It's Been A While...

Wow! It's been awhile since I last posted!

It's not really that I have nothing to write about, it's just that summer is wonderful...and busy! Even the wee one has been up and at 'em. Evan is moving around like crazy, and just tonight we had to lower his mattress because he is trying to pull up. He likes it. Doesn't he look happy?

This week we (as a family) have been learning/memorizing/studying one of my favorite Bible passages, Philippians 4:4-8. It says,

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

Isn't that wonderful? To me that is so rich. Perhaps it's because I tend to be a worrier sometimes, and this is a blunt command from the Almighty that I absolutely must NOT worry about anything. And there is a promise. A promise that when we rest in him, not only will our hearts be covered with His peace, but that it will guard our minds as well.

Most of the time, it's my mind that gets me in trouble anyway. Whether it's worrying, dwelling on the negative about people or circumstances, or just focusing on myself, it usually begins in my mind. I need God's peace to guard my mind.

Even though this has been a favorite passage for a long time, I still struggle with completely letting go and putting it into practice. I'm workin' on it though!

I Love My Kids' Daddy

Many months ago I posted this photo of Jason and the little guy and wrote about how Jacob loves to imitate his daddy.

Not much has changed. It is not uncommon to see Jacob digging with his Daddy, pulling weeds with his Daddy, eating cereal with his Daddy, or eating other foods just because Daddy does.

Actually, it's not just Jacob. Imitating Daddy seems to be a big-time habit for all of the kids.

And he's a good Daddy. He is loving. He is playful. He teaches. He provides. He lets them know how important they are to him and to God. He prays for them. He has a desire to see them grow in the Lord. He hangs out with them. He helps them. He disciplines them. He laughs with them.

See, he tries to imitate His Father, too.

Perfect? Of course not.

But he is the father of my children and the man I love, and I'm so happy to be sharing my life with him.

Happy Father's Day to my hubby!

And Happy Father's Day to you too Dad!

Baby Dedication

Yesterday was the day when we publicly dedicated Evan to the Lord. We, along with ten (I think) other families in our church, presented our infants and vowed to raise them in the knowledge of the Lord. It was really great because the service included a vow from the church and from extended family in supporting us as we strive to teach our children the ways of God.

I really appreciated the opportunity to do that publicly, although Jason and I, with each of our children, have done so privately on the night they were born. We do not take this lightly. Have you ever thought about the implications of this act?

I have.

I have wondered so many times what it will mean for our family.

It may mean that they will move far away from us one day.

It may mean that they will have to suffer consequences of sin committed.

It may mean that they will be used in a manner in which I personally would not choose for them (because of selfishness).

It may mean pain.

It may mean discipline.

It may mean suffering.

But despite how it sounds, we are not turning our children over to an inflictor of pain. We are entrusting them to the Good Shepherd.

Therefore.....

It WILL mean blessing.

It WILL mean joy.

It WILL mean peace.

It WILL mean life - abundant.

Those are the things we desire for our children. We desire for God to use them for His glory.

Yikes.

The very human side of me is frightened by that. There is something about relinquishing control that is both freeing and frightening. But His grace is sufficient, and His purposes are good. He doesn't call us to something and just leave us hanging. He gives us the means by which to pass through and thrive. I know that's big talk coming from someone like me whose oldest child is still in single digits. But I trust HIM. I really do. I trust Him so much that I give Him my most prized possessions on earth, for it is He who entrusted them to me in the first place.

Will I still worry about my kids from time to time? Unfortunately (yet honestly), yes. I often times struggle with forgetting that they are in God's hands. But my ever loving and patient Father is working in my heart about that.

Thank you God for our kids. May they be vessels that are filled with the knowledge of You and the truth of your Word. May they learn to pour themselves out daily so that Your Spirit will fill their lives. May they walk in your grace, and may their lives be a testament to Your glory......

Amen.

"Patches" and Chimney Tops

One week ago, we were living it up in Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I love that place!

It was a mini-vacation of sorts, and we were blessed with two glorious days, which we spent hiking, shopping, go karts, mini golf, a comedy show, and more hiking!

One of the hikes we took was a 4-mile (round trip) "strenuous" hike. The two miles one way took us 1700 feet in elevation, so it was a pretty steep trail in many parts. It was rocky too. And beautiful. Anyway, Jason and I had been on this trail back before we ever had children, so it was exciting for us to get to take all four kids along this time.

At the beginning of the trail, Emily started to whine about something. Even though she is our resident drama queen, I knew that she was capable of handling such a strenuous hike.

While Emily was crying and holding on to my hand at the start of the trail, I looked at my mom and whispered, "Give her ten minutes....she'll be a new kid". I was wrong. It was hardly two minutes before she took off barking and panting, running to the front of the pack as happy as a lark.

I knew it would happen. I knew Patches would show up. Yeah, Patches. That's Emily's alter ego. Patches comes along on hikes in the woods and long family walks. Patches never complains. Occasionally, Patches gets a little wild, and I am instructed to say "Heel Patches!" and then Patches calms down and walks with me. Patches has a very cute bark and likes to run and leap and lead the hike. Patches also likes to sniff out various flowers and also doesn't cry when she falls down. Patches is great!!!

I found it humorous how quickly her attitude shifted, and how similar it is to the way I operate at times (minus the turning into a dog part). :) We really can choose our attitude, can't we? We can decide to stay in a sour mood or we can choose to smile. We even have the choice of how we will accept our circumstances or consequences. Our attitude really is something that we can control. That doesn't mean it's easy, but it is within our reach. And when we reach out, our patient, loving Father meets us there. He supplies the strength we need to make the complete adjustment.

These were just thoughts that I pondered as we hiked. It was one of my favorite hikes I've ever taken, in part because I love that trail (Chimney Tops), but mostly because I was so proud of how the kids enjoyed it and were so enthusiastic, even during the steep portions.

Jason took Ashlyn to the tip top of the peak, which is just up from the top of the trail. You actually have to scale the rock to get there, so we decided that Ash would be the only kid to go. It was a wonderful day, one that I will not soon forget. Here are a few pics:

Number One

See how my boy has grown? (And I like how he is taking down that lion!) :)

The kids and I just finished a biography about Lottie Moon. If you're like I was, you didn't know much more about this lady than that she was a missionary to China and that the Baptist church takes up an offering in her honor every Christmas, which is applied to international mission work.

This was the second bio we've read about missionaries to China (the other was about Gladys Alyward, and I highly recommend them both), and during both books we were riveted as we read about how these ladies received their calls from God, how they endured persecution, and how they lived lives that were far from successful by the world's standards, but were truly extraordinary in the eternal realm of Kingdom advancement.

Reading these books confirmed within me something which I have thought about for a long time:

Eternal Mindset.

That is the number one principle that I want my children (and myself) to grab a hold of.

I've asked them before to imagine their lives as a speck on a line that goes forever in each direction (not to discount their lives, but to offer perspective and see how much bigger God is than we are). I want them to truly understand that we should accept the things that God brings our way on this earth, whether it be blessing or hardship, in light of the fact that this life is so temporary.

Am I saying we shouldn't enjoy our lives on earth? Absolutely not! As always, looking to Jesus Christ as our primary example is a must. He enjoyed relationships with people, grew up obeying a mom and dad, went to weddings and worked for a living. But He always had eternity and His Father's Kingdom in mind.

People like Lottie Moon are fine examples too. At the end of her life, she had almost nothing to her name (she had given it all away). She had grown up in a wealthy Southern family. She had been well educated. She could have become very successful according to the world's standards. But that was not her calling. (Worldly success isn't bad, except when it comes at the price of giving up God's call on your life.)

A beautiful life, that's what she lived. A beautiful life full of people, pain, and prayer. I encouraged the girls to imagine, that even though she had nothing of value when she died, the souls in heaven who greeted her, thankful that she had made such a sacrifice so that they might hear the truth of Jesus Christ. What encouragement that is!

My prayer for my children is that God would turn their hearts toward Him. I pray that His purposes would be at the forefront of their minds. I pray that He would draw them to Himself and give them the desire to work for His Kingdom. I pray that we would all never forget that our work will one day be tested, and only what's done for Him will last.

Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold,

silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

each man's work will become evident;

for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire,

and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work.

If any man's work which he has built on it remains,

he will receive a reward.

If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss,

but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15

My List

Reasons I love being a mom:

1) Ashlyn:

nature-loving, generous, energetic

2) Emily:

girly girl, dramatic, sensitive

3) Jacob:

comedian, independent, tough as nails

4) Evan:

cute, cute, cute

I love doing life with these kids, and I can't wait to see what God has in store for them!

A Garden We Will Grow!

Yesterday, the kids and I took a trip to the greenhouse to pick out flowers, and today, being the glorious day that it was, we took advantage of the nice weather and spent the entire day outside cleaning out beds and setting flowers.

It was truly a blessing for me, because my kiddos really did help me. I was hoping they would give me an hour or two without complaining, but as it turned out, it was a whole day of happily working together!

At the greenhouse yesterday, they were asking for flowers that would be their "own". I told them to each choose two flowers, and I would buy one and they they would buy one. So the girls took their purses, shopped carefully, and each paid a dollar fifty on some great choices. This investment really sparked their interest in where the flowers would be planted, making sure they have a happy home where they can grow and thrive!

It was so great being able to spend the whole day like that working together. We had some good conversation, and there was lots of teaching and learning going on. Days like this are a good reminder to me that learning is truly a lifestyle. No matter what we are doing, there is always some kind of knowledge to gain that is relevant to real life.

Finally, at the end of the afternoon, 
I pulled out the sprinkler as a reward for their diligent labor!

Thoughts of Earth Day

So last Thursday was Earth Day, huh?

I like the earth. Really I do. It's where I live, right? It's a planet perfectly designed for human life. It has a perfect atmosphere. A perfect magnetosphere. A perfect tilt.

I also like taking care of the earth. I like not littering. I like teaching my children to pick up trash, and when it is possible, to recycle.

I also like trees. And flowers. And mountains. And rivers. Oh I really like rivers. In fact, I think this place is beautiful. My family and I love to be out where we can really experience the beauty that God has created.

Yes, that God has created.

As much as I like this planet we call home, I still realize that the best is yet to come. This is not the end all be all. It's sometimes hard to imagine that as wonderful as our world is, that it is actually still in a fallen state. It makes me anxious for what is to come!

But, for now, this is where I live.

So I am all for planting trees, and picking up trash, and doing things that naturally keep our world beautiful (notice I do not mention things like taxing AIR. That's as far as I'll go with that for now).

Ahem.

Anyway, I say all this to say that...I like the earth.

But I LOVE its Creator.

There is a cult among us which encourages us to love the earth, yet it denies God as the Creator.

It denies that He actually is the end all be all. And one day, when the earth actually is destroyed, He will still be on His throne. Psalm 97:5 prophesies that the mountains will "melt like wax before the Lord" at His coming.

So, even in the midst of our "green" culture, don't lose sight of the fact that this rock is our temporary home. Sure, we should live responsibly and do our best to take care of it. God wants us to enjoy His creation and teaches us so much through it.

But my encouragement is this: the next time you plant a tree, don't just think of it as a small act toward saving the environment. Think, for example, about the miracle that God has provided through the dying of seeds and the restoring of new life. Realize that this earth is full of beauty that points to God. It is merely His creation, and He will not be outdone.

Emily's Song About God

I couldn't resist sharing this little nugget.

Maybe I should get her some guitar lessons? :)

The Motions

Ah, I love these days.

I love having the windows open; the fresh smell, the nice breeze, the low electric bill (relatively speaking, of course).

We've been spending lots of time outside, too. Doing schoolwork on the trampoline and in the treehouse is really motivating for my nature loving daughter!

So the other day, while we were adding fractions outside, Jacob kept wanting me to push him in the swing. I pushed him several times, but then I decided that maybe it was time that he learned to swing himself!

I told him how to do it. I got him started and then began chanting, "Out, in! Out, in!" trying to correspond with his swinging motion. He obediently stuck his legs out and pulled them in when he was supposed to. But was he swinging himself?

No.

He was moving his legs out and in, but that alone was not working. He wasn't doing what was really required to pull himself back and forth. He didn't have the power. He was simply going through the motions.

Sound familiar?

Sometimes people go through the motions too. Go to church. Pray. Read Christian literature. Do good deeds.

But we're not robots. God desires genuine fellowship with us. He created us in His own image, so that we could have relationship with Him as our Father.

Jake was getting nowhere by only going through the motions. Neither will you. It may satisfy for a while, and make you feel like you are on the right track, but eventually you will wear out, because you are not drawing from the real Source of Strength.

We don't have to settle for the motions, because the same Power which spoke the universe into existence is available to us! The same Power which defeated death and brought everlasting life to mankind is available to us!

Going through the motions--trying to follow Christ without having a real relationship with Him--is fruitless.

I could go on and on about the different implications of this, but for now, this is where I'll leave it. Just something to think about...