled the air and we were overcome by their outrageous joy. As a young Christian from a contemporary evangelical church, I was overwhelmed by the atmosphere that filled the room. God was real to these people, like I had never known. They did not hold anything back, but rather surrendered everything to come before God's throne in praise and thanksgiving. I could do nothing but join in singing with my Vietnamese brothers & sisters, "Hallelu-Hallelujah, Amen! Hallelu-Hallelujah, Amen!"

The next time we're in church perhaps we can worship God with outrageous joy, with passion and without holding anything back as opposed to sitting around looking for ways to disagree with each other and argue.

Make JESUS famous people - that's what it's about.

It's not about us, it's about HIM.

First day of school - take 2

Today was Drew's first day of preschool. I was a little unsure of how he'd do because he had been giving me mixed messages on whether he even wanted to be there. No need to worry - he had a GREAT time! And the kid who never takes a nap was the ONLY one in his class that actually fell asleep today. Thank heaven for soccer practice this afternoon for him to run off some of the extra energy he had! LOL

Outside his new school:




Drew w/ his teacher, Ms. Julie:

He was excited to see the place mat that he colored. They have to put their lunch boxes on top of their place mat when they get to school.

Window Washers

Drew has found his calling in life - washing windows!

The other day we were at Chick-Fil-A (CFA) with Becca & Laura. We were sitting back by the door to the play area but honestly couldn't see in very well because of the glare from the sun outside. No one was screaming so we thought all was fine and the kids were playing nicely and appropriately.

A while later Kyle Goen, a pastor at FBC and CFA frequent flyer (remember, I run into a staff member almost EVERY single time I'm at CFA), came up to us and proceeded to tell us that from all the way in the BACK of the restaurant he was being entertained by our boys (Drew & Becca's son, Eli). Wondering what could have been so amusing but being afraid to find out, we asked why anyway.

Apparently Drew & Eli were standing on the benches and LICKING THE WINDOW!!!! It wasn't just once mind you, the window was FILTHY!

There had been another boy in there and shortly after he went in one time his mom came and grabbed him out. I assumed it was because he had kicked at one of the other boys when he walked in but I think it was probably because he was going to follow Drew & Eli's fabulous example and start licking the window which just happened to be right over where his mom & friend were sitting.

Okay, I was HORRIFIED. Yeah, it's hilarious and I laugh about it just thinking about it, but come on, they were LICKING A DIRTY WINDOW!!!! Gold star for parenting - right here!

I went and got the window cleaner and some paper towels and we had the boys clean off the windows. Not sure how much they learned though as they thought it was great fun to spray the window and wipe the stuff off.

It's SOCCER time!

Morgan started soccer practice this week. Although Drew is playing soccer, he doesn't have formal practices so he thought he would join in with Morgan's. Hey, he's welcome to run as much as he wants - the more he runs, the more tired he is, the easier bed time is! :)

M had fun at practice and can't wait until her first game.

Small Group Scavenger Hunt

Earlier this month our small group from church did a photo scavenger hunt. I think there was about 26 people that participated!! Ashley & Cindy planned it and did a FABULOUS job. They had each group assigned to a mascot and then gave us different things we had to go around town and take pictures of. There was also several bonus point opportunities. WE HAD A BLAST! I can't remember a time I've done something with a group like that and had such a good time. Afterwards we all met for dinner and looked at everyone's pictures & videos (they had us make up a cheer too).

Here are a few pics from my team (Eric was on a different team - the winning team actually):

Our team mascot, WOOLY, wasn't spared from the bbq at Lowe's.


Our team cheer (we were trying to get extra points w/the hula-hoops.


We got extra points if we got pics with members of the church staff in it. Here is Kyle Goen with the group. Eric's group has a great one of Pastor Kyle in his washing machine - need to go find that one and post it sometime, it's hilarious.

You can see a slide show of the event on Ashley's website.

It's a start, right?

If you have small children, or children that used to be small, then you probably know the pains of POTTY TRAINING! Ughh! The differences between each child is crazy. M was SO easy to potty train and D has been more challenging (the understatement of the year). I've often wondered what O would be like.

For the past few weeks he's been telling me what you do in the potty, "pee-pee" and when I change his diaper he will point to himself and say "pee-pee" so he's starting to get it. This past week he has been asking to go pee when I change his diaper. I've let him try several times. He won't sit down b/c his big brother pees standing up. Up until today he hasn't ever peed in the potty.

TODAY HE DID!!! WOOHOO!! I know, he's young but he's starting to show interest so we might just give it a shot and start working on it.

Hey, according to this article we're already WAY behind and should have been potty training since birth.

What is Grace?

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."

-Ephesians 2:8-9


I actually got myself up early this morning and did my devotions. This is quite the accomplishment because I am NOT a morning person, I'm not even a mid-morning person! After reading a couple of different things, the following devotion from my Mom's Devotional Bible stood out to me. I think it stood out to me because I've had several conversations in the past couple of months with people regarding "GRACE". What does it mean? Is it really free? Why don't I have to work to get it? Why does it replace the law & the 10 commandments?

Why is something that is a FREE gift seem so hard to understand sometimes?

At any rate, here is the devotional - read it - it's good.

Charis, the Greek word for "grace," is one of the most difficult Greek words to translate into English. Words like favor, beauty, thankfulness, gratitude, delight, kindness, and benefit are all derived from the root that gives us the word grace. If we have a tough time translating the word, it's no wonder we struggle to comprehend the concept of grace.

Digging through Scripture, we can come up with a picture of grace. Grace is always tied to the heart and character of God. In Deuteronomy we're told that God drove out Israel's enemies not because Israel deserved his intervention, but because he chose by grace to fulfill his word to his nation. In Isaiah we see that God longed to demonstrate his grace to a disobedient nation. In Jeremiah God underlined his grace by promising to bring Israel back from captivity.

Grace is God's character demonstrated in undeserved love. In fact, grace is God. It is his character illustrated in our lives with the scrawled signature of a cross.

Dear Lord, please help my child (and me) to comprehend your grace. May it not be just a dusty doctrine he mouths by rote during the recitation of a creed. May my child (and me) know your grace by experience. May he come to see grace as you, offering acceptance in place of rejection, favor in place of judgment, forgiveness where condemnation is deserved. Amen

Mr. Potato Head lives again

Several months back I put up a few toys that the kids just didn't play with anymore. They have enough, why keep everything out?

On Friday D saw the Mr. Potato Head in the closet and really wanted to play with it so I got it down. He's played with it a lot since and the kids took turns wearing Mr. P's glasses (see below).

Forget Christmas shopping at the stores (or online), I'll just go in my closet! (Honey, you know I'm kidding right? Don't get your hopes up!)

And this is why M doesn't ride the bus...

Had to chuckle just a little when watching the news tonight as we just had a talk about why M wasn't allowed to ride the bus to school.

Check out "That's Messed Up" from channel 2.

For those with bloglines/google reader/etc.

My apologies for the 2 posts that appeared earlier but that I have since deleted.

Sometimes it's just best if I keep my mouth shut - hard thing to do seeing as how I have a lot to say LOL!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC!

Today my man turns 29!!! Happy Birthday Eric. Now we are the same age, I just have 4 years of experience LOL :)

Modge Podge

I don't feel like doing several different posts that all have their own theme so here is a modge podge of stuff I wanted to post.

DADDY'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
Eric took Morgan to school for the first time on Wednesday. I took this picture of them getting ready to go. I thought it was a sweet pic of the two of them.



DREW & HIS "GIRLFRIEND"
D is "in love" with baby Aubrey. When he sees her, he just can't help himself. Here is a pic of their "first" kiss :)


AUBREY ENJOYING HER SHAKE
Tammy starts her kids on dairy young - here's Aubrey enjoying a milk shake (you know I'm just teasing Tammy!)



I had to laugh today at Chick-Fil-A because I think the entire staff of FBC must live there. I can't think of one time that I've been there in the past couple of months that I haven't seen one or more of the staff there. Despite rumors that I too live there, I only go once a week (inside anyways LOL).

A life less ordinary

I know I've mentioned here before that I was going to start helping in the high school ministry at church - Crave. Tonight was the night that me & Megan got our small group. I have been so nervous/anxious/etc. thinking about tonight but honestly, once we got in there all the nerves just went away. It was FANTASTIC & I absolutely cannot wait to do it again!

The message tonight was about Peter (Matthew 4:18-20, Matthew 16:18)and how God called him to live a life less ordinary - to lead an EXTRA ordinary life.

God calls each of us to the same thing he called Peter to - a life less ordinary.

God wants to take us out of our ordinary lives and use us to do the extra-ordinary. We should want that - we should crave that - we should pursue that with everything we have but the majority of us don't. If I was to be honest, I know that I don't most of the time. There is something comfortable about the status quo and there is definitely something very uncomfortable about making waves and being "different."

It was said tonight, God loves using the unlikely to do the amazing.

I know that he wants to do extra-ordinary things through me if I'd only let Him.

I think I might just try it. Life's too short to be ordinary.

Miley World member

Morgan LOVES Hannah Montana (thank you Katie for introducing her to that show LOL) and wants to have a Hannah Montana birthday party. Eric was trying to come up with something HM as a gift and well, he found it.

Hannah Montana is coming to concert the day after Thanksgiving and Eric bought two tickets yesterday so he can take his little girl to the concert. Can you imagine my husband at a Hannah Montana concert??? It makes me smile (okay, laugh)just thinking about it.

In order to buy tickets a little earlier he had to go on the Miley Cyrus website (I think) and become a Miley World member - he's got an official card and everything (ask him to see it - okay don't as I'm sure I'm already in trouble for this post).

Now, don't go saying anything to Morgan as she doesn't know about it & won't until her birthday in late October.

Rare photo shoot

I'm the mom that is always taking pictures of everything their children do but rarely do they ever sit there and pose for me let along suggest different poses. Today was one of those rare moments and here are the pics - aren't the cute? :)





Here is a good pic of O - I just love this smile!



D with the lego tower that he built as big as he is

Feed Me!

I've go the voice of Cookie Monster in my head but I'm thinking that it was the plant from Little Shop of Horrors that used to say "feed me!" Either way, it "food" that is on my mind tonight - not "food" in the normal sense of the word - spiritual "food".

If you've been in the "church" world very long then I'm sure you've heard people say that they left a church because they just weren't getting fed or maybe you've contemplated leaving a church because you felt that way. I know I have before.

Can it be a valid reason for leaving a church - sure - but I think it's an overused excuse for not wanting to have to work to get "fed."

At church we have been going through a series called "Go Time." Our pastor has been focusing on teaching us that the Christian life is about more than just minding our own business and never sharing with others the exciting & abundant adventure God provides for us when we follow Him. Our pastor said something this weekend that I thought was really good.

His "ideal" church would be one that was 1/3 unbelievers, 1/3 new believers, and 1/3 mature Christ-followers.

Why is this the ideal for a church?

It shows that the church is doing what it's supposed to - sharing Christ with those that don't know Him, discipling them and then sending them out to continue the cycle.

I've heard lots of "seasoned" Christians complain that services on Sunday morning just aren't as "in depth" as they'd like hence the "I'm not getting fed" excuse for leaving a church. (for those reading from my current church - I'm speaking in general, not specifically to our church).

If a church is doing what it's supposed to then you may not get as in-depth a study as you might like on Sunday morning. Sunday mornings should be about the non-believer and the new believers, not the mature Christian. While it should NOT compromise the integrity of God's word or water it down, a pastor needs to preach to those two groups - hey that should be 60% of your church - that's a lot of people. While ALL people should be able to learn something out of Sunday morning service, remember who it should be geared for. (EDITED TO QUALIFY THIS PARAGRAPH: I think our church does a great job of preaching on Sunday morning so that EVERYONE can take something from it and apply it to their lives. I don't feel that any "meat" is sacrificed or watered down. That said, you should always be going more in-depth when you go to a small group. That's why I like it when our church puts together material for the small groups that coincides with the sermon series - it's an opportunity to take it further)

If you don't feel like you're getting "fed" through the Sunday morning service, I challenge you to take a good, long look at yourself.

1. Are you not getting "fed" because you are choosing not to eat?

2. Are you reading your Bible, praying, fasting, etc? It's not the church's responsibility to be the sole source of "food" for you,- YOU are responsible for how much "food" you eat - you just have to choose to "eat" it.

3. Are you involved in other areas of the church? For a mature believer and a new believer needing to be discipled, it is KEY to be involved in a small group or sunday school class. It is in those places that you should be finding more of the "meat & potatoes" meal that we all need as Christ-followers.

4. Are you sharing your faith with others? Another KEY part to growing as a Christ-follower is to share about Jesus with others. Does this mean that you have to hit them over the head with the gospel? Absolutely NOT. That type of sharing does have it's place but most of the sharing you do will be through the relationships that you develop. Sometimes it's as simple as just living your life for Christ and someone watching that.

I guess I'll leave you with this question:

Are you "hungry"?

And the school year starts

I know, I'm wasting no time at getting these pictures on here - I mean, we haven't even picked Morgan up yet and she is only there a half day today. What can I say - I'm an over-achiever! :)

M's first day of school was today. She was up bright & early and ready to go. It was a little overwhelming being in the cafeteria with ALL the students in the school but I think she'll do fine after she gets a little more comfortable.

Here are some pics (excuse the edits, there is just some information that doesn't need to be on a public blog):

A Mom's Prayer for the First Day of School

This was posted HERE. Thought it was good with all of us having kids starting school.

Here we are again, Lord. Their backpacks are loaded and their faces are scrubbed and their lunch accounts are full.

And I know you'll walk with them, Lord. You always do. But a mom still has to ask.

Will You walk with them? Will You whisper to them what they need to hear, when I'm not there to whisper it?

Will You please, oh please, cover their school with the protection only You can give, and will You keep harm far away?

Will You make their minds strong and ready to learn? Will You help them understand that hard work honors the One who created them?

Will You guide their teachers, giving them patience and wisdom and creativity and more patience? Will You bless them for their efforts?

Will You love all those children there, the ones whose lunch accounts aren't full, the ones who feel alone? Will You teach my children to be kind and unselfish and to love those who are different from them?

Will You point them back toward home just as soon as you can?

Lord, I give them to You today and everyday, trusting them to Your care.

Amen.

Uncomfort Zone

I read this today on a blog:

"We will never become who God wants us to be without having a desperation for Him. It is not abnormal that most of you are fairly comfortable. You have food to eat, clothes to wear, and a house to live under. So how do we become desperate when all around us screams comfort? You have to follow God into things that you could never do on your own. "

Looking back on my Christian walk, the year that I felt it was the "easiest" to follow Christ was the first year that I was a Christian. After that year it became much harder to follow Christ with passion and zeal. WHY?

The answer lies in the quote above - COMFORT.

The first year as a Christian I was acutely aware that most of the people around me were not Christ-followers and it caused me to be more aware of how I lived my life - trying to watch what I said & did. I was intentional about trying to invite people to church and was very passionate about my relationship with the Lord. I became a Christian the summer before my senior year of high school and when school started I was a bit uncomfortable. People knew me one way and I was now completely changed. It was hard to be different but honestly, it was easy to walk firm in my faith. Does that make sense?

After that year I went to a Christian college. I was SO excited. The mere thought of going to a school where everyone was Christians was awesome to me. I had visions of incredible worship services, Bible studies with dorm-mates, and had this vision of being in a big place full of other on-fire Christians. I started off majoring in youth ministry (it's okay, you can laugh) and had to meet with the chair of the Bible Dept. He said some thing to me that day that have stuck with me. He commented that he hoped I didn't lose my zeal for the Lord after my 4-years there and that I should try not to get discouraged.

I didn't quite understand what he meant.

I do now.

I found a lot of people who claimed to be Christians but who weren't Christ-followers. They could talk to the talk but their walk didn't match up. I didn't understand how people could know what Jesus saved them from - an eternity in hell - and NOT be excited about it.

Here's what I came to realize - it's "comfortable" being around other Christians. Sometimes it's so comfortable that we relax too much and suddenly we become like those who claim to be Christians but who struggle to be an actual Christ-follower. The difference - one is about a religion (Christian), the other is about a relationship with the Father (Christ-follower).

Four years attending a Christian college, 2 years working at a Christian college and then 7 years working at a Christian non-profit organization have shown me the truth of the quote above - we can never be desperate for God when we are "comfortable." We will never get to experience ALL that God has for us when we are "comfortable." We will be mediocre Christ-followers at best.

I don't want a mediocre Christian life. Do you?

Countdown to Kindergarten

My baby girl will be starting Kindergarten soon. We'll find out on Thursday who her teacher is and when she starts school (they do a 10-day phase in process for Kindergarten students).

M is BEYOND excited & ready to go. I'm excited for her but a bit sad as it signals the end of an "era" of sorts. I know M is not going off to college or anything but it's still a change. No longer is she going down the preschool wing at church and now she's going to be in school every week day.

I bet D & O have a few issues adjusting, they LOVE their M!

I'll post pics of her first day when we find out when that will be.

LOST: Mind

Normally if I posted about losing my mind it would be in reference to a day I'd had with one (or all) of my children.

Not today.

I was talking with a friend earlier and mentioned something but immediately couldn't remember where I had heard what I told her. Normally it wouldn't bother me, but this was something very, very specific and, well, I'd like to remember where I heard it. I even scoured my phone records to see who I had talked to in an effort to get a clue as to where I had heard it.

It's driving me crazy. Did I dream this up? I've been having some crazy dreams lately that have me waking up in the morning and stopping to figure out what was reality and what wasn't so it's not impossible to think it was a dream.

Maybe I was half asleep when I heard this information (nothing crazy or gossipy). There was once in college where I pulled 3 all-nighters in 4 days during which time my mom called and told me some stuff. I started "remembering" things that I could have only known if I had talked to her yet I had no memory of having a conversation with her. After a call home, I realized I had, in fact, spoken to my mom and that's how I knew what I did.

At any rate, now that I've confirmed for you what you probably already knew - that I'd lost my mind - I'll sign off.

For comparison's sake

I was going through my photo account and came across these pics of Owen from his first tube surgery when he was about 6-8 weeks old (can't remember exactly). Thought I'd share.

The world of ridiculous

There are a lot of stupid, ridiculous stuff that is "reported" in the news and elsewhere every day. One could probably write a blog that just documented all the stupid stuff that people do. While I'm not going to do that on a regular basis, I just read a story that made me laugh at the stupidity of it.

Foxnews story: Texas Flower Delivery Order Leads to Million Dollar Suit, Messy Divorce

This guy is suing 1-800-flowers because they sent a thank-you card to his home after he sent an order to his mistress. The wife saw it, called, found out he was cheating still and is now divorcing him. He's suing 1-800-flowers for $1 million in "damages".

Now, if only he could go before Judge Judy, I'd love to see her read him the riot act.

Big boy bed

Last night O fell asleep in his own bed instead of the pack-n-play. Snapped this picture of our little guy's first night in his bed. It was so sweet/sad - when D fell sleep we went in and found O sitting on the floor next to his bed saying his name over & over again, not understanding why D wasn't answering. A few minutes later he got himself in his bed and fell asleep and stayed there ALL NIGHT!

Tonight he's in the pack-n-play and I'm okay with that, I'm not ready to let go of all the baby stuff yet!

"Common" sense?

Okay, this week I have really, really tried to be better at the housekeeping/dinner/etc. stuff - you know all the domestic stuff that I basically stink at. I have been really motivated to scrapbook & stamp and well, I can't when I feel like everything else is a mess. It's not that I ever went and cleaned that mess so I would feel better about things though - LOL!

Well, I've taken the first 30-60 minutes of rest time to get dinner prepared, straighten up and then do a deeper clean on something else (Mon - wash kitchen floor, Tues - vacuum downstairs, etc). I've tried to do a load of laundry a day & put it away (always my struggle).

It feels GREAT to have a nice house and it feels GREAT to be able to sit in my craft room at night and not have a bunch of stuff hanging over my head.

It's common sense but I've never been accused of utilizing much of it, at least where domestic issues are concerned.

"I think he likes it"

"You try it"

"No, you try it"

"I know, let's get Mikey to try it"

Mikey tries the cereal.

"He likes it! Mikey likes it.:

This was the scene at our dinner table tonight but you can change "Mikey" to Owen. You do remember the Life cereal commercial made famous in the 80's, right?

I made beef burritos tonight and put a little bit on each child's plate. If you know my kids, you know that if it doesn't resemble a McDonald's chicken nugget then it's hard to get my children to eat it. I am tired of making 2 different meals or not making something I'd like because they won't eat it - so - they have to try everything on their plate.

Morgan didn't want to. ("You try it")

Drew didn't want to. ("No, you try it")

Owen loved it ("He likes it, Mikey likes it")

Eventually M & D gave in and decided they LOVED the burritos as well, Drew even asked for seconds.

I'm sure we'll get a repeat performance tomorrow night. LOL

And, if you want a good burrito recipe, here it is:

BEEF BURRITOS

2 lb hamburger
2 pkgs taco seasoning

Sauce:
1/2 lb. velveeta
1 can evaporated milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can diced chilies

Flour tortillas

1. Brown hamburger & season with taco seasoning mix as directed.
2. Heat together sauce ingredients & stir well.
3. Put a little bit of sauce in bottom of pan. Place meat in tortilla, add 2T of sauce & roll up.
4. Pour remaining sauce on top of burritos.
5. Bake at 350 fro 35 minutes.

Crib for sale

:( We have now officially changes the kids rooms around and dismantled the crib!!!! It's kind of bittersweet really. Morgan has her big girl room (pics coming soon) and now the boys are together. Now starts the transition of Owen into a big boy bed. If he's anything like Drew then it will take some time and I'm sure the pack-n-play will be up for a while. As a matter of fact, I just put him down for a nap but I hear him in there playing with Lego's so I guess he's not interested in staying in bed.

I really do have a crib for sale if you're interested, or know someone who is. :)

Owen surgery pics

I know, bringing a camera to a surgery center, crazy. It's the scrapbook mom in me - I can't help it.

Here are some pics of O while waiting to get his surgery.

Thanks for your prayers

I appreciate your prayers, things went very well. I have to admit that the dr. kind of freaked me out a bit by taking an hour to come and talk to me. For each of the other surgeries the dr. came out to talk to us within 15-30 minutes so I wasn't really expecting it to take quite that long. At any rate, he said it was a good thing that we did the tubes as his ears were still really full of fluid and very infected - it's been since April since his ears have been clear.

I thought he'd come home and sleep but he's playing with Morgan and seems fine. I took some pics of him in his gown and hat, I'll post those later when I have a chance to download them.

On a side note, thank you Grandma & Grandpa for sending me back my computer that I left in Missouri! :)

Prayer Request - Owen

My little man is having minor surgery in the morning to have tubes put in his ears (2nd round for him) and adenoids taken out. Bad ears seem to be a family trait that he has unfortunately inherited - this is our 5th set of tubes & 2nd set of adenoids between all our kids.

I know it's minor surgery, but it's surgery and my baby is going under anesthesia. It makes me nervous.

Also, our experience with adenoids before wasn't the greatest so I'm a little nervous about this time around.

Thanks, in advance, for your prayers.

Stop time

I don't know about you but sometimes I really wish I could stop time. In a couple of weeks my little girl is going to start Kindergarten, move into her own big-girl room, D will start preschool, and we *should* move O out of his crib. I feel like I've blinked and my little girl went from being a newborn, just home from the hospital, to a young girl heading to elementary school for the first time. I wish I could hold my little baby girl again, see her little baby face, the little clothes, and experience all the "firsts" all over again. I want that with all my kids.

My poor youngest child - I don't want to let go of all the baby stuff yet. At his age both M & D were in a big-kid bed and I know they were treated as if they were older than I treat O. I just can't help it, he's my baby, my last baby. I know it's probably time to move him to a big-boy bed, it actually makes sense seeing as how we are moving M into her own room this weekend and putting the boys together, but I just don't want to do it. I guess as long as he's in his crib then he's still my little baby. Yeah - they will ALL always be my babies but Owen is my youngest, closest thing I have to a baby, and I'm just not ready for him to grow up yet. I'm not ready for any of them to grow up yet.

So, there you have it, my sappy, sentimental, mommy post for the week. ;)

Well, I said I wanted (needed) to lose weight

Remember this post? Well, I've lost 7 pounds this week but it wasn't through dieting. The lovely flu/stomach bug/whatever the heck it was hit me hard this week (T-TH) and I've lost a few pounds because of it. I wasn't all that sick to my stomach really but I sure haven't been able to eat. Poor Eric, the last 2 nights he got home from work and I've handed over the kids and gone to bed (6 pm each night!!!!).

So - that's the reason for my lack of blogging as of late. I felt too bad to even turn my computer on and that's saying something - I always have my computer on it seems.

Other than that, the only other eventful thing this week is that yet another tie to our Oklahoma days is gone - we now have TN license plates!!!!! Between taking the W '04 sticker off and now the OK plates being gone, I barely recognize my own car in the parking lot. LOL!

Customizing....

I am so not tech savy & blog literate. I was trying to change up my blog but for some reason can't get the color here at the top to change.

Anyone have any ideas?????

Splish Splash

A few pics from today at the Splash Pad, picnic lunch & sprinkler play at my house.

"Required" service

EDITED TO SAY: I really, really hope I haven't offended anyone with this post, that wasn't my intention. I just wanted to get my personal thoughts out on this subject.

Before I get to what is on my mind, I want to preface this by saying that I think our preschool ministry at church is FANTASTIC. The leaders do a tremendous job with our kiddos and I'm so thankful to have a church where the leadership really believes in investing in the lives of the kids.

That said, there is one thing that I have a big problem with - being required to serve. I know from past experience at my previous church that it is VERY hard to get volunteers, especially in preschool/nursery ministries. It can be very frustrating. It is also frustrating when you are one of the few that do volunteer and you see so many people who *could* be awesome in service if they'd only give up a little of their time and do so. I get it & can sympathize with it.

What I do not like, however, is being told that I'm expected to "serve" in an area simply because I am utilizing it. That's not "service". Service should come from the heart and it should be something that you want to do, not something that you're expected to do or have to do.

I got a card in the mail today telling me that our date for service in the preschool ministry is THIS Sunday. Forget that it is THURSDAY, just 3-4 days before we're supposed to "help". If we can't come, we're supposed to find someone else to take our place. If for some reason we couldn't help, that didn't give us much time to do that.

Let me be frank - I am a stay-at-home-mom to THREE preschoolers -I love them dearly, but I need a break from that age group and honestly I do NOT want to work in the preschool area. (I posted about this in a previous post that you can find here.) I don't want to feel like I can't utilize the services of our preschool ministry (or any ministry in our church) if I'm not also serving in that area. I shouldn't have to feel like that.

Do I think that I have a responsibility to serve in my local church - ABSOLUTELY. I think that ALL believers should be serving in their church and I think there is no more important area than with the children (of all ages). Am I serving in the church? Am I practicing what I preach? YES. I am serving in our church. I helped with VBS and I am going to be a small group leader with our high school ministry.

I chose to serve based on where I thought God wanted me to be, not based on where I was expected or required to be. That's what service is - CHOOSING to honor God with the gifts that He's given you in the area that He determines for you.

What are we going to do?

We are going to serve in the preschool ministry on Sunday as we have been requested to. We are going to do it cheerfully and love on those kids because that's what's important. Don't think I'll have a bad attitude about it just because I don't agree with the reason we are there.

Me + 6 kids + Splash Pad = ONE CRAZY DAY

I'm watching my friend's 3 children (ages 6, 4 & 2) for 2 days while they celebrate 10 years of marriage. I got the bright idea to take all 6 kids, that's 6 kids age 6 and under, to the Splash Pad. Ummmmm - WHAT WAS I THINKING????? We managed okay thanks to Ms. Suzanne but it was kind of nuts. They had fun though and I even managed to take a few pictures (coming later).

Hanging out with friends

The Duda's, friends from Oklahoma, are staying the week with us. We've been BUSY and having lots of fun. So far we've gone to church, the Discovery Center, the Slash Pad, Patterson Park pool, and have LOTS more fun stuff planned.

Here is Morgan with her very good friend, Adrienne. It's so sweet to see them together. I have pictures of them together from the time they were 2 years old - now they are 6 & 5!



Here's all our kiddos (minus the one that Jamie has on-the-way):

Finally!

Ahhh - the controversy in many churches and among many Christians - speaking in tongues. Does it still exist? Is everyone supposed to do it? Is it to be used opening in church?

I have to say, I've had a lot of experiences with this particular subject and am very firm and sure in what I believe regarding it. Several experiences in my past have caused me to really stop & read the Bible to see what I think God says about this subject.

My first experience with the subject of speaking in tongues came when I was a new Christian. I went to the youth group at a large church, New Life Church (yes, the same one that Ted Haggard preached at in Colorado Springs, CO). Back in 1991 I went to their youth group for a short time called TAG. At any rate, NL is a rather charismatic church and speaking in tongues is something you will routinely hear during worship services. During the youth group they asked for people to raise their hands if they had not been baptized in the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues. As a new Christian who knew NOTHING about this subject, I raised my hand. If God was offering something, I wanted it. I didn't realize what I was in for. They had all of us go into a back room where we were matched with a counselor. The girl that was matched with me told me to clear my mind & let whatever come out of my mouth, come out. (WRONG WRONG WRONG teaching but we'll get to that later). After what felt like and eternity of her sitting there praying in tongues "over me" and trying to get me to speak in tongues, I just mumbled some junk, pretending to speak in tongues, so I could get out of there.

My next experience came during college when I was working with our campus prison ministry. I walked into a ministry that was going into prisons through another organization (I'm not going to name the ministry although I can guarantee that most have not heard of it - it's not Prison Fellowship). After going on several small trips to prisons, I thought this was a pretty okay ministry - no real red flags - so I helped organize a trip for about 70-100 students to go to men's & women's prisons in Texas. Now, I went to a non-denominational Christian college but most people probably were in the tongues-ceased-at-the-end-of-the-apostolic-age crew or they just didn't know anything about the subject so the events of that weekend were very challenging.

We get to the pre-prison rally and some very well-known Charismatic preachers (husband/wife) were there. Ughh - I can't remember what exactly they were preaching on but I was so disgusted that I walked out. It was blatantly wrong. Later the ministry passed us out the tracts that we were going to take into the prisons. The first one was the standard "Four Spiritual Laws" tract but the next one really stirred the pot - "You've hear the good news, but have you heard the best news." You open it to discover that the "best" news is the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues.

EXCUSE ME? That's BETTER than what Jesus did for us on the cross? SERIOUSLY???!

Well, we got on the bus, took up all of those tracts and told our fellow students to just stick to the gospel and the Four Spiritual Laws tract.

The next day we get to the prison and what an experience. I honestly can't think of another time when I was as shocked. Several of our girls were talking with some of the ministry "regulars" and it came out that they did not believe in speaking in tongues. The "regulars" then made sure that none of these girls got the opportunity to speak to the prisoners without one of them there. In addition, I witnessed several "regulars" telling the prisoners that they needed to get saved and asked them to "repeat after them" the sinner's prayer and then they moved right into speaking in tongues - "Now you need to speak in tongues, REPEAT AFTER ME." No exaggeration!

In light of the first experience I had and then this current experience, I really decided to see what the Bible said about this subject myself. It was important to me to know what I believed on it and why. I was never comfortable in churches where you could sit there and hear the majority of the people speaking in tongues nor was I comfortable being in churches that taught that speaking in tongues no longer existed.

I do think that the gift of speaking in tongues exists today but I think that it is abused and misrepresented.

Where am I going with all this talk???

This morning in church, Pastor Pat preached on the gift of tongues. It was SO STINKIN' REFRESHING. Finally, speaking in tongues laid out there as it's outlined in the Bible. If you've ever questioned this particular gift, if you aren't sure of what you believe, if you wonder what the heck I'm talking about then go HERE and listen to JULY 15 message.

It got quiet

If you have young children then you probably know that a quiet house isn't always a good thing. The other day I was getting ready to go to church and realized that I hadn't seen Drew or Owen running around in the past few minutes.

I found them in D & M's room like this:




We don't have a dresser yet for M & D's room so we got a cabinet that had 6 spaces and got 6 pop-up baskets for things like socks, underwear and pj's. D & O completely emptied all of them (making a HUGE mess) and then got in the baskets and pulled Drew's quilt over their heads. They were having a BLAST.

I'm glad that they had fun, despite the mess. Messes can always get cleaned up!

Death Sentence for choosing Christ

Can you imagine being put in jail and given a death sentence just for being a Christian? For those of us in the US it seems surreal but for those in other parts of the world, it's reality.

Yesterday there was a press conference at the National Press Club
in Washington D.C., concerning the situation with Son Jong Hoon's
brother. Senator Sam Brownback and representatives from VOM
attended the Press Conference. The following is part of the press
release from yesterday:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Son Jong Hoon, who is visiting the United States
from his home in South Korea, today pleaded with the world to
pressure North Korea to release his elder brother awaiting public
execution for the crime of simply being a Christian. For more than
a year, Son Jong Nam, former North Korean Army officer turned
underground evangelist, has been beaten, tortured and held in a
bleak, North Korean death row basement jail in this capital city.
He has been sentenced to public execution as an example to the
North Korean people.
. . .

VOM was been joined in the initiative by Brownback, a noted
supporter of human rights for North Korean refugees. Brownback sent
letters last week, also signed by Senators Baucus (D-Mont.), Durbin
(D-Ill.), Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Vitter (R-La.) asking U.S. Secretary
of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice and U.N. Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon to work to secure the release of the Christian prisoner.
VOM is directing people go to its web site, www.prisoneralert.com,
where they can compose a personal letter of support and
encouragement to Son. The letter is to be mailed to the North
Korean delegation to the United Nations, along with a cover letter
asking the North Korean government to spare Son's life, release him
from prison immediately, report on his current status and deliver
the personal letter to Son. "We are asking for prayers for Mr. Son,
but also that people around the world take action on his behalf,"
said Todd Nettleton, director of media development for VOM. "Jesus
said ministering to a prisoner was like ministering to Himself.
Every letter and email can make a difference."

To learn more about this situation please click here to visit the
website set up specifically for this.

Also, today on Janet Parshall's America in her 3 PM EST, Noon
Pacific, hour, she will be discussing this situation for the full
hour. If you can, be sure to tune in live at JPAMERICA.COM

Please take a few minutes today to visit Prisoner Alert and write a
letter! Thank you all!!

Please visit www.prisoneralert.com

Conflicted

I went through several titles and just couldn't come up with a good one. I'm going to preface this by saying that this is another one of my "being transparent" posts. Knowing that there are many people out there reading this that are not Christ-followers and also knowing that my family reads this, it is hard to put it out there but out there it is.

A while back I came across an blog that I wish I could remember. It struck a cord with me because the author was talking about how she suffered from anxiety attacks that would basically cripple her - make her want to stay in bed all day with the covers over her head. She said something to the effect that her life was great, too great, and that she expected the other shoe to drop and something horrible to happen in her life and with her family. The expectation of the worst caused her heart-stopping anxiety. She struck a cord with me because I struggle with that a lot.

I have a great life. I have a wonderful husband, 3 fantastic children, we go to a fabulous church, have great friends, live in a nice town and have a great house. I can't really complain about my life. It's TOO good - something bad just has to happen - right?

Then I read blogs/stories about young moms who have been stricken with cancer and are going through treatment and/or dying, leaving their poor young children & husbands behind. Ughhh - it just rips my heart out. Suddenly every ache and pain I have seems to be magnified and, of course, I think, that's what's going to happen to me. This pain I'm having is really cancer and I'm going to die (Ughh - I hate even writing that).

Or, I read stories about children who have been diagnosed with cancer and are going through treatment and/or dying and that too rips my heart out. The mere thought of losing one of my children is too much for me to think about. I NEVER want to have to go through that.

One blog that I've been reading, Especially Heather, noted the other day that "Do not fear" is found 365 times throughout the Bible. That's one for each day of the year, yet I am extremely fearful. I'm a Christ-follower yet I have made the very deliberate choice to not trust that He has the very best out there for me and I've instead chosen to live in fear of what might happen and how it might happen. How wrong is that?

Something I heard soon after accepting Christ has stuck with me all these years:

Not being a Christ-follower is easy in the hear-and-now but is hard when you get to eternity. Being a Christ-follower is hard now but in the end it's easy because we get to spend it with Jesus in heaven.

That is so true. It's easy to accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour but sometimes it's just not easy to follow Him. There is a battle between good & evil - between Jesus & Satan. I've read the Book, I know who loses in the end & it's not Jesus, however, I do think that Satan sometimes wins some of the battles. Does that make sense?

When we completely surrender our lives to Christ, Satan gets mad. His goal is to separate us from Jesus. The Bible says that he roams around like a lion and seeks to devour us. For me, when I really start following Christ whole-heartedly, the way He wants me to, Satan come at me with the same old bag of tricks. I know them. I expect them and yet I fail to stand up against them every single time. I make myself so mad.

I haven't posted about much of what God has been teaching me lately because, honestly, I haven't been doing much listening. I got tired of fighting the anxiety and the fears that I was being bombarded with. I got so tired. I'll be honest, I chose to step back instead of trusting that Jesus would be my strength in times of weakness. I know, not a good example of a Christian.

However "safe" and "peaceful" it seemed to "take a breather", in the end it's not. I'm still choosing to be separated from the only One who loves me unconditionally, just as I am and that just stinks. Do I want to live like that? Is that the kind of Christian testimony I want to leave?

No, it's not.

Lord, please forgive me and be my strength - I am so weak.

"Is your mamma gonna have a baby?"

If I ever needed motivation to get my tail in gear and lose the extra 20 lbs I've gained over the past year (and the add'l 20 that I need to lose on top of that), then hearing someone ask Morgan if I was pregnant was it.

Don't get me wrong, looking in the mirror, trying on my clothes, seeing pictures of myself, etc. are all fine motivation but hearing it from a child is pretty darn good too.

So - I need to lose weight. I keep talking about starting Weight Watchers but all it's amounted to is talk. I need to get my tail in gear and go. I also need to get consistent about exercising again too.

I was doing pretty good at the working out and being consistent but then summer hit, and well, it's hard. I haven't gone consistently because it's hard to, especially this month. We had company, then a week off, company, then a week off, and then a family reunion - how do you be consistent in all that?

Eating - that's another story. As the WW leader in Oklahoma so aptly put it, she liked having a party in her mouth, and so do I. Why do I want to eat stuff that tastes like sawdust (which a lot of "healthy" food does)? I also tend to eat when I am bored, eat when I am stressed, eat when I am happy, etc. etc. etc. You get the idea.

All that to say, I am OVER-WEIGHT, I know it, I want to lose it and I think I'll keep reminding myself that obviously others have noticed it and so I should do something about it.

Checkin' it off my list.

Do you ever make a to-do list and write down things that you've already done just so you can cross them off???? :) I do & did today.

What a productive day:

1. Grocery shopping done (with 3 crazy kids along I might add)
2. Photos on computer almost all backed up (I had a years worth - over 20 CD's!)
3. New tree in back.
4. Trees in back watered, just in time for the rain.
5. New bush in front.
6. Cabinet fixed (not the air leak, another problem)
7. Yard treated (lawn-care company)


Now, granted, *I* didn't do much of these things, others did, but they would have been on my list to follow-up on so it counts, right? :)

Thank you Scott, Heather & family!!!

Well, my brother Scott & his family came to visit us this week. We had a GREAT time! It was SO nice to see them and get to show them where we live. The kids had a great time playing together and I believe the adults all had a great time.

Of course I have tons of pictures but I'm too tired to get some posted tonight. Perhaps tomorrow.

At any rate, THANK YOU Scott & Heather for taking time to come visit us. We LOVED having you at our home and miss you tons!

Need I say more?

Enjoy!

Happy 4th of July!

HAPPY 4th of July! I hope everyone is having a good time.

We've been enjoying my brother, Scott, & his family this week.

Today we went to the Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, TN. We're not big whiskey drinkers but it was still very interesting seeing how things are made. The Distillery grounds are also very beautiful!

Here's a picture of all of us at one of the more scenic spots on our tour.