Claim It!

I have mentioned the book Jesus Calling on here before and how YOU NEED TO BUY IT NOW for you and everyone you know and even people you don't know. Because every message I have read was written for me, but everyone else I know that has the book says the.same.thing.

But, the one for today, I claim to be mine. I claim it to be true! (shout out to my Bible Study sisters!)
Specifically for me. By Jesus Himself. On Thursday, March 24, 2011.
Because I needed to hear every single word of it on so many levels.
Here's what is says~

This is a time in your life when you must learn to let go: of loved ones, of possessions, of control. In order to let go of something that is precious to you, you need to rest in My Presence, where you are complete. Take time to bask in the Light of My Love. As you relax more and more, your grasping hand gradually opens up, releasing your prized possessions into My care.
You can feel secure, even in the midst of cataclysmic changes, through awareness of My continual Presence. The One who never leaves you is the same One who never changes: I am the same yesterday, today, and forever. As you release more and more things into My care, remember that I never let go of your hand. Herein lies your security, which no one and no circumstance can take from you.


Where do I begin? Learning to let go of loved ones~on Wednesday, I registered Sister for kindergarten. There are so many emotions that come along with this. And I am not ready for any of it. But, here God is reminding me that I have to let her go and let her grow and learn and make mistakes and hopefully some good decisions too. Because HE HAS HER! I have to release her {my prized possession} into His care. And He will never let go of her hand, even when I have to.

Learning to let go of possessions~there have been multiple break-ins in our neighborhood over the last few weeks and it has more than left me uneasy. It's like the devil is playing on my fear all day long. I have started keeping the house alarm on not just when we are gone, but also while we are at home. But, this reminded me that I can feel secure through His continual presence. The alarm on the house is not what is going to keep us safe-it's Jesus. Jesus. Jesus! No one and no circumstance can take His security away.

Learning to let go of control~Well, I have only had a 32 year battle with this one. Seriously. My Bible Study Group is studying the fruit of the Spirit and the main point of each lesson is that in order for you to develop and maintian love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control is through the Holy Spirit.  And you have to relinquish ALL control to the Spirit for him to fully work in you.  That's hard. Especially for someone that needs to be in control. But, I can't be fully complete if I don't let God have control. Because He is the one who really has it, I just like to think it's me.

I love the way God works! Especially when he slaps you in the face with everything you need to hear all in two little paragraphs of a daily devotional book. On THE day that you need to hear it. It's almost like He knows what you are going through, or what your tomorrow is going to bring, or how many hairs you have on your head, or something.

Please go get this little daily devotional book. It's small in size, but HUGE in message! It only takes about 5 minutes each day to read the devotional and the 2-3 verses included. It's also available on kindle and as an iphone app. If you buy it here, you can get free shipping when you buy 2 (use BLOOMBOOK at checkout). You will need 2...because you will want to give it away. Promise!

Buddy's long awaited birthday party!

Way back last August I won an auction item that included a birthday party at the Train Depot. And what better way to ring in a little boy's 3rd birthday than a 'Thomas Party!'  Only, it's closed til March. SO...we waited and waited and it could not have come on a better weekend!! It was absolutely beautiful outside last Saturday and my sweet Buddy couldn't believe his party was finally here! All the way there, he kept saying "Mommy, we go to my party?" like he couldn't believe we were finally having it! 

Sister with her cousin Coco-he broke his elbow really bad and will be in a cast for a while. But, he was excited to make the 3 hour ride to the b-day!

We had the festivities first, then played on the grounds. Buddy cared nothing about his cake or ice cream. He just wanted that Thomas on top of the cake!

What a mess! He was beyond excited to be there!

This train made all of the sounds of a real train. You could ring the bell, make it speed up and slow down, hear the steam...

Of course everyone LOVED playing in Little Toot's playhouse. Even this Little Toot!

And-Buddy was able to find his wad of trucks to carry around in there!

Playing with Papa

Everyone had such a great time! It is definitely a place that the kids could play for hours! And it was neat for the grown ups too. Especially WB who collects all of this kind of stuff. I think he would request to have his party there if he could.

When Buddy says his bedtime prayers, he thanks God for his party. Everytime. I guess this one ranks right up there with the pumpkin patch from last fall-which he STILL talks about!

Happy Party Day Buddy! We love you!!!

(WB was sick, which is why he looks so excited to be there. :) )

~on being a mommy and a blessing~

I just finished a book called One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp--and it was good! The premise is that if you live a life of thanksgiving, eucharisteo, giving thanks to God all day, for everything, you will live a closer life with God and be able to "live fully right where you are."

One of the things that stuck out the most to me, since I am knee deep in mommyland, is practicing eucharisteo, the action of giving thanks, actually giving it away, allows God to make you the gift. The blessing~especially in your home, with your husband, your children...And how when we are in the routine, knee deep in mommyland, and we are washing the dishes, and making the meals, and being the shuttle bus, and someone is crying, and someone is tattling, and why can't someone just say 'Thank you mommy for all that you do!' because that would make it worth it. Or would it? Doesn't it make us more likely to think WE are owed something for what we are doing for our family? As she says in the book, "When service is unto people, the bones can grow weary, the frustration deep."

But when service is for the Lord? "But when Christ is at the center, when dishes, laundry, work, is my song of thanks to Him, joy rains. Passionately serving Christ alone makes us the loving servant to all. The work becomes worship, a liturgy (public work) of thankfulness."

This was so convicting to me~because sometimes I don't want to wash uniforms, I don't want to clean house, I don't want to make a dinner that no one eats, I don't want to read "Everyone Poops" for the 75th time today.  But, if I turn it around to thanksgiving~Thankful that my husband has a great job and they are now buying his clothes, thankful that I have a nice home full of furniture to clean, thankful that our cabinets are full and our refrigerator is full, thankful that I am the one here with my children to read the same book over and over, all day, and hear them laugh when I say "a one hump camel makes a one hump poop."  How different everything looks. Giving the glory to God!

Being a blessing starts with thanksgiving. Being thankful that I was the one chosen by God to have this family of 4 strong-willed people, this time of being at home with them, this husband that loves me, this life full of blessings. Because when you are thankful, really practicing eucharisteo, no matter what or where or when, you will be right there with God...and feeling him in every step you take. Being thankful can transform everything.

Ms. Voskamp sites a quote from Mother Teresa that is so true- "The work we do is only our love for Jesus in action. If we pray the work...if we do it to Jesus, if we do it for Jesus, if we do it with Jesus...that's what makes us content."

I want that-a life of eucharisteo-a life of thanksgiving-of giving thanks to God for it all. The only way to be a blessing.

Colossians 3:23-24
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Growing up despite being injured

Somebody is growing up! Not this fast, I hope.

Buddy will be 3 next Monday! I am trying to embrace being the mommy of a 4 year old and a 3 year old. I cry when I think about it. Where has all of my time gone?! So, I do what I normally do when there are things that make me sad-I don't think about it. Because when you don't think about it, it isn't real. I am glad you all understand that.

My Buddy is the sweetest little boy! He LOVES his Bebe, any animal, all 942 cars, trains, trucks, and farm equipment he sleeps with and carries around, his mommy, snuggling, playing with rocks, snakes, and bugs, Mickey Mouse, Lightening McQueen, Buzz Lightyear, his sister, going to the shop with his daddy, pretending to be a baby(at his sister's request), Bible Class, singing, anything round that he can throw, and playing hide and seek.

His 2 favorite hiding places?

Right here... 

and right here... 

Sometimes it takes me forever to find him! :) But, when he's mixed it up on me and gone some place entirely different, all I have to do is say "Where's Buddy?" and he will tell me every time.

He cracks me up everyday with all of his little sayings-

'That's funny right there'

'Wook-a my I found!'

'Wooka-my I got!'

'Mommy, I need to hold you!' Then he crawls up in my lap and puts his cheek to my face for me to kiss on him. And I melt into a million pieces. I immediately forget the little attitude he has developed recently.

And his prayers are the sweetest things to hear!

Especially when he finds a way to say 'That's funny right there' in the middle of talking to God.

I also LOVE that he is secure with his manhood~ 

I just don't LOVE that he is about to be 3. I will surely miss him next year when he starts preschool!

I also don't love that he is a little dare-devil. Because we have to do things like go to the ER and have CT scans of his head and x-rays of his shoulder...which also results in Broken Collar Bones and Concussions. 

He's telling you that he broke his head. :)

But, he is resilient and can still work on his Mack and bang with a hammer. He can also still suck his thumb, which reminds me that he is my baby!

Happy 3rd Birthday to my Little Man!

Good thing momma didn't plan your party on the 'Camoose' until March. Because it wouldn't be real fun playing on real trains with a broken collar bone! (And I can also use it as a bribe for potty training)

I Love You to Infinity and Beyond!

Three Claps for the Hubs

My sweet husband-who I love more than a Steak-out cheeseburger-is a hard, hard worker. He is one of those people that can do anything and everything, from wire the house, to fix the leaky faucet, to build a barn, to play the piano by ear, to kiss a boo boo, to cook a mean hot dog. All while working his day job and running our landscaping business~he's also been known to sew a few stitches when I need him.

The bad part to all of that is everyone else knows he can do everything too. Therefore, he is usually doing anything and everything for anybody and everybody.

But, I was able to snatch him up a couple of weeks ago and hide him from all the neighbors, so I could get him to build me this...

Isn't it awesome? OOhhh, AAhhh!

It's a cutting/sewing/ironing/crafting/storage table just for ME!! 

There is storage on each end (like the cubbies below) and one in the back under the curtain. It is counter height so that I don't have to bend over the table to cut fabric..and so I don't have to complain about my back anymore. The fabric covered piece on top is an ironing board that I can remove! I can even throw my sewing machine up there so that someone can be on the computer (searching for antique tractors and signs), while I sew into the wee hours!  

The cubbies on either end are used for all of my fabrics and supplies to sew. The cubbies under the curtain house all of my other crafting supplies. It's also a good hiding place according to the kids.

I love this table and have wanted one for so long! I am so proud that my husband built it for me and can't wait to get lotsa good use out of it!

Thanks Hubs for being the go-getter that you are!

I am proud to call you mine!

6 or 7

I have the BEST neighbors! They always have plenty of eggs, cream of chicken soup, sugar, children's motrin or anything else that I am out of at the moment! So, of course on the Monday after it snowed 6-7 inches, they were quick to make me get the kids out in it. It was something I had put off because WB was at work and I knew it would be no small feat to get everyone dressed.

Really Good Friends harass you until you do what they want you to do.

After only 45 minutes of getting us all dressed, we headed out to join the sledding behind the cart! Both of the kids LOVED it, how do I know? My friends told me and took pictures of the action. I forgot my gloves and had to go back in to get them.

Really Good Friends take part in the joys of your children, while you are running around looking for your gloves.

Just some of the kids watching a movie and getting warmed up before round 2.

Sister trying to pull her friend on the sled~it was almost up to her knees!

Buddy LOVED throwing snowballs at everyone!

I am blessed that these girls know what it's like to have Really Good Friends!

Happy New You

I have really been putting way to much thought into this post...for DAYS...how do I start off blogging the new year? Do I just use it for what it was originally created-a sort of scrapbook? Do I write more about the road I am traveling with God? I am definitely afraid of failing at that one...because I am not sure if anyone would want to read that. Or if I would encourage anyone in any way-I really just want to be a blessing.
Just a blessing. 
And it's hard sometimes to put your deepest thoughts out for others to read-especially those who don't really know you. And who you may not know. The world judges you know, harshly sometimes.

But then, I was reminded that God loves me, no matter.  And as long as I hold tight to him I will have the confidence and peace of knowing that He thinks I am a blessing. And so, I am going to start this year by letting you in on some of the things I am practicing this year--hoping it will help you with your walk with the Lord.  I cannot imagine going through life without him...and I am so thankful that he provides us with a new starting point-a reason to start fresh. If not a new year, but a new day, everyday.

• Setting goals for the year, for myself and for our family. If I call them resolutions, I will not do them. Probably because someone told me to~and I wonder why my kids are so stubborn. They can be as big or as small as you like. One of mine is to video my kids more. Another is memorize Ephesians.
• Creating a theme for the year.  Mine?   Only speak words that make souls stronger.  And I am in prayer over this one for sure! I got the idea from this blog that my brother told me about. She has a weekly post about words and how they encourage...and hurt. The first post I read really convicted me to watch the words I say, to my children, my husband, my family, everyone I come in contact with.  This has been a challenge already. But we are talking about *souls* and it is worth it.   Ephesians 4:29 'Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.'
• Pray. Often. About everything. If there is anything I learned in 2010, it's that prayer changes things. Because I am a task-oriented, annoyingly organized person, I keep a prayer grid. I pray something specific about my husband, my children, my family, my country, my church, etc each day. This keeps me from forgetting something-or falling asleep while praying. It also helps me to see what I have been praying about and how the prayer has been answered. Not all of them have come to fruition yet, but they will in God's time.
• Making sure to have my God time.  It's hard getting up waaaaay before anyone else in my house, but once I started taking that time with God, I was amazed at a difference it made in my day! Now, I can tell on the days that I don't have it. So, this year, I am fighting for my time with the Lord!  Between Bible studies, I have picked up a new book-Jesus Calling-and then I bought one for my whole family, and they got one for everyone they know. All I can say is that every day, I am blessed by the little devotionals. It's like the book was written for me, only I know it wasn't just for me, because everyone we have given it to says it was written for them. You will be blessed if you pick one up (and they are super cheap).
• Creating a Gratitude Journal.  I am writing just a few things I am thankful for each day. To remind me who is responsible for it all.  And to make sure I am not just praying for the future, but thankful for the now. 

I am hoping that something I have written today will give you ideas for yourself. If you need them. I would love for you to tell me how you start your new year...or new 'you' as Buddy says.  I am so thankful for the ability to start over, aren't you?