Beach in October

Here are just a few pictures from our second week at the beach! More to come! Enjoy!

Promised Land

This may end up being a long post, so I apologize in advance.

I’ve been kicking around some ideas for this post for a while, but there seems to be so much “information” that I cannot seem to get it into something readable for others. You see, God is moving… He’s working in my life and I’ve been experiancing and really been learning a TON lately! I’ll see what I can do to make it into something you can read and learn from as well.

The last several weeks have been spent doing Priscilla Shirer’s One In A Million Bible study. I did it with my ladies group – to read my feelings about those ladies see here. Along with this study, Pastor Don at Westover Church preached a sermon series on being Beautifully Broken – you can click here and hear them all (I would recommend it – they were amazing!). It seems that these two totally different ways of hearing and learning about God’s Word were meant to go together – at least for me they were. Each week at church Pastor Don would cover something that went with that weeks lesson from Priscilla or vice versa! It has been really cool!

Basically what I’ve been learning is that

1) Sometimes it’s God’s will, His purpose for us to go through hard times in our lives – just like the Israelites did when they left Egypt for the desert to head for the Promised Land.

2) During these times of brokeness God often uses our strengths to “break” us so we become less of ourselves and more of Him.

3) the whole point of those times is to bring us closer to God – even if we don’t feel Him, cannot see Him, don’t know what He’s doing in the moment... it’s a time to build our faith.

4) As we go through these wilderness times, these times of brokenness, we come into our own promised land, but for us it’s a way of life, not an actual place like Canaan was for the Israelites.

I’ve been challenged to live the promised-land life. To look around me and see all the things God is doing for me, just like He did for the Israelites in the desert. But unlike the Israelites, I’m going to try not to just wonder around right outside the promised land for 38 years like they did! I’m on the brink of promised land living – just like many of us are… but it’s scary to look into the promised land and see the “giants” and the huge fortified cities and think “God wants me to go there, by myself? Are you kidding me Lord?” But the thing I’m learning is we don’t have to go alone – God’s already there – waiting, calling me to come on! Just to trust in Him. He’s already given me the promise land, I just have to have the faith to take those crucial steps across the Jordan (which when the Israelites did that, God parted the waters and they walked over on dry land – all 2 million of them! Joshua 3 and 4)

I’m learning to look at my life and see God working in it, in all areas of my life – not just the “big decisions”, but each and every aspect of my daily life. In our homework Priscilla encouraged us to look back to see times when God was working, and to bring areas of my life now that I want Him to work in.

Now, lest you begin to think that God just does all these wonderful and rosy things in believers lives just because we ask, I should point out that asking for things in our lives should line up with God’s will… seeking Gods will brings about blessings… I guess that’s the simple way of saying all I’ve said above. Seeking God’s will, doing God’s will is hard sometimes. It hurts, it’s confusing and it seems weird or strange, even too hard at times. But it’s in those times, in obedience to God that we receive God’s blessings!

I’m convinced that I want to live inside the Promised Land, and not outside looking in wondering what God has for me?!!?

I got the shot

The flu shot that is! Just the regular old flu shot… I did not get the H1N1 – wasn’t sure I wanted it, plus the Minute Clinic isn’t giving them so the decision wasn’t too hard!

The kids also go the regular flu shot, which they’ve been getting since they were born. And each year with Luke it gets a bit harder than the year before. He has to be the worst patient EVER. Poor kid! He doesn’t want to be touched, poked, asked questions or half the time for the doc to even look at him! How are they supposed to help if he’s sick or keep him well if he won’t be still and calm? And in the end, it wasn’t even a matter of just sitting still, it was more a matter of me being half deaf from holding him (sreaming bloody murder) while the PA took 4 seconds to give him his flu shot! Honestly, it was high drama! He screamed like we were hanging him upside down by his toe –nails (not that I’ve ever done that, but I’m sure if he found himself in that position the screaming would be the same)! All over a small little stick – I don’t know where he gets his fear of shots from (see end of post for more insight)?!?!

Avery got her shot last and did much better than Luke, except she moved just a tiny bit, which caused her to bleed a little, which in turn sent Luke into tears all over again! I assured him she was fine – since she wasn’t crying – and finally he calmed down! I took some Dum-Dum lollipops along hoping that would help him be brave but he ended up holding his for about 10 minutes before he was calm enough to eat it!

And if lollipops weren’t enough, I gave in and purchased a toy for each of the kids at the CVS cause I felt bad for the trauma they had been through. Turned out to be good purchases too, the kids have played endlessly with their new toys! What did I buy you ask - - Nerf guns with red laser sights (yes, one for Avery too) - - pretty good buy for $10!

Stay well this winter! We plan to at our house – except for David of course because he won’t get the flu shot mostly because it’s a shot. Enough said about that!

Childhood Song

Somewhere along the way we seem to have entered a new stage in our family life. I’ve been calling it simply “chaos!” Things have just been total chaos around here as of late. There will be more on that in another post, but since today is Tuesday and since I’m linking up over at Chatting at the Sky, I’ll move onto the part of life that I’ve had the opportunity to unwrap.

My youngest little one is looking at her 2nd birthday. Hard to believe she’ll be 2 in just a few short weeks. But Avery is what we like to call around here the “persistent one”, or sometimes “a handful” or sometimes “I’ve never known a child that could wear a person out like that!” Anyway you choose to describe her never - give – up nature she has provided me with some really wonderful times of simple reflection and praise.




The last several nights Avery has asked me to sing to her before putting her to bed. Poor thing really, if you’ve ever heard me sing, you know that the saying that kids don’t care what you’re voice sounds like, just so long as you do it is SO TRUE! Anyway, she’s started asking me to sing… and she wants me to sing “Bible tell me so” which is her way of asking for Jesus Loves Me. This has always been that one song that calms her down when she’s really upset and if my singing it didn’t work then it was a 100% guarantee that her brothers version does!

With her increased vocabulary and speaking skills, she’s taken to randomly singing parts of the song while she’s playing or when we’re in the car or whenever the mood hits! So at night, after we read, pray and she drinks her milk she wants me to sing.

There is nothing like holding a warm little one in the rocking chair all snuggled up and singing the simple words to a beloved childhood song. The setting itself forces me to think in depth about the words, which aren’t complicated at all, but it has reminded me of the simple truth of those words: Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. There it is… you see it… the simple thing that I have unwrapped?

Jesus loves me… and I know it because the Bible tells me so!!! And if I forget, or feel down, or wonder where Jesus is or how I’m gonna make it through this day… I can just remember that Jesus loves me and if I need more help than that, I’ve got the Word to go to in order to find His promises of His love for me!

Lamentations 3: 21 – 24

21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."

It's Fall already?

It seems that being at the beach for 17 days in one month makes me feel like I’ve lost something?!?! Could it be time?

Driving home from the beach yesterday all the leaves were lovely yellows, reds, oranges and browns. When did that happen? There were a few changing leaves when I left, but they were so beautiful yesterday! It was amazing!

Being gone so much is a real blessing, and I’m totally spoiled! But there is something so weird about being gone for so long. I feel totally disconnected from “real” life and my friends at home. It was hard to get up and get going this morning! I had to get myself and Avery up and get everyone dressed and fed so they could be on their way to school.

Boy that was a lot different than the last week when we all got up whenever we wanted. I’d make coffee and do my devotions on the deck overlooking the ocean!! We’d wear our jammies until we felt like getting dressed which was usually around the time we were ready to go out on the beach! It was great, but now back to real life!

I got to spend some really good time with family as well! We got to be with Mimi and Papa and Uncle Robert, Aunt Amy and Reagan which was a real treat! We also got together with David’s Mom’s side of the family and had a total blast playing on the beach and in the heated pool together - good times!

Then today I don’t think it got above 60 degrees and it’s been mostly cloudy – and I’m again reminded that it’s actually fall. Not my most favorite time of the year, but not my least favorite either. I don’t like winter too much… I like if through about the end of December, then I’m ready for spring! So fall is just a reminder that winter is on its way… But I’m glad I got to spend so much time – and with some really great weather – at the beach to help hold off the feelings of fall.

Now on to trying to decided what to do for Avery’s 2nd birthday!

Beach

Just wanted to let you know it may be a few days before another new post. I'm at the beach again, and the internet access isn't so great here.

I'll post again if I can!

A New Post

It’s been a while since my last blog update and after some… ummm, shall we say encouragement I thought I should get on with it. We’ll be leaving (hopefully) for the beach again tomorrow and unless they’ve done a really great job at upgrading the wireless access in the last 8 days I probably won’t be able to post anything until we get home again!

I have had several things on my mind recently – and it’s a diverse group of thoughts. First of all today is a sleepy day. It’s yucky outside, cold (for those of us used to 70’s in October) like 50 degrees, and rainy! And I’ve been up since about 4:30 AM. Avery’s fighting some sort of virus and has had an off and on fever for 3 days now. So my first gut instinct is to be grouchy! Every time we try and go away Avery gets sick. It’s frustrating! But then I look at my emails and I have one from a very good friend who is a police officer and the department she’s working for lost a “brother in blue” last week. He was shot in the line of duty. You can check out the story here. The officer that passed was a veteran on the force and was only 3 years from retirement. His wife and kids and his fellow officers, as well as the community are feeling the loss.

Another email that I saved reminds me to pray for a friend’s son who left for Afghanistan this week, he left behind his wife and 3 children to go and work as a civilian contractor. Financial times are hard and this was a good money decision for them, but boy is that hard! Plus this guy’s sister is at home fighting advanced stage breast cancer.

I have a lot to be thankful for!!! A little fever isn’t anything compared to that… and I’m GOING TO THE BEACH for heaven sakes! Get an attitude adjustment already girl!

Along with that and on a more “spiritual” side I’ve been learning a TON between my Bible study and the sermon series at church. I believe the Lord is calling me to give up control. Control of what you might ask? That’s it control. I like to control things, mostly things at home, seemingly simple things such as the kid’s schedules and control things like “planning at trip” or what we’ll do on that trip. I don’t mean like when to take a nap or what to eat cause that’s part of making a household run smoothly (although my house is in complete chaos most of the time) I’m talking more about planning things, worrying about things really. Like if we do that then when will the kids get to bed? Or how will they be tomorrow? Will I get any sleep? Selfish, silly things to worry about, and things – I’m finding that aren’t worth worrying about. Letting go has proven to be very hard for me, but the times I have, it’s been great! There will be more about the things I’ve learned from Bible study in another post.

On a lighter note - another thing I’ve been thinking about is – our 10 year anniversary trip. We just had our 9 year and are working toward saving for and planning a BIG 10 year trip! Where we’ll go… we don’t know, but I would love to hear any ideas you all might have about where to visit. We’re open to all ideas. I personally like warm sandy vacation spots, where as David likes the cooler ones. So all ideas as well as any experiences from somewhere you’ve vacationed are welcome!!




Thanks for not giving up on me and continuing to check my blog for updates! More to come!