Displaying HIm

Can I start w/ that my husband is amazing. But what I am about to write about, all credit goes to God. He works through my hubby in great ways & puts the perfect words in his mouth for me to think "oh poop, I'm NOT as great as I think I am or want to be." God you are all things good & I desire to know you & show others you

A few wks back the msg was The Hope for the Church I could go on about this msg. Def recommend listening. I never realized how many scriptures tell us to display God. Be Christ like, yes I know, but to display Christ (as a church & a person) like Jesus displayed God (John 17:21.......yep that's when I got the thought.

Here are some of the scriptures

*Welcoming one another:

Roman 15:7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

*Admonish one another:

Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

*Carry one another's burdens

Galations 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ

*Hospitable to one another

1pet 4:9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

*Confess to one another

James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

*Encourage one another

Heb 3:13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

*Forgive one another

Eph 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you

I've had this post sitting & waiting for me to edit for the past wks, & never got around to it, but today I got a strong feeling that I needed to finish & post it. I pray you all listen to this & hear the truth of Christ. He wants us to display God. Are you following His (10) commandments? Can others see Christ in you? Are you reaching out to others? Or stuck on yourself?

God Bless

As 20 comes to a close

So this week has been a big one for me. My baby boy turned 6 months, my lil' girl (middle child) turned 4 yrs old & I'm the BIG 3-0 on Sunday.

As it gets closer to my birthday I keep thinking about how great my 20's were.

*I got married

*had 3 beautiful children

*We bought & sold our 1st house

*We became Christians

*We moved across the country

*We church planted (Started The City Church)

The other day in our Gospel community group there was a question 'What was the most memorable thing that happened to you as a child' I honestly couldn't think of anything. All I could come up w/ was things in my 20's.......So that's when it hit me like a TON of bricks

I'm not going to be 20 anymore

when did I become an actual adult

Do I have to be.....um....like......an......a d u l t.........ahhhhh

Can 30 really bring anything better.

Pretty much I'm acting like I'm turning 80 & my life is older. I know God still has a plan & a story for me & I'm gladly looking forward to what's to come. I just had a lil panic attack.

I will say this was one of the best birthday (party) I've ever had. My husband FULLY surprised me w/ a surprise party this past Thurs. Wonderful friends & fam were there. I felt overly blessed & loved. He really is the best. For a man who could careless about birthdays & parties, & went through quite the hassle to give me, his crazy obsessed w/ birthday wife, a wonderful party, oh man. I love him & all who came & celebrated my birthday. God bless you all.

So here's to 30 I hope I embrace it like I did when I turned 2o & I enjoy it even more then I enjoyed my 20's.

School is in

I thought as a homeschooling mom my children would miss out on lots of (public) school stuff.

For example: As young children

Recess

playing w/ other kids

teachers

sports

As older children

Sports (still)

dances

graduation

etc

As sad as that would make me I know they are getting the best education I (literally) can give them & afford.

And I realized there was things I could still do, it would just be different then other kids:

I have been seeing all these pics of kids on their 1st day of __ grade. So I too thought hey I can still do that, along w/ school pics( & save money).

I heard of moms taking their kids to their school/class. Well I can do that. Our classroom is just really close ( the dining room table. lol)

This yr we did decide to join the Classical Conversation process. Which easily explained is the Classic Christian way of schooling. We are still home schooling but we join other CC students ( parent) every Tues & have class (grades are separated). It's like a co op but different. Anyway the point is. This past Tues we (Anthony & I) attended the getting started meeting. To see how things worked & how they ran things etc. But then it happened something I never thought about missing..........can you guess........

Yep I got to meet the teachers of Alexa's & Charlie's classes. Although they don't call themselves teachers, they're tutors, cause technically the parent is the teacher they just guide the children & parent for the wks study. And technically Charlie's in preschool so she's not really doing a classroom setting all day.

But I was actually excited to meet who was going to lead their class. The girls have never had a teacher or teacher/parent meeting before, so to me that was exciting. I wonder how I never thought about it, but am glad I got to experience it. And surprisingly Alexa is SUPER excited to go to an actual classroom. Charlie, well Charlie is excited about everything Alexa is, but I think the 1st day may be rough when realizes she won't be in a class w/ Alexa for 3 hrs.......just hoping & praying she does well.

(this post is late I know sorry I forgot to post it)

There is Time

I personally have had an issue of trying to find time for things that have importance (like reading my Bible) or things that I really wanna do daily (working out or reading w/ Alexa). I also will be the first to admit that scheduling or doing the same thing daily is a struggle of mine. I may be a laid back go, w/ the flow person but it's a negative when it comes to getting things done. My thought usually is 'eh it can be done tomorrow' or 'I just don't have time' but w/ homeschooling right around the corner & having a baby in the house I figured I should start some kind of schedule so the girls don't get behind or struggle w/ school.

Anthony has always used this phrase (since we've been Christians) 'If you haven't spent time w/ God today, then the most insignificant thing you did today, you put before God' OUCH. But the reality is that He should be part of our WHOLE day & I make excuses that I don't have 10 min to read, pray or anything else for Him....WRONG. I always think if I don't wake up & read the word or start my day w/ Him then I haven't got the time. And lets face it, me waking up earlier then the girls (def w/ feedings in the night) is pretty much asking for a grouchy mommy all day & a plan that has failed plenty of times. I even tried at times to read @ nap time. But I would either fall asleep or make the excuse that I need to shower @ this time or have lunch w/ the hubby (after kids fall sleep for naps). I always found an excuse.

The other day I got a reality check. Which is nothing new for me. God never gives up, He never backs down or fails to surprise me. I was sitting on the couch feeding Z, & thinking how bored I am, just sitting & feeding. So I got up (when it was time to burp him), got a Bible, went up to Z room (that's where my fav rocking chair is), sat down, continued to feed Z & read the Bible (@ the same time).

Since then I have realized my excuses are NOT ok. No matter how busy my day is or how much I want to get done @ home (cleaning, playing w/ kids, laundry etc) I HAVE to make time for God. It doesn't need to be 1st thing in the morning or when everyone else does their time w/ God. So I thought I'd share a glimpse of our (usual) day just in case anyone felt they didn't have time or needed an idea or whatever.

7am: girls wake. Lay on the couch make coffee & start to wake up

7:50am: make girls breakfast & they eat prob til 8:30-9 (SLOW eaters)

8am: wake Z (if He's not already cooing away for me in his bed), feed, & change him .

8:30: (or when girls are done w/ breakfast) they can play/hold Z

9:30: Z lays back down. I will get some cleaning or house work started (usually not finished unless it's small work like dishes :D ). When school starts this is when we will sit down & start school (9:30-12. Charlie will have alone play in this period & Alexa may have more school after Char goes down for a nap)

10:30: work out while girls play, do school, play date or errand time.

Side note: If we do have a play date or things to do outside of the house instead of girls having Z time this is when they would get ready & I would shower (& bring Z in the ba. w/ me).

11:45: (if home) make lunch

12pm: lunch ( if not home they eat @ play date or in car during errands)

12:30: Z wakes & feed him. Usually will start reading the Bible @ this time (if girls are quietly eating down stairs. )

1pm: girls go down for nap (Alexa more like rest/quiet time), my play time w/ Z & do lunch (some times w/ Hubby).

2pm: Z lays back down. If hubby is home we hang out for a lil. Then get nap or shower in (if I didn't earlier)

3-4pm: the girls will wake. Then hang out for majority of the day. Them playing together or all of us playing games.

5ish: feed Z, then start dinner

6pm: dinner

7pm: Z goes back down & hang out more w/ girls

8pm: bedtime for girls & quiet time for the hubby & I :D

As much as I'm not a fan of scheduling I am happy that I'm fitting in time w/ God & working out. I feel this will help the girls stay scheduled enough for school but open enough that I don't feel we have to do the same thing daily. I will add when school starts our schedule may change some what just cause we have co op class to go to on Tues & CBS on wed, but they fall in the "school" time. The getting ready (& making time for driving) will prob b the only changes.

I will also add the importance of not just you but your children having time w/ God. If they aren't seeing mommy & daddy having time w/ Him what would make them want to. The girls know Anthony does his study (reading & journaling) in the morning. But not til I started reading @ lunch time do I think they really noticed me reading or making time to be w/ God. We do pray w/ the girls every morning (& letting them pray for someone themselves), & then @ dinner & bedtime.

So if you are feeling the way I was, that there's just not enough time. Then maybe you need to recheck your schedule. What are you putting before God. For me it was myself. I wasn't realizing there was time during other things (like feeding the baby) when I could be reading. Or after the kids go to bed & still having time w/ hubby. I also have missed some church services due to helping out in nursery classes. I have also found time, during workout to listen to the msg on the computer. So I'm not left out of what the congregation is learning or discussions they may have, plus it's one more time during the day that I can (@least) hear & learn about God.

There is time. Please take time out of your day to hear & read the word. Have time w/ HIm. Let your children see the importance of Him. He IS the most important thing in your life (or at least He should be)

Hope this may be able to help someone. Sorry if confusing or not any help.......it works for our crazy lives :0)

God bless

The in-laws visit

The first week of July (I know I'm a lil' slow on post lately) my in-laws came to visit for the first time since we moved to Ma. It was so nice to see them & show them around western Ma. We took them to our favorite places. And the girls had a blast visiting w/ them.

So of course we went to Forest Park

Charlie was attached to Anthony's mom pretty much the whole time she was here.

Yankee Candle

Lupa Zoo

They fed the giraffe

Charlie was afraid it would lick her so she dropped it before he could get it. (you can see the apple falling)

Alexa thought it was the coolest thing ever.

Summer (Part 1)

So we have had quite the Summer so far. Lots that we didn't take pics of but (of course) lots that we have.

To start my Summer off I had a post baby shower for lil' Zeke. It was very nice. My mom threw the shower for me & a great friend Kim helped her. It was nice celebrating my lil' bundle of joy's life w/ other great friends. Lots of great gifts. Thanks to all that came.

We have had lots of days at the park thanks to a lot of nice WARM days. We went to the duck pond, park & had a picnic w/ my mom & the girls. Then a couple days later I decided I wanted to do Father's day pictures for Anthony since we don't have any (printed) picof Zeke. The pics didn't come out quite as well as I would like but what can you expect w/ a 1 mo old & 2 wiggly girls.

My crazy gymnast.

Zeke 1 mo. old

Father's Day pic

We have been to the beach several times this Summer. Surprisingly since all the beaches are @ least an hr away. A far drive w/ a screaming baby (who hates the car) & 2 girls saying" are we there yet?" or "how much longer?" cause they know the gps tells me........anyway this was our 1st trip to Old Lyme beach. I didn't put all the pics on to share you a crap load of pics in this whole blog.

Aiden

Evan

Colin

The girls decided to do dance this yr. They were in a acro/jazz combo class. They both really liked it. They had a recital on June 18th. Alexa did really well & Charlie surprised me that she performed @ all, but it was a lil' fast past for her. But here's them before their recital.

My lil lions.

More park time w/ Danielle & Alanna this time.

Addison letting the wind blow in her hair.

Sweet Ava

Alexa Walker (not my Alexa.lol) enjoying the swings

Cute Charlie

The Alexas

The girls also are doing swim classes for the first time. At first they were really nervous about doing anything. As you can see the teacher had to help them do everything. (more pics to come of their improvement)

The fourth of July. Went & watched the fireworks in Ct. We met some of our good friends there & let the kids play & run around then watched the fireworks on the bridge (a great view).

Anthony & Alexa playing 'i see something....' while we wait for our friends.

Kelly & Audrey

Charlie & Daddy

There is a lot more to come. Trust me we haven't stopped all Summer. Almost looking forward to school starting so I won't be driving as much but very thankful we got to get out & have lots of fun.