Family Night

We know that laughter is the best medicine. It's so refreshing to laugh, and then realize that laughter comes from God!  In Job 8:21 it says,

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting.

God has really blessed be with a family who loves to laugh, and loves to make each other laugh!  Part of our laughter tonight came from our family night time together.  We had been doing family nights on a weekly-ish basis, then it was just too much to plan and think about.  It was being missed and so we decided that we would have family nights, but the kids would plan them.  It's been a lot of fun!  We've been playing board games, had scavenger hunts, went to a college basketball game, and played hide-and-seek.  All of these things create so many great memories and soo much laughter!  My kids are so great, and we have a fun time together.  I highly recommend adding Family Night to your week if you don't already have it!

Lift my Eyes

You know those days when you don't want to get out of bed.  Then when you do, you think it might not have been such a good idea...yeah..so I know the right thing to do, but really want to just crawl back into those warm, inviting covers and pull them right over my head, drifting off into...anyway.  I got up.  And, as Momma's know, (at least in my house!) when I  wake up like this, it's quite tough not to let that spoil into everyone else. 

I was sharing a story at a board meeting about a "tactic" I had used once in the past.  When I was really upset and didn't know how to pray, but knew I needed to, I decided to go to the Word.  What better words to bring before our Maker than straight from the Bible.  So, I thought....David sure did splurt off some pretty negative things to God, 'laments', I'll try starting there for my prayer!  So, I opened up the Word, tried to find the most negative lament I could and prayed with all the gusto I could manage.  It was going ok for a few verses, I was getting right into my lamenting until...it turned to praise.  This wasn't exactly going along with the plan I had for this time of prayer, however, this is exactly what was needed for my time of prayer.  And all times. 

From this experience it has been slightly easier for me to remember to turn to God in praise, to look to God, where my help comes from.  This morning I'm pondering Psalm 121 and resting in it.

¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
   where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth.

 ³ He will not let your foot slip—
   he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.

 ⁵ The LORD watches over you—
   the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
   nor the moon by night.

 ⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—
   he will watch over your life;
⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going
   both now and forevermore.

Choices...

 I was coming home from a meeting and had some things in mind of what "needed" to be done, and the schooling that the kids "should" do today, ect. ect. and the lists really can go on and on forever...however...in the grand scheme of things, I figured, we'll have a much better day, and a lot more fun if we make sock monkeys!  Ha...crazy idea...



I underestimated the time ...and effort it takes!  However, we did complete most of the task, with a lot of fun, and a LOT of mess (which was somehow cleaned up - Thanks to Ryan!)

 I was thinking about some recent conversations and how very important our choices are, and that the choices we make, specifically about the way we spend our time, can reap either blessings or consequences.  Sometimes life can look rather bleak...tasks can look daunting, circumstances may seem insurmountable, however, we still have choices to make.  While looking for a verse to accompany this post, I found it interested that the first 20 or so times the word "choose" is mentioned in the Bible - it refers to God choosing, then, it comes to Deuteronomy 30:18-20,

¹⁸ I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

 ¹⁹ This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live ²⁰ and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

When it comes to this verse, the choice is pretty clear as to which one is best, however it is still that, a choice.  I guess what I'm getting from all of this is we really need to love God first.  Listen to His voice and hold fast to Him.  For He (God) is our life!  What an amazing passage.  I'm glad today that we made sock monkeys, and that the dishes are not done (well...not entirely) but I'm glad that I choose life - not necessarily in an eternal sense, but it sure made a difference in my home today.  So, lets choose life, make God the love of our life and truly listen to Him.  Be careful when making choices.  Be careful in choosing how to fill time in a day, choose life!



Momma Monday

I thought I could add my kids in her more regularly by having "Momma Mondays" some proud Mom moments :) 

Westport Fun Run 5 Km



One of Ryan's loves and gifts is athletics.  He is built to run, and play.  It has been really fun watching and encouraging him to build on his love this past summer and fall.  I think it was in August that we talked together about what he loves to do, and setting a goal for himself.  He really wanted to run in some type of race, we decided to start small and do a 5K.  Small for him seems impossible for me!  But anyway, he was running usually 2-4 times a week.  He had his own system, we went out with the car and marked off certain points at each km so he would know his distance.  He loves numbers as well, so each time he would time himself and chart the time and distance on a chart he had on the computer.  He was always striving to get farther, or to beat his time in the distance he was comfortable with.  I am so proud of how he really kept to it.  I mean, I know he loves to run, but he didn't always want to go out, he even ran a couple times on rainy mornings and afternoons.   

1 Corinthians 9:24 says,

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

I think of Ryan when I read this.  I think of his dedication and persistance.  He ran.  In October he ran the Westport Fun Run and did so great!  It was a different course than he'd been practicing, in the woods rather than by the road but with his training, he really did an amazing job!  I am so proud of him!  And, he feels a big accomplishment.  Maybe I'll have to get myself into gear and train with him for another run...maybe!  I sure can learn some things from this blessed boy that God has allowed me to parent :)

Even the Rocks will Cry Out!

We went on a beautiful hike yesterday to Rock Dunder with some families from church.  Our family loves this place, there are three different trails at different levels of difficulty.  The most difficult brings the most reward in terms of the view, so I opt to do that one as long as time isn't restricted!  This time there were six in our gathering that went to see the amazing view that God laid out for us.  It never seems to be less amazing, no matter how many times I go and see it. 
Tim was carrying a walking stick with him,  and kept pointing out a "burning bush" which was what looked like burned trees, but they still had the trunk and a few pokey branches on them, however Rachel, our fearless guide made sure we held pace (a very fast pace!) and kept moving in the front.  She was soon called Aaron, since he was Moses' helper of sorts.  Anyway, once we got to the lookout I asked, so, Moses, Aaron, what is our message from the Lord?  And my witty husband replied, as Jesus did in Luke 19:40,

“I tell you,” he replied, “if they (WE) keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

No one had much to say about that one, as you can imagine us looking out, perhaps we should have started to praise aloud, I know I was praising...rather quietly, my Majestic Lord.  It did make me stop and wonder, praise, and marvel at the Greatness of God.  And look at these trees, and the massive rocks that we were atop of, thinking that this, in all it's grandeur, is just a glimpse of Creator God's fingerprints.  It's so incredible.  

A Day with my Girl

This morning I didn't know what to do with Rachel.  I thought it would be nice to go somewhere, but we were both pretty zonked and just wanted to have a lazy morning.  It was SO nice, and so refreshing, just the two of us hanging out together.  We listened to music and did some scrapbooking, made some cookies and really truly just relaxed together.  It was uninterrupted and blissful really.  I guess I'm just feeling really blessed to have such a precious daughter and to have had such a wonderful time together with her this morning!

James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

My kids aren't perfect, but I'm sure not either!  And that's good, because then we know, that God can change us to be more and more like Him!  But what good and perfect, even precious gifts He gives us.  Sometimes I overlook these gifts and dwell too much on other things.  But Praise God that He loves me and is patient with me, not shifting like a shadow, but constant in His goodness!

Possible

So, I realized only after I put that last post on there that it was quite similar to the previous post!  That certainly was not intentional!  Oh well...oh with things:) 

With Tim and I going through the process to adopt through CAS there have been a lot of emotional journeys as we both look back at what brought us to where we are not.  Also, that uncertainty and hope of what will come is a huge emotional journey in itself!  Last night we were talking after both having spent some one on one time with the social worker and I had a lot of hope, and a lot of faith - not to say Tim didn't but his was much more...conservative.  He gave his heart thoughts and hopes that wouldn't allow them to fail. 

In our short drive that was separate (after picking up the other vehicle at his mom's) I was slowly getting more discouraged in thinking that God's timing might be years and years away, as Tim always refers to Abraham and Sarah....but here's the cool part!  Tim was talking to God about all these things on his heart and God gave him a visual message.  There's a part in his truck that shows words, but only 2 words has he ever seen it show.  Last night, for the blink of an eye, he clearly saw the word "possible" and knew in his heart that, as Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, he was saying to Tim

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

I think it's just so amazing how God can speak with us, can refresh us.  This didn't give us all the answers we don't know the answers to, it didn't tell us anythign specific in terms of what we're going through but it sure did remind us to keep our ees on Christ and TRUST that He is who He says He is, and He is a God of the Possible!

pos·si·ble/ˈpäsəbəl/