Our Family for His Glory

Family Fun {Bible} Time

2012-02-02T15:03:00.001-06:00

Do you remember the time we let each of our kids dirty up clean white onesies!? They smeared on ketchup, dirt, barbeque sauce, etc. as we talked about the dirtiness (sin) in our hearts… then we garmented our stuffed animals with the shining (tinfoil) armor of right Christ-like living!? They all listened & joyfully participated, yet I was a bit skeptical as to how much they were really “getting it”!

I was particularly skeptical of my little 3-year old boy… he was listening & participating & having fun, yet I wondered if his “boy-ness” {you know- the crazy, LOUD, bouncing around, extra energy, mischief-making kind of “boy-ness” that he has been into since the day he was born} was distracting him from the true lesson at hand!

{{Isaiah… my boy who will be 4 years-old next month… when he was just 2 months old… oh, where has the time gone?}}

I remained skeptical until a few days later when he pushed his sister over (more “boy-ness”!). I asked him if what he did was kind. He thought for a while, & then said, “No! That was a dirty dark deed!” After my jaw almost hit the floor, I asked him what would have been a better choice. He didn’t hesitate, he just smiled his charming smile, & said, “I need to put on my shining armor!” & he jumped up & stood tall as if a knight ready for battle. We talked about what that means once again, & then we moved on with our day. And, now, almost 4 months later, our little boy continues to bring that little lesson of faith up on a regular basis!

Every once in a while, by God’s grace alone, our children really do “get it”! And it is in those moments that I am reminded of our desire to be intentional about impressing the Word of God on their little hearts. One way we like to do this is by having “Family Fun {Bible} Time”! But, to be honest, we’ve been a bit slack in this department lately.

December was full of Advent activities pointing our children to the Savior of the world. Now January has ended, & I think my children are having withdrawal. Sweet Kayla has spent her coveted alone time planning out her own Family Times for our family to share in. She’ll set everything up, & then hand my husband or me the Bible, & say, “Here, read this!” :) And she’s not the only one. When announcing that we were going to have “Family Time” together a few nights ago, excitement filled the air, as jumping & shouts of joy abounded! At our house, it would seem that “Family Time” ranks up there with vacations, birthday parties, & visits from Grandma & Grandpa!

Because I want to be more intentional about impressing the Word of God on our children, & because they absolutely LOVE this time interacting with the Bible & spending quality time together… I am going to make our family accountable to you! And I hope you will join us as well! Each week I will share with you about our “Family Fun {Bible} Times”! The lessons may be short & sweet, or maybe we’ll dive a bit deeper… I’ll just share whatever I can! :) You can use all of our ideas (I like simple, but fun), tweak them to work for your family, follow someone else’s amazing ideas, or make up your own!

Would you commit to having “Family {Bible} Time” with your family!? If you do, I hope you will share with us!!! Please leave a comment and/or a link … or send me a picture- ourfamilyforhisglory @ gmail. com (take out spaces)- so that we can encourage one another as we together seek to raise our children for the glory of God!!

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Here’s a quick “Family Time” for this week…

In order to remind our children of what the “shining armor of right {Christ-like} living” is… we decided to dive into Colossians 3:12-14… {I love how each of these virtues are virtues that Christ possesses!}…

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (NIV, emphasis mine)
We also added in peace & thankfulness from vs.15!

*We started by talking again about those dirty onesies, & how God wants us to “remove our dark deeds like dirty clothes & put on the shining armor of right living”. (Rom. 13:12) We talked about how silly it would be if we took off all our dirty clothes & then either put on more dirty clothes, or decided to run around in our Birthday suit! :)

*We then read Colossians 3:12-14, & I used sweet Annabella as a demonstration model. As we talked about each character-trait that we should clothe ourselves with, we added a garment of clothing that had the virtue (written on a note card &) taped on! “LOVE” was the “coat” that we put on “over all these”!

*Then we used those clothes in a “relay race” against ourselves! We raced to see if we could all take a turn putting the clothes on as we listened to “Put on Love” (Which is Colossians 3:12-14 put to music on the Seeds Family Worship “Seeds of Character” CD!!)! We did have to put the song on 2 times… but it was FUN! All the kids were bouncing around, cheering each other on… and, every time an article of clothing was put on, we all said the virtue that went with it!

Now it’s your turn!! All you need are… a Bible, clothes, paper, marker(s), tape, & a song/timer!

In the next couple of months, we’re going to take a closer look at each of these virtues! :) Next week I’ll share about LOVE (we’re going to do that one first, because Valentines’ Day is coming soon!)!

Will you join us???

Favorite Children’s Storybook Bibles

2012-01-31T22:38:00.001-06:00

I find myself to be quite the “Bible collector”! I’ve been that way ever since I can remember. Even in highschool I was thrilled to get a new Bible at least once a year! :) {And, yes, some of them do sit on the shelf.} But, I love to read & study & use my favorite Bibles… I mark them all up & carry them around until they are falling apart. I’ve even taped & glued a few Bibles back together. ;) I’m hoping that my love for God’s Word will rub off on my kids! {From the looks of some of their Bibles, I think it is working! –hehe!} My obsession for Bibles {by the way, I LOVE the new Bible my wonderful husband got me for Christmas!!} has trickled down into Children’s Storybook Bibles as well! If we stacked up all of the Children’s Bibles that we have in our house, it would be taller than my 2 year-old.

{{You thought I was exaggerating, but truthfully, I can think of at least 7 others that didn’t make it to the pile! :) But, praise God, “the Word of the Lord stands forever” (1 Peter 1:25)… just watch out for “the tower of the Word of God”!}}

Now, I know Storybook Bibles are NOT the same as our “Big People” Bibles!!! Besides for the cute illustrations, they also don’t tell the WHOLE STORY! They are a summarized version of what the authors feel are the most “important” kid-friendly stories in the Bible… that’s why they’re called “Storybook Bibles”! And, although I believe Storybook Bibles are a wonderful tool to immerse our children with the Word of God, they cannot & should not replace the Bible! It is important that we are reading from our “Big People” Bibles as well… both as individuals & as a family!

After looking at our large pile of Children’s Bibles, I had such a hard time choosing, for almost all of them have been treasured by someone in our family, but…

Here are our family’s top 10 Children’s Storybook Bibles…
(I’ve put them in order by age-range, starting with little tots! All are linked to Christian Book Distributers- CBD!)

A Child's First Bible

A Child's First Bible is short & sweet. Each story is told on one or two pages, with cute pictures. And there is a question at the end to get your little one thinking! We have used this for school as well as before bed! This really is perfect for a child’s first Bible!

Rhyme Bible for Toddlers

We love, love, love this Bible storybook! The rhymes & pictures are SO wonderful! When it is time for bed, Annabella (our 2 year-old) will run to her room saying, “Bible! Bible!” No other Bible ranks up there as high as this one does in her little mind. I just wish it were a little longer, as I think we have all the stories memorized by now! :)

My ABC Bible Storybook

The pictures in My ABC Bible Storybook are absolutely precious! This is a perfect Bible Storybook if you want to go through the letters of the alphabet with your child at the same time as teaching key stories from the Bible! It skips around in the Bible a bit… “A is for Ark”… “B is for Baby”… our favorite- “I is for Isaiah”!

My First Hands of Bible

My First Hands on Bible is my absolute FAVORITE little children’s Bible! We just got this for Christmas & love it!!! There is really SO much I like about this Bible, I’m not even sure where to begin… the pictures are cute (not “super weird/crazy/cartoonish”) & interesting to look at… the text is taken right out of the NLT translation :)… throughout the whole Bible, there are hand prints that give you ideas of how to interact with the reading (acting the story out, asking questions, pointing out fun things in the pictures, etc.)… there is always a prayer, questions and a couple activities at the end of each story… and there is also always a “Jesus Connection” to help children see Jesus throughout all of the Bible! (If I ever get around to putting together a Preschool Curriculum for my little ones- I think I would use this Bible as the core!)

The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes

This Bible Storybook is near & dear to my heart, as it is the updated edition to the very first “Bible” I ever had! The stories are beautifully written, and there are 3 questions to go over at the end of each reading. We’ve enjoyed using this Bible as a part of our school as well! {We really enjoy Kenneth Taylor’s The Bible in Pictures for Toddlers as well!}

The Beginner's Bible

Such a classic Children’s Story-Bible! So many great stories are packed into this book! And we’ve read it so many times that we’ve needed to order multiple copies, as The Beginner’s Bible (along with The Early Reader’s Bible) have been wonderful Bibles to get our children reading and understanding so many Bible stories!!
{{If you’re looking for a children’s devotional, we have enjoyed The Beginner's Bible Book of Devotions: My Time with God!}}

Read and Share Bible

What I love about the Read and Share Bible is that it has more than 200 Bible stories! Each story is told on a 2 page spread, with a discussion starter at the end. This is another Bible we enjoyed reading through & talking about before bedtime!

Read with Me Bible

I really like how the text is based on the NIrV translation! So many storybooks use their own wording, & often times (to me anyways) it’s just not the same… this storybook, however, I found to be easy-to-understand & accurate. And it has fun pictures too!

The Jesus Storybook Bible
Every Story Whispers His Name

The Jesus Storybook Bible is my other new favorite!!! I love what is written on the front… “every story whispers His name”! How true! Although some of the wording is not my favorite, this storybook truly shows Jesus throughout! Every story points to the Savior!! I love that! I think this is a perfect Bible storybook for ANYONE to read, for it is beautifully written to show clearly how Jesus is the center of it all!
{{Our girls also enjoy listening to it on CD!}}

Family-Time Bible in Pictures

The Family-Time Bible has been a favorite part of our school-time these past couple of years- as we have enjoyed using it for Kindergarten! Kayla & I just finished it a few weeks ago, & now Kayla still loves to pour over the beautiful dramatic illustrations! I look forward to going through it again in a couple of years with my younger ones!

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And, a few extras…

**For our “Baby”… the one that loves to drool & chew & squish up papers… We love the kind of Bible that she can chew on right now, as well as hear some beloved stories of the Bible. Right now, little Ariya’s favorite is…

Baby Blessings Bible

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**For our “Readers”… the ones that still LOVE to pour over Bible Storybooks, but are ready for something more- their own Bible… we really have enjoyed both the…

NIrV Adventure Bible and NLT Hands-On Bible

The Adventure Bible is lots of fun with an easier reading level! The Hands-On Bible is packed full of fun activities to get our kids interacting and really thinking about what they are reading! ~ Alyssa & Elliana got the Hands-On Bibles for their Birthday back in October, & Elliana is already finishing up Leviticus!

How about you? What are your favorite Children’s Bibles???

Linked to… Word-Filled Wednesdays ~ Scripture & a Snapshot

How to Reach the Hearts of our Children

2012-01-27T14:15:00.001-06:00

I watched through the window, heart breaking, as my little girl wheeled her suitcase down the icy cold driveway. All I could do was pray as my heart melted into a puddle like the frost on the window had earlier that morning. It was a cold wintry evening, & she had no shoes or coat on. All that she brought with her were a couple favorite outfits, a camera, a little blanket & a few books she had packed neatly into the little red suitcase that rolled along behind her.

The beautiful frost was gone & so was my baby girl. For she had decided she needed to leave & find a family that loved her. Although she never made it past the end of the driveway (& I watched her the whole time), in those moments that seemed to last forever, my heart grew so sad. Sad because we all love her more than we could ever express- sad because we’ve tried so hard to show her & all of our children how much we love them- sad because maybe we aren’t so good at showing our kids how much we love them after all- sad because of the selfishness & manipulation oozing from her- & sad because we want so badly to reach the hearts of our children… to have them love God & to walk in His ways, & well, this was just another reminder that I/we had failed.

I wish there was some special formula for how to parent in a godly way… especially in these gut-wrenching situations. Oh, how I long to know how to reach the hearts of our children for Christ, so that they would love & obey God.

But the TRUTH is… I can’t!!! and You can’t!!!

There is no special formula for reaching the hearts of our children for Christ.

No x + y + z!! No prayer + family time + discipline = godly children!!

The countless hours we spend in prayer, pouring through the Bible, teaching & training & nurturing, & even loving our children cannot and will not save them! There is no guarantee that, even with the love & sacrifices we make for our children, they will, in fact, grow up to be men & women of God! For we cannot be saved by works! It is only by God’s GRACE!

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:8-10

Just like we are not able to save ourselves, we are not able to save our children. God does not need our help in saving our children. If He did, it wouldn’t be grace, & there would have been no point in Him sending His Son to die for us so many years ago.

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12

And this, although it may at times seem otherwise, is GOOD NEWS for all of us… for my little girl full of sin & for this mommy full of sin! For remember, none of us can ever, will ever, be good enough on our own! And it is GOOD NEWS when we realize that along with all of our love & sacrifices, all of our mistakes & every little {& big} failure, also cannot keep any of us from the love of God & His saving grace through Christ Jesus!

So, what CAN we do??? We can have FAITH!! We can let go of the firm grasp we think we have on the hearts of our children, & we can place them in the hands of the One who made the stars, the One who works all things together for good, the One who loves & cares for each one of us more than we could even imagine!

Don’t have enough faith!? Cry out to God… “I do believe; Help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) For we need HIS grace even to have faith!!

And by HIS grace through faith, we can seek to raise our children for Him… spending countless hours praying for, reading Scripture to, teaching, training, nurturing & loving our children… all for HIS glory!

{{Why have I been talking so much about grace!? Well, I know that we as parents really desire to reach the hearts of our children! We want what is best for them! Most of us also desire to be godly parents that seek to love, nurture, train, pray for, teach, etc. our children as the Bible calls us to. In the next few weeks I will be sharing about some of the ways that we plant seeds of faith into the hearts of our children. But, I want to remind myself & everyone else, that although we can plant the seeds, water the seeds, & provide the “perfect” environment for them to grow… it is ONLY GOD that can make them grow! On the flip side, we fail every day- well, I know I do!- sometimes we forget to water “our little seeds”, or we don’t do battle against the weeds… amazingly GOD can still make those little hearts grow into beautiful lives for HIM! Praise God!}}

Our Favorite Homemade Play-Dough!

2012-01-25T15:46:00.001-06:00

After trying many, many, MANY different homemade play-dough recipes, & tweaking them here & there- we have come up with our favorite homemade play-dough recipe! And I thought I would share it with you!!

Honestly, we pull out the play-dough SO often at our house, & it keeps everyone busy for L.O.N.G. amounts of time (even my little toddler will sit for a good hour with the play-dough)!! :) :) Store-bought play-dough can get pricey, & homemade play-dough you can have a bit more fun with (we think so anyways)!

So, without further adieu, here is our favorite homemade play-dough recipe, along with some fun ideas… (I usually make a “double” batch!)

Download & Print your own “Homemade Play-dough Recipe”!

Today we talked about how we can make fun things out of play-dough, but GOD created the whole world out of NOTHING!!

Do you have any favorite play-dough recipes/ideas?

Don’t Forget Grace

2012-01-23T15:56:00.001-06:00

As I wheeled my overflowing cart to the nearest check-out lane, I could hear it… the toddler screaming & kicking as her embarrassed mother tried desperately to calm her down. As they passed, the poor mother looked with daggers at her child. “Why can’t you be a good little girl, like that one over there?” she said as she pointed to my precious girl who happened to be blissfully sitting in the cart studying the Cheerios box.

I stood there as if frozen, for I have been there! I know how humiliating it feels when it is MY child throwing a fit for all the world to see. I was torn between wanting to go help the exasperated mother, wanting to explain that my children are not perfect either, & wanting to plug my ears (& those of my little girls) & get through the check-out lane as fast as I possibly could.

Honestly, I didn’t just want to tune out the little girl’s screams, it was also the mother’s words that seemingly poured out hatred, that I wanted to block from our hearing. In my heart was a battle. The ugly part of me thought to myself, “I would never speak to my child in such a way. {Well, at least in front of so many people.} Why can’t she be a good mom, like me, & be kind & loving & gentle &.……” It took but a moment for me to remember the harsh tones I had used earlier with my own children when they had come in complaining & whining after a fun time playing in the snow.

As I buckled my little girl into her carseat, I was thankful that she had been a “good little girl”. For isn’t that what I want for my children? And for myself? To be good? Yes, I want my children to be good… to be kind to others, respectful of those in authority, to share, to smile, and to put others first. But, where does that leave us when they are not “good little children”?? And where does that leave the screaming toddler when she can never, will never be good enough??

And, yes, I want to be a good mom… the best really! I want to train my children in righteousness & to be an excellent woman of God. But, where does that leave me when I shamefully judge the mom next to me, or when I use harsh tones with my own children?? And where does it leave the exasperated mom at the grocery store when she can never, will never be good enough either??

All too often we are stuck in a cycle of striving to be good enough & to make our children good enough. BUT GOD… He is so different from us. For He is full of GRACE! He gave us a gift that none of us deserve- His Son. He realizes that not one of us can ever, will ever be good enough. Yet, if we are striving to earn that grace that He has freely given us, it is not really grace. (Rom. 11:6) We are just stuck in our sin & shame all the more, & that is why we need a Savior! My children will never be good enough, & that is why they need a Savior! I will never be good enough, & that is why I need a Savior! And the screaming toddler & her exasperated mommy will never be good enough, & that is why they need a Savior!

It is only by HIS grace that we can, in turn, pour out grace on our families & on the world around us! So, instead of solely teaching my children how to be “good little children”, I want to pour God’s grace on their hearts…. to remind them when they have sinned once again, that although they will never be good enough, it’s all the more reason to praise God for His amazing, amazing grace! For, if we don’t recognize our need for a Savior, why would we turn to HIM?

{{This is NOT an “out” for training our children in righteousness! In fact, it is this grace that should guide us in teaching & nurturing & disciplining our children.}}

How are you showing grace today?

Answers to Your Questions

2012-01-21T10:12:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! I’m going to take a few minutes to answer some of the questions that many of you have been asking lately! :) Your care for our family & the prayers you have uplifted on our behalf have been true gifts! Many of you know that my husband (& therefore our family) is in between ministry opportunities right now. At the end of October, we said good-bye to our “first church”, where my husband had the honor of being the associate pastor for over 7 years. During that time, he/we had the privilege of blessing lives as he led many into deeper walks with Christ (& we were richly blessed in return). However, the church is hoping to move in a different direction than where my husband is most gifted. {{If you do not know my husband- he is extremely gifted in preaching & teaching, in relational skills & in wisdom! He has an amazing ability to take the Word of God & clearly & accurately communicate its truth to little toddlers, those little toddlers’ great-grandparents, & everyone in between! And he lives out that Word in his life daily, as he seeks to bring glory to God! I would say that I am biased, but I probably have been more of his biggest critique… but I’m working on that! ;)}} So now we are waiting to see what God has next for our family.

The biggest question most of you have asked is…
How is your family??
We are doing very well! God has been working in each of our hearts. Yes, it is painful at times, but God is good & is providing the rest & healing & joy we have needed, as well as renewing our passion for serving full-time in a church. God has also taken care of our basic needs, by providing Gabe with a temp job at a bank mortgage company. While this may not be his “dream job”, he has been enjoying his time there & does well at his job.

Although it has been difficult for me to see our kids sad at the thought of moving and/or struggling to fit into new environments, they really are doing very well! God has used their smiles & hugs & friendships with one another to bless our hearts!

We have also found a church, which God has used as a place of refreshment & renewal for all of us. And our kids are really blossoming there. Even our shy little Annabella can hardly wait to go to church each week. This means so much to us!

How was your Christmas??
Our Christmas was not what we had expected, but we did find blessings sprinkled throughout. Unfortunately we ended up with the stomach flu at Christmas time… pour Isaiah woke up the day after Christmas asking, “Is today Christmas?” Sadly, we had to tell him, “Sorry, buddy, you missed it, you were sick!” :( And we each took our turn throughout the following week. But, that sickness gave us the opportunity to spend longer than the originally planned 3 days at Grandma & Grandpa’s… & that was a blessing!

We enjoyed seeing some of our favorite cousins! :)

What about Ariya?? How is she??
She is just as joyful & sweet as ever! So many milestones were reached in the past 2 months… her first 2 teeth, eating “big girl food”, sitting up on her own, first bath in the “big” bathtub, standing (while holding on), saying “ma-ma”, “da-da”, “ba-ba” & more, giving giant hugs & kisses, her first Thanksgiving, her first Christmas… & getting ever so close to crawling! There were many, many moments to treasure, as she is growing too fast for this mommy’s heart!

Any news on the job search??
We still have Gabe’s resume sent to districts spanning the United States, & have just in the past couple weeks had our resume sent to specific churches. Although we do not know if any of these churches are where we will end up, it’s exciting (& a bit scary) to “knock on doors” & see which ones God will open and which ones He will close! We are trying hard to be patient, as we know that pastoral searches often take a bit of time! We know God will continue to lead us!

Are you moving yet??
No. Once God leads us to a church, then we will look at that whole process!

Are you still homeschooling?? How is that going??
Yes! We are over half way done with our school year & we continue to enjoy using “Heart of Dakota’s” God honoring curriculum! I’m hoping to share more about our homeschooling journey in the new couple of weeks! :)

How can we pray for your family??
Pray that…
*God would make HIS ways clear.
*we would continually be filled with His spirit, & therefore the fruits of His Spirit (particularly peace, joy & patience).
*we would not be discouraged.
*God would bring encouragement our way.
*we would know what things to pursue (even though we don’t know when we will be moving)… for example… should we potty-train Bella now, or wait?… should we sign up our girls for more ballet classes, or will we be moving in the middle of the session? etc.
*God would continue to provide for our every need.
*God would guide our previous church.
*God would be working in the hearts of those in the church we will one day be at.
*our children would not be overcome with sadness.
*our strength for each day would be God.

Thank-you, dear friends!! You bless us more than words can say!
How can we pray for you???

A Reflection of Glory

2012-01-18T15:02:00.001-06:00

What, & more importantly whom, am I reflecting to the world around me (even if my “world” is 6 little messy adoring faces)?? Am I reflecting the grace & love that God has so graciously given to me?? or Is the tired, overwhelmed, frustrated mommy winning out?

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Do they see Jesus in me?

I fear the sighs, complaints, & commands repeated over & over (& over & over) drawn out the Spirit in me.

Yet, if I am truly following Christ, should my life not reflect Him? and His glory?

I am so thankful that He has not given up on me… I am being transformed into his likeness every day, & He is teaching me what it means to be a reflection of His glory.

Oh God, fill me so full with you that these little people watching my every move, hearing my every word… would see You- only You!

Head to Internet Cafe Devotions for more Word-Filled Wednesdays and/or visit Katie Lloyd Photography for Scripture & a Snapshot!

I am Not a Writer… or am I?

2012-01-17T15:33:00.001-06:00

During my time away, one thing that became painfully obvious to me is that I am not a writer… not a good “technical” writer that is. In fact, I am sure that I drive most of you English majors absolutely crazy. I cannot remember when to use a semi-colon, or if it’s ever appropriate to use the words “and”, “but”, “yet”, or “for” at the beginning of a sentence, & my vocabulary is quite minimal {{Thank-you for being gracious with me!}} :)

I would love for the words to always flow sweetly from my head, through my fingers, & unto the paper/screen/etc. But the truth is that sometimes they are dreadfully choppy.

Honestly, who am I to think that the words I write would encourage anyone? or that they would bring glory to the King of kings as I so desire?

He doesn’t need my words.

But, I also realized something else… I LOVE to write, & I love to share what’s in my heart with you. And, for now, I think this is something that God wants me to do. Not because I always use the best wording, correct punctuation, or impeccable grammar. And not because I am the best mom, wife, home-maker, friend, & “blogger” who has it all together {I’m not & I don’t}! But, because it is in the process of writing it out & sharing it with you, that I see more clearly what God has & is doing in our lives.

It’s kind of like my sweet Annabella. She loves to dance! She watches her sisters & asks all the time to dress up like a “rina”! When she dances, she is not a ballerina… she jumps & twirls & sticks her little bottom out- I love it!!!! Yet although she has no technical skills- her dance is beautiful!

And, oh, how I pray that God would write beautifully through me! That the words bubbling up inside of me would spill out in encouragement to you- fellow moms, friends & family who are in the trenches with me, & that they would overflow in praise & glory to our God!

Above all, I pray that when you come here- you will notice that although I am an unschooled & ordinary {everyday} mom, you will take note that I have been with Jesus! (Acts 4:13)That’s all that matters- Him pouring His words out through me! If I haven’t been with Him, my words will ALWAYS fall short!

For although I may not be a “writer”- I want to write my best for HIM! :)

{{Our ballerinas after their last ballet recital!}}

God has been renewing my vision for “Our Family for His Glory”! I can’t tell you the amount of times these last couple months that I have formulated posts & dreams in my mind. {I promise I’m not crazy- wink!} I’m excited for some changes that we will {{s.l.o.w.l.y.- remember I’m a Mommy to 6}} be making over the next months!

Would you join me? Whether it be writing, mothering, taking care of a loved one, or countless other things. It does not matter if you are unschooled, untrained, uneducated, & simply ordinary. What matters is that others would take note that we have been with Jesus!

Dear friends…

2012-01-16T14:52:00.001-06:00

Hello, dear friends!

These past couple of months were filled with a sweet, sweet time of healing & resting & most importantly seeking God! God has been using this time together as a family to draw us closer to Him, & to renew our desire to live & to breathe all for HIS glory!

Not every moment has been perfect! In fact some days were extremely painful. For often when God is working in our hearts it hurts… it really, really, really hurts. And God works in mysterious ways in order to continually draw us back to Himself {{think- waking up at 4 o’clock Christmas morning to a little boy with the stomach flu}}.

I’d love to say that now, after 2 months of uncertainty & seeking God, we have all the answers; God’s plan has been perfectly laid out to us; & we know when & where we will be going from here… but, we don’t! In fact, in some ways we have more questions now than we did before. But, I also know that God has not disappointed us!!

Remember how one of my biggest desires during my time away from the computer would be to “seek the LORD until He comes & showers righteousness on us” (from Hosea 10:12)!?

Well, I realize now that is exactly what He has been doing… showing up, revealing Himself to us, & pouring out His righteousness. God certainly did not let me down! His answers were just different than I expected. And, I had forgotten just how much healing can hurt.

Instead of bringing healing through the “answers” that I so long for… He has provided healing through pouring out the precious joy, peace, love, grace & forgiveness only He can provide!

No, He has not disappointed us!

Oh, there is so much I want to share… so much that has gone on in 2 short months {{is Ariya really already 7 months old!?}}. And I know many of you are wondering how we are. So many of you have taken the time to send us a message asking how we are doing, or simply to let us know you are praying- even new friends… Thank-you! I can’t express how grateful we are for your kindness & love! In the next few weeks I look forward to sharing more of what God has been doing in my heart & in our family! I’ve missed you! :)

The End of a Chapter Please Read

2011-11-17T00:45:00.001-06:00

My days have been full, my heart has been heavy, & my world has been tinted with new shades of color… like the murky brown from being stuck where I am at, the deep purple of resting in God through the sadness & the unknown, and the bright blue in the sparkle of my now 5-month old little girl’s eyes!

Through these days of uncertainty & beauty, God continues to make Himself known. And it is amidst the smudges on the mirrors, the tiny fingers grasping mine, the longing eyes begging me to play a game, the tears poured out before God, & the sweet whispers of training & love- that I believe God is showing me that this is the end of a chapter for now… not for forever, but for now! Therefore, I’m going to be taking a bit of a “bloggy break” until the new year!

This decision has been hard- so. very. hard.! And it has left me feeling vulnerable & scared… scared that others will think I am simply giving up when life gets difficult… scared that I will fail at being the wife & mommy God wants me to be without the accountability that this blog provides… scared of feeling alone, cut off from you- family & friends… & vulnerable, for I realize that although I only plan to be “gone” for less than 2 months, many of you will forget- forget me, forget my family, forget about this little blog of mine. But, it is not about me, is it!? And although, I am not someone who flippantly tosses around the phrase “this is God’s will” or “God told me to do this,” I have felt a nudging from the Spirit to take this time… time to heal… time to rest… time to love on my family… & (most importantly) time to seek God like never before!

A little over a month ago, a verse in Hosea was given to me in a letter from a dear friend & woman of God. I won’t go into all of the background of the verse, but the verse was written when Hosea was pleading with the people to turn away from their sins & turn to God… & to let Him sow righteousness in their lives. Sadly, most of them depended on their own strength & chose to reap evil instead. In the end, the LORD completely destroyed them. However, it is a verse that I need… we need… today…

Hosea 10:12 says “…it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.”

That is what I want to do!!! Seek God until he comes… until He shows up!! Oh, and He will come!! And when He comes, His righteousness will be poured out!!

And, so, for the next month & a half (or longer, if God so leads), instead of writing about Christmas, & discipline, & family time, & marriage, & blogging, & cleaning, & encouragement, & no TV, & gift ideas, & homeschooling, & leading little ones to God, & answering your wonderful questions, & our family, as I had so planned… I desire to seek the LORD, until he comes & showers righteousness on me & on our family! And I pray that this time away will bring much needed healing & rest & precious time with my family & with my God, so that I will come back renewed & refreshed & better equipped to encourage others as we together seek to live our lives all for HIS glory!

I do want you to know that I have not forgotten about you & I will not forget about you!! I love & care about & pray for each one of you… whether I know your name or not & whether we have ever “met” or not!

Will you seek the LORD with me??

* * * * *
Because there are so many things that I have on my heart to write, & yet it will be quiet around here, I thought I would leave you with some of my favorites around the web lately (Truly, there are SO many… please check on the sidebar for even more favorites!)…

*There are many around the web that I feel would make amazing friends in “real life”. Here are a few whose words really touch my heart, as if they put to words what I am often thinking…
*Lara at “To Overflowing” {{Her post “The 4 letter word that Stopped Me” spoke right to me, as well as every other post she writes!!}}
*Katie at “Living Devotionally” {{I’m always so encouraged by her words!}}
*Joy at “Grace Full Mama” {{She is beautiful on the inside & out! I love reading what she writes from Indonesia where she is the wife of a missionary pilot & mama to 5!}}
*Trisha at “The Good Life” {{A sweet, sweet mommy to 8 kids! You’ve got to read “But We Make Them Brush Their Teeth”… love it!}}
*Rachel at “Finding Joy” {{A mom of 7 who truly finds joy in the every day, in her family, in her God! I’m always blessed to read of how God is working in her!}}
*Amy at “A Faithful Journey” and Aurie at “Our Good Life” {{They are always full of encouragement! I just love them!}}

*I have been in tears & in awe reading through the journey of one my friends as she faced her child’s diagnosis with Down Syndrome (& then went on to adopt another precious girl a couple years later)! Ellen, at “Stumbo Family Story” is one of my “real life” friends from college!! I encourage you to read her story! If you have a child with special needs, you will be so blessed to read her encouraging words- I promise you! And if you do not have a child with special needs, please, please head to her blog… your eyes will be opened to a whole new world!

*Looking for Christmas ideas for your kids!? Check out Amanda’s Truth in the Tinsel- An Advent Experience for Little Hands, a new e-book that looks fabulous!! & if you’re looking for ways to “Impress Your Kids” with the Word of God, visit her blog for some wonderful ideas!

* * * * *

Those of you that are new here… feel free to look around a bit! I’m so grateful you’re here. I hope you will stick around! My “old” friends ;) you are so dear to me- words can’t even express what an encouragement it is to walk through life with you (even if it is from afar)! I will still be checking & responding to comments & e-mails as best I can; I may even pop in from time to time, & I am looking forward to some exciting things starting fresh in the new year! May you all have a blessed Christmas!

Sending Love,
Jessica

Top 10 Ways to Memorize Scripture (for toddlers on up)

2011-11-14T22:34:00.001-06:00

Growing up, I always struggled to memorize things! It was so frustrating for me (& still is at times)! My older brother (whom I adore!!!) was/is one of those people that could glance over something once & know it… & know it well! Me!? I would study for hours & hours, & still struggle to remember what I read! Yet, I have found some ways to help me {{this every-day mommy with a “mommy brain” on top of having struggles to memorize :)}} memorize Scripture, & ways that we’ve used with our kids, toddlers on up, as well… because I cannot think of any other thing that is more important to have hidden in our hearts! :)

Read it! (or Read it to them!)
It seems so obvious, but if we do not read the Word, how can we truly know what we are memorizing? Reading it in context is so important to understanding the meaning of the verse!

Play a game! & Get active!
Pass a toy from person to person- when you are holding the toy, say the next word in the verse… try to say the verse before the timer rings… say the verse for each basket you score… say the verse until someone says, “Freeze!”- when they say, “Go!” finish the verse… make “silly voices”- favorites at our house are the great big daddy voice, the underwater voice & the squeaky mouse voice… jump, run, skip, hop, tiptoe, etc. while reciting the verse… do a jumping jack, cartwheel, push-up, etc. for every word… hide words to the verse around the room- when they’re all found, put them in order… say part of the verse, & have another fill in the missing word(s)...! There are SO many possibilities! Have fun!!

Write it out!
In your journal, on a giant piece of paper, on a napkin, on the mirror, on a window… anywhere! And if you want, decorate it with markers, paint, glitter, etc.

Hang it up!
Fill your house with Scripture! You can make it as fancy or as simple as you want, but put God’s Word in places where it will not be missed… on mirrors, covering door knobs, in front of your computer, on your child’s pillow, etc.

Do sign-language or make up your own motions!
My kids LOVE this! After learning some sign-language with the “Signing Time” videos, our kids love putting “signs” to everything… & although we don’t know the actual signs for everything, they love making up their own! :) Either way, the motions help cement the words in their little minds!

Say it out loud!
Read it out loud, & then say it out loud without looking! Then make it a part of your everyday speech!

Put it to Music!
This is probably the most helpful way for me to memorize Scripture!! If I put it to music, I don’t easily forget it! The Bible verses I learned as a kid that were put to music, are the verses that I still remember today! {You can sing a verse to a simple tune like, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”, make up your own melody, and/or find some favorite Bible Verse music!}

Share it with someone!
As part of our school, the girls share the verses they are memorizing with someone each week… usually over the phone! They love doing this, & grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, & daddies at work really appreciate hearing their sweet voices reciting Scripture! {You could also write it in a letter, e-mail it to a friend, or whisper it into your child’s ear before bed… just share it without peeking!}

Listen to it!
Simply hearing the words can be a great tool in memorizing Scripture! Kayla, my 5 year-old, does really well with this!! For AWANA, her Sparks book came with a CD. She listened to her CD over & over again, and was able to say every verse in her book within the first month… I was in awe! ;0

Perform it!
We like to stand up on chairs & say the verse into a “microphone”! I don’t know if it’s the fact that I allow them to stand on furniture, but even our little 2-year-old, Annabella, loves to get up on her chair & try to say a verse! And then everyone cheers! :)
Our children also like to put on “plays” and to have their verses recorded with our video camera!

What do you do to encourage your children to hide God’s Word in their hearts??

Do you have any memorizing tips??

Are you Stuck in a Pit?

2011-11-10T15:08:00.001-06:00

I need God to show up!

I need Him! I cannot do anything on my own!

I have nothing to give- absolutely NOTHING!

{{There- I said it!}}

Even as I sit to write these words, my thoughts are jumbled, choppy, not making any sense!

For right now, my feet are sinking & I feel stuck in the mud!

Stuck!

It seems so silly… maybe it’s just been a rough day (or week, or month)- everyone has tough days! …maybe it’s the fact that I am a mommy stuck in the trenches of spilled milk, laundry piles, & slobbery kisses (as much as I love those)! …maybe it’s realizing that I’ve failed & that I will never be good enough! …maybe it’s “the waiting game” our family is playing right now! …maybe it’s that when it rains, it often pours, & right now it is pouring! And, although it may seem silly, as nothing traumatic has happened… I want to be honest & recognize that this is where I am at right now!

Stuck! Stuck in the slimy pit, the mud & mire!

Yet, I have found some verses that have been an encouragement to me, & I hope they will encourage you as well… no matter where you are at right now!

“I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me & heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud & mire;
he set my feet on a rock
& gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see & fear
& put their trust in the LORD”
Psalm 40:1-3

One thing I noticed about these verses, was that WHILE David, the Psalmist, was waiting PATIENTLY for the LORD (so hard to wait patiently!!)… WHILE he was crying out to God… WHILE God turned to him & heard his cries… he was in the pit!!!

He was stuck!

How can God lift us out, if we are not first in the pit??

And how can He give us a firm place to stand, if we do not realize our need to have our feet set on the rock??

Another thing I noticed about those verses was that God did not leave him in the pit!! David might have been there for a while, but he did not stay stuck!! God moved!! One of my favorite quotes is by Warren Wiersbe & says, “When God permits His children to go through the furnace, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat.”

And that’s what God did for David & in the process He changed David’s heart… He set his feet on a rock… He gave him a firm place to stand… He changed his song into a song of praise! And not only did God work in David’s life, but He moved in such a way that OTHERS saw the difference, & they learned to fear & trust the LORD! That’s amazing to me & so encouraging!

That’s what I desire for God to do in my life, & I pray He will do in your lives as well!

For as we wait in the slimy pit {{maybe a “pit” of sour attitudes, discipline, & dirty dishes… maybe a “pit” of deep grief… maybe a “pit” of waiting…}} God WILL show up & move in ways that we never could have imagined if we cry out to Him & wait patiently for Him!

He hears our cries! He will lift us up! He will give us a firm place to stand! And He will put a new song in our mouths… Praise to our God!

Are you in a “pit”? I would be honored to pray for you as you wait patiently for the LORD!!

The Best Family Service Projects

2011-11-08T21:10:00.001-06:00

Everywhere we turn people are in need! It completely overwhelms me & saddens my heart to hear of story after story after story of those that are hurting… children without a mommy or daddy, families without food, the death of a child, sick loved ones, kids in foster care, those without jobs, struggling marriages, parents coping with the latest “diagnosis” for their child, etc. etc. etc. And these hurting people are not just on the other side of the world… they are our neighbors, they are our friends, they are those standing behind us at the grocery store, they are the ones driving beside us on the highway, they are you, & they are me!

While none of us can help each & every hurting soul in the world on our own (that’s why we need Jesus!!), we can be the hands & feet of Jesus by showing love through our actions! And while it may seem we are only putting Band-aids on a deep wound (I know it seems that way to me sometimes!), it’s amazing how God uses each love filled action to bring a smile to a child’s face and to bring hope to a family!

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech
but with actions and in truth.”
-1 John 3:18

That’s one reason we LOVE participating in “Operation Christmas Child”!! All it takes is 1 shoebox full of love & 1 letter sent with it, to touch the life of a child in need… to bring JOY, to bring HOPE!

What fun we had filling “shoeboxes” this year! {{I love how we can track the location of our shoeboxes online this year!! And we also enjoyed using the downloadable “All About Me” page that OCC provides… we’re hoping to hear back from at least one of the children that receive a shoebox from our family!}}

Here are a few other great family service project ideas, some we’ve had the opportunity to participate in, but most are on my “I’d really like to do this” list!!

**Give a gift through World Vision’s gift catalog!

**Collect shoes for “Shoes to Share”!

**Put together "NICU survival kits" for parents of babies in the NICU!

**Send pencils to “The Pencil Project”!

**Help provide beds to orphaned & abandoned children with “Sweet Sleep”!

**Provide a Baby care Kit for those in need!

**Have my children color pictures for “Color a Smile”!

**Take time to Cuddle Babies!

**Do a ministry project through “Kidz RAP”!

**Make & give away “Care Bags” to the homeless (Here’s a link of ideas to put in the packages!)!

**Donate toys or food to “Ronald McDonald house”!

**Collect used bikes to give to those in poverty with “Pedals for Progress”!

**Collect suitcases for foster kids through “Suitcases for Kids”!

**Sponsor a child through Compassion International!

**Work with “Feed My Starving Children” to package food for starving children! {{See if one of their “Mobile Events” is taking place in your area!}}

{{Please note that while I LOVE each of these ideas, I have not searched out the doctrinal statements of every organization above! :)}}

Do you have any other family service project ideas to add to the list??

Another “First”… Can My Heart Handle It?

2011-11-05T22:37:00.001-05:00

Lately our lives have been so full of “lasts” & “firsts” that I’m not sure my heart can handle it. I want to stay where I am comfortable… where I know what to expect… where my kids are little… where I feel loved. Yet, through every tiny & each great big change, I am learning to trust God more, & to find joy in each moment!

Last night, was one of those “firsts” that I will cherish in my heart for a long, long time… our girls had their first ever sleepover party with friends celebrating Alyssa & Elliana’s 7th birthday! :) They had such a wonderful time! Their giggles were precious & their squeals of joy rang throughout the house. Their friendship with the other 7 girls is so priceless- something they will truly miss if/when we move away. Truly, every day for weeks they’ve been asking how much longer until their party, & now that it has come & gone, they are asking how much longer until their NEXT party.

When I asked them what their favorite part of the night was, besides for “all of it”… their vary favorite part was when I left them sleeping this morning for fifteen minutes as I got ready for the day. I turned off the water to the shower to hear a house full of talking & giggling & playing… & to think that they were all “sleeping” when I had left the room! :)

Here’s a quick peek at what the night looked like…
*Decorated pillow cases with fabric paints (Each girl got to take home a new little pillow with her name on it, as well as a new toothbrush & toothpaste.)
*Made beaded jewelry
*Decorated & ate chocolate cupcakes
*Opened presents
*Played games- I LOVED the ideas that many of you gave me! We ended up playing… “Balloon Charades” where the girls have to bounce on a balloon until it popped, read the word written on a paper that was inside the balloon & then acted it out… “Sleeping-Bag Hide” where one girl went out of the room & the rest hid in their sleeping bags; a stuffed animal was given to one of the girls to hide with them in their sleeping bag; the girl from the other room came in & had 3 guesses as to who had the stuffed animal… & “Pass the Candy” this was an impromptu game where we played music while passing a candy treat around; when the music stopped, whoever was holding the candy got to keep it to eat during our movie (This was SO simple, yet the girls would clap cheer whenever the music stopped- it was so cute!).
*Watched a short video & ate popcorn
*Got ready for bed
*Read Psalm 4:8 in our Bibles, & a couple other favorite Bible stories
*Prayed together
*Went to sleep to another short video
*Turned out the lights
*Woke up with smiles… & giggles that didn’t want to stop :)
*Watched the video that my wonderful husband made of our fun night (see below…)
*Ate chocolate-chip pancakes & eggs
*Played
*Said “Good-bye!”

What a fun night!!!

Here’s a little peek into the fun…

(Click here to view video!)

What firsts have you had at your house lately??

I have absolutely LOVED reading everyone’s comments to my questions on this post!! You have truly blessed my heart, & given me some wonderful things to think & pray about!! That’s where we got our game ideas (which the girls LOVED). So many of you have blessed us with such kind words & wonderful advise! If you haven’t had a chance to read through those comments (or leave an answer), take the time to click over there, & I know you too will be blessed! :)

Feed My Starving Children

2011-11-03T20:55:00.001-05:00

Have you ever heard of the organization, “Feed My Starving Children”? It’s incredible… really!! What does this non-profit Christian organization do? Just what its name says… it seeks to feed starving children around the world! And I’m so glad our family had the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful ministry this past Monday evening (Yes, it was Halloween, a perfect evening to take time to shine a light & give to others!)!

We arrived at the warehouse, watched a video about “Feed My Starving Children” & the incredible work they do {{I had tears in my eyes looking at those precious children that were brought food & hope through this organization}}, and then we got to work! Wearing our cute hair-nets :), we found a station where we were able to hand-pack meals specifically formulated for malnourished children. We worked hard for a good hour… the girls’ faces were all flushed from their hard-work measuring, pouring & packaging the life-saving food. I could tell they were tired, but when the leader came to tell us to finish the box we were on & then clean up, they did not want to stop!! We cleaned up our station, met in the warehouse (where the hundreds of boxes are sent out to almost 70 different countries) & prayed for the little ones that would receive the meals! On our way home they begged to go back the next day!

While we couldn’t go back the next day, we hope to visit “Feed My Starving Children” as often as we can in the near future! For, we really feel this is so important… to take our eyes off of ourselves & stop worrying about the outdated clothes hanging in our closets and the broken toys on the shelf, & give to those who are truly in need! What a blessing to show Christ’s love to those with little hope!

Next week I’m going to share some more Family Service Project ideas that we love! Here’s a hint for one…

I’d love to know what your family does to help those in need!!

My Top 10 Questions for YOU {{please, please answer}}

2011-11-01T15:57:00.001-05:00

First, I wanted to say thank-you for all of your prayers & encouragement for our family these past days & months! Many of you have taken the time to love on our family, & we are so blessed! We have had many sweet good-byes with people from our church… first on Wednesday evening- as it was our last day at AWANA & with the Youth Group, & then on Sunday morning- although it was hard, the line that stretched down the aisle & around the sanctuary filled with dear ones waiting to say good-bye, touched our hearts deeply, & in the days since- through e-mails & letters & phone calls & our last church event at “Feed My Starving Children” last night… and God is already beginning to give us rest & healing & joy as we seek out the path HE has for our family!!!

* * * * *

I’ve had some completely random questions swimming around in my head lately, & I would just love it if you would help me out & take the time to answer one or two… or all ten! :)

1- What are your best laundry tips?? I really need help with the laundry!! It seems that I can get the clothes clean (our washer & dryer seem to be constantly going), but folding them & putting them away (even with some really great helpers… & frequent “laundry parties”) is very challenging for me! Right now there are 10 overflowing baskets of clean clothes downstairs…10 (& that’s just since Friday!)!!

2- Do you use coupons?? How do you find the time?? Do you have it all organized?? I can get them cut out, & I do use them, but taking the time to go to a few different stores each week to get the best deals, etc. is completely overwhelming to me (think 6 kids… 1 cart, 1 mommy)!

3- Do you know of a great blog designer (that doesn’t cost a lot of money)?? There are quite a few technical/“behind the scenes” things that I would love to change up a bit, but am still a bit clueless as to how, & am short on “experimenting” time… but I thought it might be a nice Christmas present for me this year!

4- Any ideas for a new blog button?? The one we have, made by my sweet Elliana, is super cute, but outdated, as now we have 6 kids in our family! :)

5- What are some fun slumber party ideas?? Our twins (7 year-olds) are having their very first sleep-over this Friday, & are SO excited!! We have craft, food & decoration ideas. But, it would be fun to play a game or two. And, I would love any ideas for a good, fun, “OK for little girls to watch” movie!

6- How do you choose the “extras” (sports, music, etc.) for your kids?? Do you have a limit… say 1 per child per season? Right now we just have our girls in ballet one time a week, & that is plenty for me! Yet, there are other things that I would love for them to get involved in, especially music… but, I also don’t want to be living in our Suburban!

7- Do you have any other ideas for nighttime bed-wetting?? Is there anything that works?? I’ve tried every brand of pull-up & diaper that I know of for my little guy; we have eliminated drinks after dinner, & have tried waking him before we head to bed for the night… but are still changing his bedding a few times a week…sigh!

8- What do you think of the DISQUS commenting system (if you’ve used it on your blog)?? I really like how I would be able to reply to comments! But, I have no idea how to get it working (see #3 above) & am uncertain if it is worth the time. What do you think?

9- What do you enjoy reading the most when you visit “Our Family for His Glory”?? I know what I enjoy writing about! :) But, often think my thoughts are so very random- kind of like this post! :) If I could write about just one thing, what would you choose?

10- What questions do you have for me??

I’m realizing that I have many more questions for all of you, but I’ll leave it at 10 for today! :) Would you please, please take the time to answer!? I would love to hear of any great ideas!!! (Feel free to leave me a link to a post, etc.!)… Oh, & if you’re wondering how to leave a comment, just click under this post where it says “__ comments”! :)

Too Many Tears

2011-10-30T16:19:00.001-05:00

It has been a long, long day filled with many, many tears & hugs & prayers, for today was our last day at the church where my husband has been the associate pastor for over 7 years… the church that we have loved since the first time we stepped foot in the building (my husband as an intern) 9 years ago…. the church we call our family & our friends… the church that watched us grieve the loss of our first child… the church that rejoiced in the births of each of our 6 children… the church that has watched these precious children grow… the church that has watched us grow… the church that we have poured hours upon hours of sweat, tears, prayers, & love into… the church that has poured hours & hours of love into us!

And, honestly, I don’t know the words to write, as I am feeling completely heartbroken! I am just so, so sad! My world has felt shaky & uncertain! And I wonder if I will crumble down into a heap of despair. Yet, I also feel blessed… blessed by those who have taken the time to encourage, love & pray for our family during this very difficult time! Blessed that I was not the only one with tears streaming down my face today! Blessed by my sweet children… one of which was in a puddle of tears all morning, another of which did all the dishes & made a vow to really try hard to obey mommy, because “it’s been a sad day”! Blessed by my incredible husband who has sought to honor God every step of the way, & has lead our family strong, even in the midst of pain! And blessed by a God who has not forgotten about us… a God that uses ALL things for our good & His glory… a God that goes before us & will be with us! And for that I am so very grateful!

I know many of you want to know more of what we will do & where we will go from here. Honestly, we are a bit wounded right now & don’t know the answers… BUT we know a God who does!! A God who has not been surprised by all that has happened! A God who has a great plan for us; a God who has a great plan for you!! A God that we trust completely to guide & to direct us to where HE wants us to be!

Would you please keep praying for us!?

Shining Pumpkins

2011-10-29T13:53:00.001-05:00

This time of year is so beautiful… the fresh cool air, bright fall colors, & delicious apple-pie. Yet, as I drive down the road, I can’t help but notice the scary, spooky sights that are displayed in others’ yards. I always hope my children are looking the other way, & when we get to the store, we steer clear of the ghosts & goblins that fill the shelves. ;0

These little ones are too precious! I want to help guard their hearts & minds, & teach them to fear the Lord only! And to remind them that although the world around us is often full of darkness… Christ can shine through our lives for all the world to see!

Last week we talked about how we “are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14) when Christ shines through us! And God wants all of us to “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds & praise your father in heaven!” (Matthew 5:16)

This isn’t easy!! The darkness (fear, bitterness, anger, deceit, etc.) that seeks to flood our hearts can overwhelm us! But, remember, it is God that shines His light in us for all the world to see! Yet, also remember that we have to do our part! God uses any & every situation for our good & His glory, but that doesn’t give us an out… we have to “let our light shine”! We can choose to hide it or even smother it out if we are not careful!

As a family we decided to add in a few “Shining Pumpkins” to remind us of these precious verses & the importance of letting our light shine in all that we do!

We had fun making tissue paper pumpkins… *cut out the outline of a pumpkin from orange & green construction paper… * place the outline on the sticky side of clear contact paper… *add tissue paper scraps (we used orange, red, yellow & green)… *cover with contact paper… *cut it out… *hang the pumpkin on the window so it “shines”! :)

We also made pumpkins with melted crayon shavings… *use a pencil sharpener to get lots of crayon shavings from all those old crayons (we used orange, yellow, red & green)… *lay lots of newspaper on an ironing board… *lay out a sheet of wax paper… *sprinkle on crayon shavings… *add another layer of wax paper & another thick layer of newspaper… *iron until melted… *cut into pumpkins… *hang the pumpkins in the window to make them “shine”! :)

{{Although it’s hard to see… we also wrote out the verses on notecards & hung them on the window as well!}}

I love how the pumpkins look like ordinary pumpkins when they are done being made… BUT when the light shines through, they are truly beautiful!!! It has been a great reminder every time we look at those windows, to let the light of Christ shine through us… & then others will see our good deeds & praise our Father in heaven!! :)

What are you doing to let your light shine!?

Here are some other fun pumpkin ideas we have done… :)

“The Pumpkin Patch Parable” & “Family Time Pumpkin Vine”

A Little About Our Family for His Glory

2011-10-26T14:55:00.001-05:00

If you are new here… welcome to “Our Family for His Glory”; I’m so glad you are here! If you are dear friends, family, or readers that frequent here often- we always love having you around! :) I’m just going to take a moment to share what “Our Family for His Glory” is all about!

Let me tell you a little about our family… my name is Jessica, & my most wonderful husband and I have been married for a little over 9 years. We have 6 precious children. Our oldest are twin girls that turned 7 yesterday, & our littlest baby girl was born in June. Yes, that makes 6 kids all ages 7 & under!! Boy to girl ratio!? 5 girls & just 1 little 3-year-old boy (& he is ALL boy)! Many people seem to think that with so many little ones, we either are completely “crazy” or “have it all together” at our house… but, I assure you neither is true! We are just your “average” family that seeks to love & honor God in all we do, & I am just your every-day mommy, longing to be full of grace, but often needing to ask for forgiveness! I pray God will use this broken vessel, as I seek to lead my little ones to Christ & to share what I am learning along the way!

We love GOD and long for Him to be glorified in our lives & through this blog! And I pray that everything you find here, will ultimately lead you & your family back to HIM… in the every day moments… the uncertainties of raising little ones… the slobbery kisses & bedtime stories… the diapers & the cries… the times of training, teaching and discipline… the endless cleaning & organizing… the hours spent on our knees in prayer… the days full of laughter & joy. For, we know that raising a family for HIS glory brings so many questions… we understand- we’ve been there… WE ARE THERE! And, without God's strength & grace, we would be nothing & could do nothing. {{In fact, right now, we are going through a bit of a “life transition” (which we covet your prayers for) & we are calling out to God every day, every hour, every moment!}}

So, this blog really stems from our desire to help & encourage other mommies & families out along the way as we struggle together to raise our children for God's glory! I pray you will find hope & encouragement and that you will be blessed!

I enjoy writing about our family, our faith, our homeschooling journey, our marriage, motherhood, home-making & life in general, buy mostly I am passionate about GOD and leading little (& big) hearts to Him! Here is a sampling of what you will find at “Our Family for His Glory”…

“Beauty in Being a Mommy”

“Finding Time for God When You Have Little Ones”

“Don’t Know What to Do… Help” & “I Have Had Enough”

“What to do with a Dirty Heart?” & other fun Family Time ideas

“Prayer Books for Kids”

“Do Your Kids Study the Bible?”

“Keeping a Clean House with Five Kids”… now 6, I’ll need to update :)

“Our NEW Chore System for Kids… that REALLY WORKS”

“The Pain of Miscarriage”

“Run to Me to Obey” & more character training in our children!

“Sponsoring Children Through Compassion International”

“Marriage Moments… Date Night In”

I hope you enjoy peeking around a bit! I always love to hear from our readers, so feel free to leave a comment or send an e-mail my way! I look forward to meeting all of you new mommies & friends! {And, if you are an “old friend”, I love hearing from you just as much… I would have given up a long time ago without you!!}
Jessica

To My Precious Girls on Your Birthday

2011-10-25T15:07:00.001-05:00

How can it be that you are already 7 years old!? It seems like just yesterday we were visiting you every day in the hospital… as you were born almost 8 weeks premature. You have both grown into such beautiful girls; it has been absolutely amazing to see God working in each of your hearts & lives!

Being 6 was a big year for you!! It was the year you graduated from Kindergarten ~ you learned to ride your bike without training wheels ~ you finished your first Sparks book in AWANA ~ you grew 2 1/2 inches ~ you started reading chapter books ~ you welcomed your baby sister, Ariya ~ you changed your first diaper ~ you took your first ballet class ~ you passed 2 swimming levels ~ you collected hundreds of items for kids in Kenya ~ and most importantly, you both committed your lives to Christ!

My Dear Elliana Grace,
God truly answered our prayers when He gave us you! You are such a precious girl!!
Here are a few reasons why we love you so very much…
E- Every precious hug
L- Lovely on the inside & out
L- Loving towards all
I- Incredibly helpful & gracious
A- Amazingly fun
N- Notes of love you leave on our pillows
A- Always having a big heart for those in need

Precious Alyssa Marie,
You are my dear first born. You were first in birth & first in dedicating your life to Christ, & we are so very proud of you! May you continue to do your all for God!
Here are some of our favorite things about you…
A- Actions full of grace
L- Loving leader to your sisters & brother
Y- Your bright smile
S- Silly & fun
S- Sweet heart towards all
A- Amazingly beautiful on the inside & out

Happy 7th Birthday!! :)

We love you so very much!

And although we long to keep you little for a lot longer… we are so excited to see all that God is going to do in your hearts & in your lives in the next 7 years!

A New Smile

2011-10-24T22:09:00.001-05:00

Today our sweet 5-year old got a new smile…

And that smile makes me want to smile right along with her! :) For, at our house, loosing a tooth is a BIG DEAL, & this little girl has been waiting for months & months (honestly wiggling that tooth every single day for the last few months- hehe!)! Kayla’s always been so excited for her big sisters as they’ve had their fair share of loosing teeth, so what a joy that it was finally her turn!

Oh, Sweet Kayla, it’s just another reminder that you are growing up… becoming the girl God has created you to be! Since it is all happening so fast, I will take time to treasure this lost tooth, & how your sisters taught you to ride your bike without training wheels, & the many, many other sweet moments of accomplishment, & I will store them in my heart for safe keeping (& write them all down so I don’t forget)! Love you!

What bitter-sweet moments have happened at your house?

The Story of Our Miscarriage {{the rest of the story}}

2011-10-23T16:00:00.000-05:00

The physical & emotional pain engulfed me! There was no way around it. I had lost my baby… no matter how tiny… and the tears seemed to never end.

Days crept by, & then weeks, & then months, & now 8 years (& 6 babies) later, tears still roll freely down my cheeks at the memory! So much & so little happened during those months. For time seemed to stand still, as I felt frozen in my sorrow. I wondered if I would ever be happy again.

Yet, life still moved on for everyone else around me… my dear friend’s tummy grew a little bigger each day, & jealousy & fear sought to overwhelm me whenever I saw a precious baby in a mother’s loving embrace! And on the other side, I couldn’t understand (& I still can’t) why there were so many people destroying the lives of thousands of precious babes each day, when here I was longing for one of my own!

Yet, as I was stuck in my grief… somehow I continued living & moving & breathing!

And, during this very dark time in my life, God was at work! It’s so amazing to me how He works the good, the bad & the ugly all together for our good & for His glory!

For He did not leave us alone! He was with us every step of the way drawing us closer & closer to Himself… providing encouragement, hope & glimpses of joy. He taught me how to trust Him more… bringing many moments that have defined my faith! And He worked miracles in our marriage during that time!

However, although I knew God was at work & I knew God’s plans for me & my family were good… the reality of just getting through the day was enough! For even when I thought I had surrendered it all to Him- there always seemed more to surrender.

Every month, every week, every day, every hour, every minute, every moment needed to be surrendered to Him. And as I learned to give up my desire for control, v.e.r.y. s.l.o.w.l.y. God began turning our heart-break into a sign of His glory!

After 5 of the most difficult months of my life, I sat in the bathroom waiting for those “3 minutes” to pass once again… but, this time, I couldn’t wait! I had missed my period & was already feeling nauseous, overly emotional, & so very tired. So, after a few seconds, I “peeked” at the test. And, there before me was the bright blue positive blue line… I was pregnant once again!

Having a baby in my womb brought hope & unexplainable joy… it was like God’s grace pouring down on me! Yet, there was also more fear! Would God take our baby again!? There was no way to know, except to find out as we took one step at a time, continually surrendering to Him every step of the way!

At 9 weeks, we found out that God had blessed us with not just one, but two little ones growing in my womb. And Tuesday, those precious twins will turn 7 years old! :)

And that is the rest of the story!

Or is it!? As, all these years & babies later, I am still learning to surrender every day, every baby, every child, every heart-break, every moment to Him… all for His glory!

How about you, dear friends?? Do you have a story of a time in your life where God used heart-break and/or loss for His glory!? I know that the days can be so very difficult as we walk through this journey of life, loss, joy, & pain. And I would love to pray with you along the way!!

The Story of Our Miscarriage {{Part 2}}

2011-10-22T22:26:00.001-05:00

I tossed & turned all night, & woke up feeling anything but refreshed. The night before I had worked late for “Family Night”, & now was up early to be ready for my preschool class full of bright-eyed 3-year-olds. I showered & dressed & prayed… anything to shake the fear surrounding my heart.

But, I knew something was not right!! I was shaky & agitated & hot, & I was spotting… an unbelievably scary sight being that I was 8-weeks pregnant! I felt like I could barely breathe. Yet, with the realization that I wanted to save any “personal days” in case I needed them later in my pregnancy… I headed to work.

I don’t remember that morning well… it’s all so blurry in my mind. But, I remember sitting with my class as we watched a fire-fighter demonstration. One sweet boy was frightened by the daddy turned fire-fighter; he stuck like glue to my lap. I tried to reassure him, but the room around me was spinning… I felt like I was suffocating… I was so warm… I felt dizzy & faint… & I started to cry.

Peeling his fingers from around my neck, I excused myself to the bathroom, leaving my class & the dear little boy in the capable hands of the other teachers. It was then that I began sobbing, as it was obvious that something was terribly wrong with the little one growing inside of me.

My class seemed to disappear; everyone around me looked so worried… they were praying & talking, & I just wanted to stop a moment to breathe. Arrangements were made for me to meet my husband at our clinic, a 20 minute drive away. I sat in the warm car of my co-worker as she drove me to the doctor’s office… it was a trip that seemed to last forever & a brief moment all at the same time. Yet, I don’t think 20 years would have been enough time to prepare my heart for all that was to come.

The kind nurse ushered us into an empty room. The doctor entered shortly after... her smile gone, her voice gentle, & her eyes filled with tears. And we were faced with the probability that this pregnancy, was one of the dreaded 30%.

There was blood-work to be drawn & then we headed over to the near-by hospital for an immediate ultrasound. When we entered the seemingly cold, dark room, all that could be seen was the light of the ultrasound monitor. And all I could think of was that this wasn’t how my first ultrasound was “suppose” to be.

The ultrasound technician spread the warm jelly on my skin, & spent what seemed like an eternity looking at the screen.The room was so quiet… painfully quiet. She said she needed her supervisor to come in & confirm, but all she could say was that there was “no embryo to be found”… my womb was empty… there was no baby!

It was then, in that moment 8 years ago today, that I felt my world crashing down around me. Yes, I had only been a mommy for a month & a half, & I had only known of my little one for a little over a week… but I was a mommy!! And I had lost my baby… my child! And I would never be the same again!

to be continued… {{Praise the Lord the story doesn’t end there!!}}

This is always a bitter-sweet day for me… a day to remember the life & the death of our first child… & all the joy & the sorrow that came within a few short days of each other. Yet, I know that I am not alone… which is why I am sharing our story! Last year, I wrote about “The Pain of Miscarriage” & that continues to be one of the most popular posts read each month… for there are many, many of you out there who are experiencing a similar excruciating pain! Oh, how I wish I could hug & cry with & pray for each & every one of you!! If I can be of an encouragement to you in any way, please leave me a comment or e-mail me at ourfamilyforhisglory {@} gmail.com!

The Story of Our Miscarriage {{Part 1}}

2011-10-21T22:11:00.001-05:00

My heart pounded so loudly I thought the neighbors could hear it next door. I was embarking on an adventure that so many women had before me, yet I was scared & excited & completely overwhelmed!

I had hurried into the bathroom of our tiny one bedroom apartment… read the instructions carefully, & was waiting for the “3 minutes” they said it would take to find out if the line would turn blue… was I pregnant?? I had never been pregnant before… what did it feel like? How would I know for certain? If my calculations were correct (& they were), then my period was late, and it was now or never.

The “3 minutes” were up.

I turned to look at the stick.

There was no blue line. I wasn’t pregnant! My heart sank a bit, as I so desired to be pregnant… to feel a baby growing in my womb, to love & care for a precious one of my very own!

A week passed. I was feeling “different” than usual… a little nauseous here & there, so very tired & weary, & emotions that were incredibly up & down. I wondered “What was wrong with me?” And I couldn’t wait another day. I picked up another pregnancy test (this time a double pack) & headed to our tiny apartment.

I waited those 3 long minutes… dreaming, hoping, praying… I turned to look- still no blue line! I was devastated, as my dear friend had just let me know she was pregnant, & I thought how fun it would have been to have mommy bellies at the same time!

Another week slowly passed. I had spent all day- every day teaching precious preschoolers, & yet, in my heart, I longed for one of my own! I still felt yucky & emotional each day, & thought maybe I just hadn’t been following the test instructions correctly. And, somehow I felt like God was telling me everything would be OK, for I was pregnant… so, that night I tried again.

Once again, there was no blue line. How could that be??? I left it on the counter, as I discouragingly told my husband AGAIN that I guess I was not pregnant after all.

An hour later I went into the bathroom, picked up the test to throw it away & noticed the slightest, faintest blue line… could it be?? Was I pregnant??

I painstakingly waited some more… completely confused about whether I was or was not pregnant. I SO desired to do everything correctly so that I would have a happy, healthy baby, but I couldn’t even figure out if I was or was not pregnant!

A few nights later I could barely sleep, as I had planned to take another test bright & early the next morning. Morning came, & I tried to busy myself as I waited for those long 3 minutes. I prayed & waited… my body was shaking as I turned & found the positive blue line… this time bright & clear! I WAS PREGNANT! Praise the Lord!!

I jumped into bed with my still sleeping husband, & shared the joyous news. We were so excited! So full of joy! Surely God had blessed us with a precious gift… a child of our own!

A few days later my doctor confirmed that I was in deed expecting a precious one, due to arrive on June 4th of the following year. And we excitedly shared our happy news with family & friends. Our hearts were so full of joy!

Yet, I couldn’t seem to forget one scary truth that my kind doctor had shared with me on that first prenatal visit… the fact that about 30% of pregnancies end in miscarriage within the first 12 weeks.

That fact alone seemed to wrap a blanket of fear around my joy-filled heart, & when I woke up that cold October morning 8 years ago, I knew something was very wrong!

{{to be continued…}}

A Grace-Filled Mommy

2011-10-20T20:49:00.001-05:00

Have you ever received a priceless gift? A gift of love that you did not in any way deserve? An act of kindness that was completely unmerited by you?

Maybe it was the time your sweet little one drew an “I love you” picture right after you had been yelling at her… Maybe it was the time your little honey brought you a box of Kleenex as you were throwing yourself a pity-party… Maybe it was when your husband took you out for dinner despite your anything but submissive attitude… Maybe it was the time your children surrounded you with hugs & prayers when you sought their forgiveness… Maybe it was when a friend wrote a letter of encouragement when she saw you struggling… Maybe it was the time you groggily walked over to pick up your baby who was “suppose” to be sleeping for another 2 hours, & were greeted with the most precious smile.

That is GRACE!!!

And grace is what God so lovingly lavishes on us every single day! It is God’s grace in us, that allows us to shower grace on others!

I was reminded of this last week by a dear woman of God! She sent me one of the most encouraging letters I have ever received! Why? Because she poured out God’s grace through her words, kindly pointing me to the throne of grace!

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

She helped me to see grace in a whole new light. For, she shared a question that she asked herself… one that I have asked myself… & now one that I hope you will ask yourself…

“How often do I extend mercy, but not grace??”

I too, like this dear woman, can usually forgive & forget. I can even be kind & compassionate. BUT- Do I go out of my way- do I go above & beyond- to reach out & love… giving of myself, my time, my energy, my life to those that do not deserve it? Am I willing to take on the investment of pouring grace on my children, my husband, & others around me, with words & deeds that are completely unmerited by them?

Oh, how I long to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18)! For when I look at our Savior & all He has done for me… ALL THROUGH HIS GRACE, I can’t help but want to pour out that grace on others.

HOW can we pour out GRACE on undeserving souls (especially the ones that surround us every day)?? Well, I am still a work in progress, but here are a few ways I have found to help flood the hearts of those around me with grace…

*SMILE!

*Give a hug!

*A wink of the eye, a thumbs-up sign, a gentle touch!

*Speak with grace-filled words! {{Sometimes whispering helps!}}

*Take TIME to play a game, read a story, share a snuggle!

*Take a moment to breathe!

*Recognize that we all make mistakes… & we all fail! This does not mean that they get away with their sin, it means we take the time to point them to Christ in the midst of their sin!

*Bend down & actually LISTEN to what they are saying!

*Leave an encouraging note on their pillow!

*Say “Yes!” more often than “No!”

*Serve them! Pick up those dirty socks that were thrown next to the laundry basket & the shoes left in the middle of the stairs; help rake the leaves, or take out the garbage!

*Show mercy & forgiveness over & over & over again! Even when it hurts! Even when it’s painful!

*Pray! Pray! Pray! Pray with them! Pray for them! Pray for more grace!

*Talk about God’s grace! All – The – Time!

No, the little one that has been screaming for 40 minutes straight, or the big one who has been grumpy ALL DAY LONG, probably does not deserve ANY of these things… but, that’s the point… that is GRACE… giving of ourselves, our time, our energy, our kindness, our love, our ALL to those who do not deserve it, all because of the ONE who gave of Himself, His time, His energy, His kindness, His love, His ALL when we do not deserve it!

What To Do With My 4 Month Old

2011-10-18T16:06:00.001-05:00

On Sunday, our littlest sweetheart, Ariya, turned 4 months old! :) I just LOVE this age! She is past the crying, sleepless, uncertain (although tiny, precious & adorable) stage of being a newborn, & she has yet to reach the mobile, into everything (although exciting & amazing) stage… {{although she has started rolling over (more than a month earlier than the rest of her siblings… you should see her “proud smile”) & has been found scooting herself forward (completely opposite of her big sister, Annabella, who was very content just to be still & watch everything going on- Ariya seems to be more of an “I want to be part of the action” kind of girl)- so fun, although much of me wants her to “slow down”!}}!

So, what do we do with this adorable 4 month-old??? Well, here are what I think are “My 4-Month Old’s Top 10 Favorite Things to do each day”…

1- Eat… Yes, yes! She’s still a baby, & loves that snuggle time with Mommy as she’s nursing each day (& I love it too)! She nurses 5-6 times a day… her first feeding is usually around 7 each morning, & the last feeding is around 10 at night (although she basically sleeps through that feeding)!

2- Sleep… She has always slept well, but Sweet Ariya is now a thumb sucker (which I LOVE!!!), & that helps her sleep even better. She sleeps about 9 hours each night (11 if you count the “feeding she sleeps through”) & takes 3-4 naps each day, which last 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Don’t worry, I just put the baby-doll in for her 4-month picture & then I took it right out :)… I love to see how big she is getting in comparison to her baby-doll!

3- Sing Songs… any song will do, but “Bible verse” songs are my favorite… I love to make up my own to sing to her! While listening to music in the car- Ariya can be heard “singing along”! Oh, and “dancing” too! :)

4- Play peek-a-boo… She loves when I put a light blanket on her head & take it off saying, “Peek-a-boo!”

5- Click your tongue… I don’t know what it is with the sound of a clicking tongue, but all of our babies thought this was the greatest! And it’s so cute to watch her attempts at clicking her tongue!

6- Play with rattles… these still get dropped pretty easily & drooled on more than anything, but she really enjoys when she hears the rattle sound!

7- Play with a mobile toy… she loves to kick her legs & wave her arms (even the big kids crawl under there & think it is the greatest)! Even just playing on a blanket on the floor is so much fun for her… especially if she gets those most exciting toes!

8- Look in a mirror… oh, how she likes to smile & giggle at the baby in the mirror! :)

9- Get tickled… she is one ticklish girl, so we all love hearing her belly-laugh when she is tickled! And she doesn’t even seem to mind when every-single-person in our family needs to take their turn at tickling her!

10- Smile & “talk” with everyone… she loves any time she can get love & attention, & we love showering it on her! She brightens our days!!!

{{She also LOVES to practice standing, so I know she’s going to have so much fun with the “Exer-Saucer” when we get it set up!}}

How about you?? Do you have a little one at home?? or Can you remember when yours was this little?? What were his/her favorite things to do??

Do Your Kids Study the Bible?

2011-10-15T15:35:00.001-05:00

Our girls LOVE reading their Bibles, & I am so thankful! {{That is one of my very favorite things to see… kids reading their Bibles… whether it be through the pictures in a Storytime Bible, or through verses & stories from their “real” Bibles when they are able to read!}} Yet, I was realizing that they do not know how to dig deeper into the Word of God! As I was reminded of a Bible Study method I learned back in college, I thought it would be a fun way to help teach my kids to study their Bibles! So far, I’ve just tried it with the oldest 2 that are reading & writing well, but I think Kayla (who is 5) & Isaiah (who is 3) are just about ready for it as well… especially if I help a little! :)

It’s called S.O.A.P.! I use it in my own Bible Study, & now I’m excited that my kids are able to join me… & they LOVE it!!! :) Here’s how it works…

S- Scripture
Write Scripture that you read! You could write out the whole passage, write just the reference, or choose & write out a “favorite” verse from what you read!
{{For little ones… they could draw a picture of the story!!}}

O- Observation
Write out what you observed, noticed, or saw in the verse… something that stands out! This could be anything… who it’s written to, who it’s talking about, what it says, a summary, etc.
{{For little ones… help them write one word to describe what they read!}}

A- Application
Write out how this applies to your life! Maybe your observation was that God wants you to be kind, so your application could be how you are going to work at being kind to others that day… through sharing, talking in a gentle voice, etc.
{{For little ones… draw a picture of how you can apply the lesson of the story/verse to their life!!}}

P- Prayer
Write out a prayer! This can be ANY prayer, but it is nice to tie it into what you just read!
{{For little ones… again, they could draw a “picture of their prayer”, or they can dictate a prayer & you write it for them!!}

We used this method to make our own “S.O.A.P. books” & the girls have been quite busy using them!

I typed out what to do on a word document… printed them out on cardstock paper… made a cover (we just fancied up a shoe-box lid)… hole punched it… & made it into a book with binder rings (& a ribbon)! :)

Here is what a blank “page” looks like {{feel free to click on it, to download & print your own!}}…

And this is what we put on the cover {{again,click on the picture to download & print your own!}}…

Who knew how fun it would be to study your Bible with S.O.A.P.! :)

How do you teach your kids to study their Bibles?s

What To Do With a Dirty Heart

2011-10-12T05:00:00.001-05:00

“Mommy, my heart feels dirty!” said my little guy the other day.

Oh, little boy, I can relate… as much as I long to be the mom, wife & woman God desires for me, I fail a lot! I fail every – single – day! I see the same thing in the lives of each of my sweet children. As much as they want to do the right thing… to honor their mommy & daddy, & to please God in all that they do, they fail a lot! They fail every – single – day!

Even just one unkind word, one stealing of a toy, or one grumbling attitude stains our hearts… big or little! Put those all together & add in jealousy, quarreling, selfishness, deceitfulness, anger, slander, disobedience, etc. & you have one very dirty heart!

What can we do with the “dirtiness” in our lives!?

I LOVE how it is explained in the New Living Translation in Romans 13:12…

“…So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes,
and put on the shining armor of right living.” NLT
Romans 13:12

Did you catch that… “Remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes!!!” Dirty clothes- we know all about dirty clothes at our house, as we do at least 10 loads of laundry each week! So, during our Family Time, we decided to demonstrate even more of what Paul is talking about in this verse!

**Each child chose a stuffed toy/baby doll & put a “clean” white onesie on it.

**We then talked about the “dark deeds” that we often do… not sharing, disobeying, pushing, taking someone else’s toy, lying, talking unkindly, etc.

**For each “dark deed” we dirtied up the onesies… a smudge of ketchup here, rubbing in dirt there, a splash of barbeque sauce here, & a smear of mustard there.

**We talked about how it can be FUN to do these dark deeds, BUT in the end it looks & feels awful!

**We read Romans 13:12 “…So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes…”

**And we each took turns removing the dirty garments!

**But, we didn’t stop there… we read the rest of Romans 13:12 “… and put on the shining armor of right living.” and we talked of how we need to clothe ourselves with Christ and living that honors HIM! {{Check out Romans 13:14 & Colossians 3:12-15!}}

**We then got out the tinfoil & re-garmented our animals/dolls… this time with “the SHINING ARMOR of right living”!

Just a “little faith lesson” to remind us all of what God desires of us!! Oh, how thankful I am that God is working in each of us… giving us the forgiveness, the strength & the grace we need to continually get back up & try again… to remove our dirty deeds like dirty clothes, & to put on the shining armor of right living! For we can’t do it without HIM!

Head to Internet Cafe Devotions for more Word-Filled Wednesdays and/or visit Katie Lloyd Photography for Scripture & a Snapshot!

The Perfect Wife… Where Are You?

2011-10-10T20:23:00.001-05:00

I wish I was the perfect wife… always handling things with love & grace… going out of my way to shower honor & respect & encouragement on my husband… never criticizing or nagging or complaining… nor doing the “less obvious” eye-rolls & exaggerated sighing… all while making certain to peacefully & joyfully take care of the house & the children! ;0 {{Which, by the way, my husband gets the “Best Dad & Husband award for lovingly taking care of our family… and working too… while I recovered from surgery & while I was gone for a few days to be with my brother & sister-in-law last week!!}}

Some of you may think that I am the perfect wife {& mom}… even those of you who know me in real life have falsely accused me of “having it all together”! But, if you could see all that goes on in our home… you would quickly rip the “Super-Wife Award” out of my hands, giving it to someone much more worthy!

Yet, somehow I can still get myself in a rut of thinking I actually do deserve that “Super-Wife Award”! For, you will not find me cheating on my husband, nor gossiping about him. Instead, you’d find me doing my best to help him (you know- picking up his dirty socks, making him meals & washing his clothes), & praying for him, & encouraging him in any way possible!!!

Or would you!?

*Besides for my God, is my husband next in line for my time & attention… or do the kids & the housework win out, leaving a minimal amount of time when I am not collapsed on the couch??

*I may not get up in front of church & proclaim my husband’s faults… but do I make them known to my kids??

*I’m good at picking up after my husband… but, do I do it with a grumbling (anything but cheerful) heart?? I help him… but, do I help him in ways that he really needs??

*And I pray for him… which is good… BUT… do I pray solely with selfish motives {{Dear God, please help him to spend more time with ME, & please help him do what I want him to do, & please make him do this or this or this, so that MY life will be easier!}}??

*I speak words of encouragement to him… but do I make sure that I do not let ANY unwholesome talk come out of my mouth, but ONLY what is helpful for building him up & benefitting all who listen??

Just the other day, while talking with my dear husband, he told me that I am the most stressful thing in his life right now! Really??? I mean, I can think of at least 42 other things that should be at the top of his “most stressful list” right now- yet, I was at the top!!! Gulp… Talk about ripping my “Super-Wife Award” out of my hands & throwing it out the window!! I was trying to be “helpful” & “encourage” him along in my point of view. But, I spoke without thinking, & placed a much heavier burden on his shoulders! And I am sorry!

If you’re like me, you really do want to be “Super-Wife”! You probably don’t always know the best way to help, or when the best encouragement is to just be quiet, or how to balance everything so your husband is a priority, or how to remove yourself completely from his “most stressful list”! But, God knows!!! And God has created us beautifully to be helpmeets to our husbands…

“Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” –Genesis 2:18

I’d LOVE to hear of how YOU are being a helpmeet to your husband!! Putting “the perfect wife” aside… what are tangible ways that you honor & bless your husband, so that we not-so-super-wives can follow in your footsteps & do the same??

Linked with Marriage Mondays @ Come Have a Peace &

Brokenhearted

2011-10-07T16:08:00.001-05:00

Tears flow…
It’s hard to breathe…
The weight is too heavy…
It’s as though you’ve been run over…
Brokenhearted…
Why? Why? Why?
There are no answers!
But,

2 days ago, I drove to be with my brother & his precious wife (whom I absolutely adore!!!), as her brother had been tragically killed last Friday in an automobile accident. There were many, many tears… hurt, confusion, sadness. It was one of those times when God really does not make sense! The questions without answers are many!

Many of you have been there…
Many of you are there…
The weight of the world is on your shoulders…
you are CRUSHED!

You’ve lost a brother,
a child,
a father,
a friend.
There are no words…
But,

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Psalm 34:18

Are You Struggling to Read Through the Bible!?

2011-10-04T21:15:00.001-05:00

Back in July, when I took on the challenge of reading my Bible in 90 days, I was a bit anxious & uncertain of how everything would go… Would I get through a week & then be done? Would I have & take the time every day for 90 days to read from the Bible (for about 45 minutes every day)? Would I be able to even get through ONE day of reading? Would it be worth it? I knew the answers to those questions… I knew that if this was something I really wanted to do- I would MAKE the time, & although it would be hard- I could do it!! But, I never realized how very, very hard it was going to be… excruciatingly hard! Yet, I only have about 4 days left, & I am on track to finish with the other “Bible in 90 Days” participants- HURRAY!! It has not been easy, & I have gotten behind a number of times, & have wanted to quit MANY times, but in these past 86 days, I have learned A LOT… and it has been good- so, so GOOD!! And, so, that I will be accountable to all of you to finish in the next 4 days, I wanted to share 10 things I have learned about reading the Bible from cover to cover! You can do it too… in 90 days, a year, or in 3 years!!!

1- The enemy does NOT want you reading God’s Word & he will do whatever he can to try to stop you!! {{My biggest challenge has been MY MIND!!}}

2- Letting little ones read the Bible along side of you is the sweetest!!

3- Get ready for a deep hunger to really dive in & study what you’re reading!! {{I constantly wanted to STOP! & find out more… sometimes I was able to, but often I only had so much time, so I just kept reading!}}

4- When you’ve fallen asleep 5 times in a row while trying to read the same verse- it’s time to turn out the light & read more in the morning!! :) And it’s a wonderful way to fall asleep… with God’s Word in your thoughts!

5- God uses wherever you are reading in His Word- to bring truth that penetrates your heart & soul, & that changes your life- amazingly orchestrating the reading of particular verses at just the right moment!!

6- You really can take your Bible anywhere… the laundry room, bathroom, outside, waiting room, etc. (Although it’s probably better just to THINK about what you are reading while shopping or driving- hehe!)!!

7- Keep a pen and/or highlighter handy, so you can mark up the verses that seem to be written just for you (then, if you’re trying to find it, at say 2am, you’ll at least know that it was colored “orange”)!!

8- By reading the Bible cover-to-cover, you see the “whole picture”, the context of favorite verses, & an incredible view of who God is! {{If I only read the Old Testament, I can get hung up on God’s wrath & judgment… if I only read the New Testament, I see Christ’s amazing sacrifice & grace, but may forget about the importance to obey!}}

9- The translation matters! For me, I LOVE reading through the Bible with the “New Living Translation”… so easy to read & understand- the words flow so well! {{Yet, when getting down & really studying the Bible… word-for-word, or passage-by-passage… I appreciate other translations more- NIV, ESV & NASB are my favorites!}}

10- Being accountable to others can make a huge difference! When it got difficult & when I got behind, I would have given up had I not felt the “good-type-of-pressure” that came through knowing that I was accountable to the other 90-day participants, & to YOU! So, thank-you for your encouragement & accountability along the way!

Would I do it again??? Maybe not the 90-Day Challenge… as I just didn’t feel I could really take the time to really study what I was reading, & since I felt “pressured” to get through, I didn’t stop to really understand what I was reading. But, reading the Bible cover-to-cover??? YES, YES, YES!!! I love that Book, I love reading the WHOLE story, & I love learning more & more about my favorite Book’s Author!!!

Have you read your Bible cover-to-cover? What Bible-study methods work well for you?

Linked to…

Healing to My Heart

2011-10-03T07:14:00.001-05:00

She greeted me with a smile,

a hug

& a Scripture!

* * * * *

She gave of her time,

brought much encouragement

& was an example of the godly woman I long to be!

* * * * *

This past weekend, as I had to have a minor surgical procedure done…

God brought healing to my body through my doctor,

& He brought healing to my heart through my dear friend!

* * * * *

For as my husband took on the amazing task of caring for our 6 young children…

{{Even providing little Ariya with her first ever bottle… twice, & taking everyone to the store to pick up flowers, a card & 2 boxes of Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes! :) }}

My sweet friend spent much of her day with me at the hospital.

* * * * *

Her words dripped with God’s Word…

His mercies, His ways,

His will, & His peace!

* * * * *

She had no shame in sharing a prayer out loud for all to hear,

& didn’t hesitate to speak kindly of how God is working in her life,

or boldly about what she is learning through His Word!

* * * * *

It came so naturally to her,

every breath bringing God’s truth-

proclaiming HIS glory!

* * * * *

Thank-you, dear friend, for your prayers, your encouragement, & your tears,

your kind way of turning my eyes to HIM,

& for blessing my heart so very deeply!!!

* * * * *

As moms, in the trenches of raising our children, seeking to be godly wives, as well as faithful followers of Christ, we need each other- don’t we!? We need each other to take our eyes off of ourselves, to not let bitterness seep in, & to continually uplift one another in prayer! I have been blessed by my dear “real-life” friends & family as well as so many of you around the world! Let’s keep encouraging one another… let’s continue to seek God together… & let’s hold one another up when we’re about to fall!

How can I pray for you today???

My Top 10 Favorite Baby Items

2011-09-27T21:11:00.000-05:00

These past 3 months (& a few days) have gone by so quickly, & before I forget, I wanted to stop & share my top 10 favorite don’t-want-to-live-without baby items! :)

But, first, I wanted to share my little lady from her 3-month “photo shoot” ~~last~~ a week ago Friday!

* * * Look at that “twist of the tongue” happiness! :) * * *

* * * Her adorable giggle & “belly-laugh” are my favorite! * * *

* * * Holding her head up like such a “big girl”! It’s O.K. to slow down a little bit, Ariya Faith!! You are already trying so hard to “catch up” to your big sisters… enjoy being 3 months old; it only happens once! :) * * *

* * * It’s hard to believe that a few months ago, she was not much bigger than her sweet baby-doll! And in those 3 months, as she’s grown, she has continued to fill our hearts with so much joy! * * *

* * * * *

Now, on to MY TOP 10 Don’t-Want-To-Live-Without BABY ITEMS…
*The list of baby items could go on & on & on. It is amazing how many things we use for these little 10 pound (give or take a few pounds) bundles of joy… bibs, pacifiers, washcloths, burp-rags, blankets, hats, baby shampoo, baby lotion, diaper pails, clothes (there are SO many adorable baby-girl outfits) etc. etc. etc. ALL things that are used everyday at our house, but here is a glimpse of my absolute favorites! Besides for #1, none of them are necessary, but they are all extremely helpful! {kind of like my dishwasher… necessary-no, helpful-yes, yes, YES!!}

1. Swaddlers Diapers & Huggies Wipes
I know, I know- cloth diapers are much more economical & they probably work a lot better (& there are some super cute ones out there), but I just haven’t had the time to do the research & am a bit nervous at spending the money- when I’m not sure how much I would end up liking/using them… so Swaddlers it is (we do use “cheaper” versions as well, but Swaddlers are what I would choose every time if I could)- they fit well, are cute, leak less than any other diaper I’ve tried, & I love the new line that turns blue when wet (so helpful with newborns)! And Huggies wipes are super soft & are nice & thick (& smell good too)! :)

2. Bouncer
Ariya sits in her bouncer chair every single day! I’ve brought it in the bathroom while taking a shower, had it in our living room as we do school, put it in our dining room as we are eating a meal, etc. And she loves being in it! (Our other kids love to play the “special music” & “massage” features, but I like it just as much without the batteries!

(Ariya in her Bouncer earlier today!)

3. Baby Chart
Without using a way to keep track of all that my baby does in a day, I would completely forget! I have found this chart to be simple & perfect for what I need. And I love looking back on the baby charts from my other munchkins!

4. Boppy
We use our Boppy every day as well… for nursing & as a fun place for Ariya to sit & “play”!

(Not quite 2-weeks old… sitting in her Boppy.)

5. Nursing Wrap
I love this new nursing wrap that my dear friend, Edie, made for me (I have the blue flower on brown background one)!! I’m not a huge fan of nursing in public, as it seems my babies always are too interested in everything going on around them, to concentrate on eating when we are out & about, & the blanket that I’m trying to hold in my teeth & cover up with keeps falling off- he-he!… but, this nursing wrap has made things much easier for me- & it’s beautiful! Thank-you, Edie!!

6. Baby Bjorn
A dear friend gave me her Baby Bjorn when Kayla was a baby, & we’ve used it with each of our kids since! It’s so much easier to get things done while little Ariya is in the Baby Bjorn, than when I am carrying her in my arms. Plus, I love that she is so close!

7. Bassinet
Our bassinet is so special to me. The crib works great, but the bassinet is beautiful & can be moved right up close to where I am, or into the other room if I so desire. I’m sad that Ariya is getting too big & mobile for it now!

8. Car-seat cover for my car-seat that snaps into my stroller :)
We just put the car-seat cover on Ariya’s car-seat, as the weather is turning cooler around here! Her car-seat cover is so soft & warm… I don’t have to remember an extra blanket every time we go somewhere! {{Oh, and I LOVE how our car-seat snaps into the base in the car & into our stroller, & can be used for a “carrier”… I’m so thankful to not have to unbuckle & re-buckle every time we go somewhere!}}

9. Mobile Toy
For the past few weeks, our various mobile toys have kept Ariya happy & content for long lengths of time. I love how she kicks the toys to get them to “jingle” & how she “talks” to the little creatures dangling in front of her face! :)

Playing with her mobile toy… it was the middle of the day, & I still hadn’t gotten her changed out of her nightgown (another one of my favorites)! :)

10. Swaddle-Wraps & Sleep-Sacks
I’ve talked before of how much I LOVE swaddle-wraps!! I think they are one of the greatest baby-inventions ever (although I know some people whose babies have not liked them at all)! And now that Ariya is getting too big for them, she gets to go in her sleep-sack (another favorite “invention”) which is like a blanket that zips on her… it can’t fall off & she’s so much safer (& warmer)!

There you have my TOP-10-Don’t-Want-To-Live-Without Baby Items!! :)

Oh, And 1 More Extra Special CAN’T-LIVE-WITHOUT Baby Item…

Big Sisters & Brother :) :)
They are my “extra arms”… holding, snuggling, & playing with their baby sister… or running to throw one of those Swaddler Diapers into the trash!
Love them so much… so much!

How about you, what are some of your favorites!?

Linked to…

Praying for My Boy’s Daddy

2011-09-26T21:33:00.001-05:00

“We’re the boys, Mom! The football players! We tackle & run & run & hit the ground & jump up & catch the ball & get a TOUCHDOWN!!” says my ~~sweet little~~ “tough guy” Isaiah. And after hanging out with his Daddy for the past 3 plus years, he seems to know all about being one of “the boys”!

Tackle & football & strength & courage & extreme fun…

I am so very thankful to be married to a man who is everything I hope our little boy will be some day…

Someone who is not afraid to take the time to be with his little boy & to be tackled…

to show strength…

to show honor & to sometimes let the “little guys” win…

to have fun… so much fun…

to bring laughter & smiles & joy…

to be boys…

My husband has such an amazing way of connecting with our little boy, that I cannot even comprehend! I could just stand & watch those two together all – day – long. Seeing their amazing connection reminds me of what an incredibly impactful role our husbands play in the lives of our children! Oh, that we would use our words wisely & PRAY for our husbands (instead of being annoying “dripping faucets”… or complaining, nagging wives)!!

Pray that he would grow more & more in the knowledge of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.

Pray that he would have & take time to be with his children.

Pray that he would use that time to impart God’s truth into their hearts.

Pray that he would be wise & strong, yet show the fear of the Lord.

Pray that he would lead our family… through discipline & through grace.

Pray that he would be a good godly example to the little ones watching his every action.

How are you praying for your husband???

Linked with Marriage Mondays @ Come Have a Peace!

Our Homeschool Days

2011-09-24T20:59:00.001-05:00

We are over a month into our homeschooling journey for the year, & I can’t even begin to explain what a blessing it has been for us! Yes, we have had our moments of struggles & sour attitudes {{Mommy included- embarrassed sigh!}}, but our “school time” has truly been one of the most enjoyable times of the day for us!

Many of you have told me how you wish you could be a “fly on the wall” in our home, so you could see how everything goes. Well, our days are never perfect, but it has been wonderful to find a {flexible} routine that is working for our family, for this Mommy thrives on structure & routine (& evidently, so do my children)! So, now that we’ve gotten into it- let me share about a “typical” day… (Although I must admit that as I try to get school done in a timely-fashion, it has been difficult for me to get good pictures of all the fun learning we are having!)

I’ve realized that the sooner I get up & moving in the morning- the smoother things go, for I don’t feel as pressured for time! Therefore, I try hard to be up, showered, dressed, nursed Ariya, & spent some time with God, before I get everyone else up around 7:30. At that point usually all the kids have been up reading and/or talking quietly in their rooms (or singing & jumping in their crib- hehe!).They get dressed & do their “sunshine chores” & then head to the table for breakfast (which is always something simple… like cereal, bananas & a granola bar). During breakfast, we take a look at our calendar & read a short devotional or Bible story. After breakfast, we finish our chores & are ready to start school a little before 9am.

This is a perfect time to begin our school day, as little Ariya is laying down for a nap, & the other little ones are enjoying “Alone Time” in their rooms (& Kayla, our Kindergartener, is s.l.o.w.l.y. finishing her chores). The oldest 2, who are in first grade this year & happily using Heart of Dakota’s “Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory”, get to go first. We start off dancing to our Bible verse music, & then have a quick Bible Study on the verse for that week. They also get to practice lots of fun gross-motor-skills… like jumping jacks, sit-ups & hopping on one foot… as they practice memorizing the verse (with fun hand motions they make up the first day of the week)! Then, we snuggle on the couch to share our poem for the week & to read from our history books. I just love the books we have been reading as we learn about the pilgrims (& others) when they first made their way to America. Our girls seem to feel as if they are on the journey right along with the characters, & they are learning so much! {So am I!} I then get them going on the “project” for the day… sometimes it’s a game they play, sometimes (twice a week) it relates to Science, sometimes it’s an art project, other times it is a timeline entry or a geography lesson. This gives our learning some “life”, & the lessons learned are not easily forgotten! ;)

As the older girls finish working on their “project”, my Kindergartener takes a turn with Mommy. For sweet Kayla (who is enjoying “Little Hearts for His Glory” this year), we start with Math. She does great with the fun hands-on activities we do each day.

Then we head over to the couch for my favorite snuggle time. Her history has come right from the Bible… as she is getting her chance to learn all about HIStory from Creation through the present day this year. I love this, as I never feel you can learn enough Bible. {{I think others are quick to rush-through or skip this part, as they feel their children have had enough Bible at Church, AWANA, a previous homeschool year, etc… but, honestly, if I’m afraid that my child has already had too much Bible now, at age 5… where’s the hope for the future, when they are 25 or 65??? Are we not ALWAYS suppose to be learning & growing from His Word!?… OK, I’ll jump off my soapbox now! :)}} We have fun doing our “Rhyme in Motion” & dancing to our Bible verse music, & doing the fun, yet simple, Science experiments, art projects, dramatic play, & History activities that rotate throughout the week! Yesterday, she had so much fun making edible dough to remind her of the Bible story we read! :) I was wondering how Kayla would do this year, since she is a bit younger than the other girls were when they went through “Little Hearts”, but her days are so rich & she is doing wonderfully!

As she is finishing up any projects, the “little ones” come to the table for “Table Time”, & I work with the older girls one more time. This is our time for Spelling/Language Arts & Math! They are doing great with spelling (this past week they focused on words with “or” in them), & Math is always a favorite!! I especially appreciate how they are learning the thought process behind math- instead of simply memorizing math facts! When I was little I was great at doing math facts, but give me a story problem, & I had no idea what I was doing- but they seem to actually be “getting it” as they have worked on addition & are now starting to work on subtraction! :)

Our morning school time ends with everyone enjoying a snack together while we read our storytime book. Last week we finished reading our biography selection- Helen Keller, & we all enjoyed it SO very much! {{Alyssa & Elliana have already snagged it to read on their own. And, it was also fun that Annabella got “Signing Time” DVD’s for her birthday, so everyone has been practicing & practicing their signing!! :) }} And, this week we started off the week with a “treasure hunt” to find a snack & our new adventure book… A Lion To Guard Us. What fun!

After school, the “older ones” are ready to play & the “little ones” are ready for some time with Mommy, as well as some love from their big sisters! :) The weather has been nice around here, so we are often able to spend the hour before lunch outside. Then we all eat lunch, play a bit more, & before we know it, it is time for the little ones to take a nap, & the older ones to work on reading & writing!

As a transition from playing time to naps & reading/writing time… we watch a KinderBach video. This is the only thing we add to “Heart of Dakota”. These are short little videos that last about 5 minutes & are introductory piano/music lessons for our children. We watch these videos online, as we were able to get a membership for our family for a year at a really good price… there was a 50% off discount, as well as another special promotion… which ended up being quite inexpensive! :) ALL of our kids really enjoy these, & they really are learning, but if we didn’t get such a good discount- I would not have spent the money!

Once the little ones are tucked into bed, I rotate through reading with the 3 girls. Alyssa & Elliana are still making their way through the “Emerging Reader” books, & are really enjoying the Christian Liberty Nature Reader they are reading now! Kayla is doing great using “The Reading Lesson”… she is really starting to take off with her reading- which is one of my very favorite things to see! While I am working one-on-one with each girl, the others are practicing what they learned on the KinderBach video, and doing their handwriting. My first graders LOVE copying the poem each week & are so proud to put it in their special binder at the end of each week! And our kindergartener is doing great using “A Reason for Handwriting K” and some “Rod & Staff” Fine Motor Skills books!

And that is our “school day”! {{The rest of the day is filled with “Quiet Time”, playing, snack, more playing, supper, more playing, “Family Time”, clean-up, & bed time!}} It is so fun to have the opportunity to watch each one of our children learn & grow… in knowledge, in learning, & in life- one reason I LOVE homeschooling! Another reason being that there is no dress code! :) :)

How about in your family?? What does “school” look like at your house?? How has the past month (or less or more) of school gone for you??

Linking up with…
Weekly Wrap-Up (read about others’ homeschooling weeks!)
Preschool Corner (read what other preschoolers & Kindergarteners are up to!)
Heart of Dakota’s Week-In-Review

The Greatest Accomplishment

2011-09-21T22:15:00.000-05:00

A football player, a doctor, a construction worker, a knight, a firefighter, a guitar player, a police officer, a pastor like his Daddy… all things our 3-year old boy would love to be when he grows up! And all things I would be proud to have our little boy become.

Even though he is only 3, we are working hard to train his heart & to teach him in so many different ways. Everything he does can & will be used to shape this little boy into a man. We let him build & play with blocks, because maybe he will be an architect someday… we let him play his guitar (which unfortunately broke in half yesterday… don’t ask!) & sing at the top of his lungs, for maybe he will be a song writer one day… we have fun watching him play tackle & catch & rescue hero, because maybe someday he will be a real-life hero… we will teach him to read & write, for you cannot get far in this world without those skills each day… we even get to see him learn from his sisters how to take care of babies, & WOW! he will be a good Daddy someday… :)

We could help train & teach him to be the biggest & brightest star in the world. He could rescue people from fires, come up with the greatest new invention, & build orphanages for lost children… all things which are wonderful, all things which would be used mightily by God for His glory… BUT, if he does not know about Christ, & he works for himself rather than working heartily for the LORD alone, in the end, all these accomplishments will mean NOTHING for this little boy!

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,
as working for the Lord, not for men.”
Colossians 3:23

So, as we help mold this little boy into a man, I set the flashcards & the worksheets back on the shelf… for the ABC’s & the 123’s can wait… {{Yes, they ARE important, as I want him to be able to read the Word of God, & I want him to be able to communicate clearly and accurately with others, & I want him to do great things with all he learns from his education}} it will all come- eventually! And instead, I pull out my Bible, & I get on the floor. And I use these moments of building towers (& having a sister knock them down) & wrestling matches (& learning how to have strength & gentleness at the same time), to teach about God, His Word, & His ways!

And I am reminded that today I, too, need to work with ALL MY HEART, as working for THE LORD, not for men. Oh, how I am too often drowning in laundry piles, sinful hearts, & selfishness, & I can hardly count the amount of times I want to give up in a day. I don’t always want to have the patience to train my children, or the grace to lead them in the way they should go, but I can’t give up now!! Their hearts & lives are at stake, & so are mine. So I will work heartily for the Lord, for it is Christ I am serving!

Isaiah, You are such an amazing little boy! Full of energy, excitement, strength, & fun! Your whole life is before you. And as you play, and as you grow, and as you learn, and as you work… know that your Daddy & I are here cheering you on! Yet, no matter what you choose to be when you grow up, I pray that you will work at it with all your heart, as you work for the LORD, not for men! Do it all for HIS glory, dear son! Serve Christ… for what is done for HIM will be your greatest accomplishment!

Head to Internet Cafe Devotions for more Word-Filled Wednesdays and/or visit Katie Lloyd Photography for Scripture & a Snapshot!

Marriage Moments… Stopping My “Pity Party”

2011-09-19T21:31:00.001-05:00

This little girl loves someone…

{{Ariya in her “I love my daddy” apparel… showing off her cute smile! :)}}

We ALL do!
A really, really lot!!!
And when he is gone- we MISS HIM A LOT!
A really, really lot!!!

You might remember one of the last times he was gone…
It was not a very good day!
And I needed to ask my kids for forgiveness!
Not easy!
But necessary!

So, this morning, when he left at 4am for a much needed retreat with him & God alone-
I began imagining what the first moments of the day would be like…
How the first sound I would hear coming from our girls’ room would be bickering…
And my 3-month old would have an “explosive” poop everywhere within a 5 foot radius {{How do they do that?? At least she still has her adorable smile!}}…
And my little boy’s bed sheets would need to be changed AGAIN {{There has got to be a pull-up that doesn’t leak at night-time… any suggestions??}}…
And the cereal would be spilled over my newly swept floor…
And someone would be screaming about something…
And that everyone would be crying for their Daddy…
And that none of the items on my “to-do” list would get done…
And we wouldn’t get started with homeschooling “on time”…

I thought long & hard about throwing myself a pity party…
before the day even began!
(Which, by the way, whenever I go a few days without my amazing husband… I grow even more in appreciation for you single moms & military wives!!!)

But, then, I remembered my husband,
And how thankful I am for him!!
And how I gave him my complete blessing to go!
To go to a place that is very special to us…
the place we got engaged (more than 10 years ago)!
For the reason that he ventured north, is a reason that he reminded me of in a sweet e-mail last week when he was thinking of me! That our rest, our hope, our everything is found in GOD ALONE!!

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock & my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation & my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.”
Psalm 62:5-8

He needs time to be with God… to pour his heart out to Him… to hear that soft whisper of His voice, or His voice in the storm- if that is what God chooses! And I am so thankful for a husband that will listen to that voice, & follow passionately after Him!

So, I will STOP my pity party, for God is my rest, my hope, my fortress, my refuge as well! {{And, by the way, only HALF of the things on my “feeling sorry for myself” list actually happened this morning!}} And I will put aside my “honey-do list”. And I will pour out grace on my children as I play tackle & wrestle & manage bed-time on my own (all things our children love to do with their Daddy)!

I love you, Gabe! And I pray that you will find peace, joy, wisdom & guidance as you rest in God alone! We miss you, but are so thankful for your heart that seeks after God and trusts Him!
P.S. I’m also praying that the van will not break down again. For I can imagine it’s a bit more difficult to find rest while waiting for a tow truck. I also don’t want you to get stranded up there in Duluth… although, then maybe, we’d just have to come join you! :) Love you!

How about you?? How can you encourage your husband to find rest in God?? And/or support him while he is away?? Can you take-on a few bed-time routines by yourself?? Or maybe simply stop throwing yourself a pity-party?? Our husbands need to know that everything will not fall apart the moment they walk out the door.

Head to Marriage Mondays @ Come Have a Peace, Internet Cafe Devotions for more Word-Filled Wednesdays and/or visit Katie Lloyd Photography for Scripture & a Snapshot!

Do You Sponsor a Child Through Compassion International?

2011-09-17T21:06:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we wrote some very fun letters to some very special children around the world! These precious children are the kids we sponsor through Compassion International. Although we may never meet them in “real” life, they are truly like family to us. And, the thought of bringing smiles to their faces & love to their hearts is well worth the few minutes it took us to write letters!

Yet, we have not always done the best at sending letters to our Sponsor Kids. We get busy with kids & school & family & life, or the letters get written & then sit waiting by the door for the day when they will finally be taken to the post office. But, more & more lately I’ve been able to read of others who have had the opportunity to visit these precious children (or children just like them), & my heart breaks at the thought of little hearts being crushed when day-after-day-after-day there is no loving letter for them. And so we try our best to show them that we really do love them deeply!

That is why I was SO excited to find out that Compassion International has just launched a new on-line letter writing program!! :) :) Yes, you could send letters on-line to your sponsor kids before, but now they have made it so much more fun- with a variety of colorful templates to choose from, & you can add your own pictures! {{They will translate the letters & print them off & send them around the world.}}

So, yesterday, I sat down with Kayla & I typed as she told me what she wanted to write to these precious kids around the world… & then I let her choose the pictures to add… a picture from her birthday, a picture of her with Ariya (as she was 3-months old yesterday :), & a picture of our family! She LOVED it, & the other kids are already asking when it will be their turn! :)

If you want to try the new “Letter Writing Program” all you have to do is go to Compassion International & log in to your account & click on “Write My Child”!!

It’s AWANA Time Again

2011-09-15T15:00:00.001-05:00

Last night our kids registered for AWANA once again this year, & they are SO excited to start! AWANA has been a wonderful tool to help our kids hide God’s Word in their hearts! And the kids look forward to it each week!

Alyssa & Elliana are in their second year of Sparks… & are already planning out how many verses they will have memorized the first week! Last year, they went through their handbook & an extra-credit book twice, & the leaders still had to come up with extra verses for them to memorize. And honestly, besides listening to their verses once a week… they did ALL the memorizing on their own {{Being able to read was VERY helpful for them, & me!!}}.

Kayla will be in her first year of Sparks & is excited to be “with the big girls.” Her sisters are all about helping her memorize as many verses as she can as well! :)

But, it’s even more exciting for Isaiah, for after staying home with Mommy for the past few years, he is more than ready for Cubbies!! Next Wednesday we will see if they are ready for him! ;0

{{He’s been SO excited, that he’s been wearing his sister’s Cubbies vest until he gets one of his own!!}}

I am always amazed at how quickly our little ones are able to memorize Scripture!! Isaiah already has one of his verses for next week memorized, along with his Cubbies motto. All I did was say the verse a few times, & he has it down! It definitely helps to have big sisters that seem to remember all of the verses from the last few years! I, on the other hand, often need a little “cheat sheet”! I like to have all the Cubbies verses on one page for easy reference. I make 2 copies… one to use as a “bookmark” in their Handbook, & one to hang on the wall in our dining room where we often practice our verses! When he has a verse memorized, he will get to put a sticker next to it! :)

(Click on the images above to download and/or print your own copy of the Cubbies Jumper Handbook verses!)

If you are like me, you may be wondering how you can fit AWANA into your already busy days!! Last year I wrote a post on how to “Survive AWANA” & this shows a lot of how we make things work at our house… it also gives some fun ideas for memorizing Bible verses with little ones! The “tricks” work for big ones too! ;)

Do your kids go to AWANA??
What tricks do you have to “survive AWANA”??

Bickering Drowns Out the Giggles

2011-09-14T15:52:00.001-05:00

I stepped outside to get a little fresh air
With my sweet little baby in tow.
It was only for a moment.
When I left, everyone else was HAPPY!
They were eating a snack together,
TELLING STORIES,
SMILING,
GIGGLING!!!
* * *

I reached our mailbox across the street
& I could hear their voices clearly.
The stories & giggling had completely vanished!
Instead the happiness had been replaced.
All that could be heard was QUARRELING,
BICKERING,
ARGUING,
WHINING,
DISPUTING.
It seemed to only crescendo & drowned out the singing of the birds,
& even the sound of the lawnmower going next door.

I wanted to cover my ears & run!
Or simply walk into a different house,
So that nobody would know I was associated with the ugly tones!
* * *

As the junk mail all of a sudden became very important to me,
I remembered a letter I received in the mail not long ago.
It was from my brother-
My older brother.
Recalling his words soothed the aches of this weary Mommy’s heart!

For he had spoken words of love.
Reminding me of not too many years ago…
When we were at each other’s throats one minute-
& defending each other the next.

There are few people I love more than my brother.
And few people he loves more than me.
And although the trumpeting harsh words would make it seem as if it were not so…
I think this is true in my children’s lives as well!
* * *

And so as I tossed the junk mail into the recycling bin,
I thanked God for my brother…
The love that he continues to show,
& even the many, many, MANY fights that we have shared along the way.
{{And I thanked God for my patient Mother as well!}}
And I prayed for strength-
To face the storm inside the house.
And I prayed for grace-
To lead my children in loving one another.

“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.”
1 John 4:7

HUGS,
& APOLOGIES,
& SMILES were soon given.
The STORIES & GIGGLES returned.
And this Mommy thanked God for His precious gift of
CONSTANT,
SELFLESS,
PERFECT,
NEVER-ENDING,
NEVER-FAILING
NEVER-MOODY :)
LOVE!

What are some ways you teach your children to love one another??

Head to Internet Cafe Devotions for more Word-Filled Wednesdays and/or visit Katie Lloyd Photography for Scripture & a Snapshot!

Answering Some Questions…

2011-09-12T21:44:00.001-05:00

Hello, my dear blog readers! :) Your outpouring of love & prayers for our family have been so very encouraging… a blessing I never even thought of when starting “Our Family for His Glory”! Some of you are very new readers, & some have been with me from day one… some pop in from time to time (maybe this is even your first time- hello!!), & some faithfully check here more often than I have time to post… some of you quietly read along, & some overflow my inbox with uplifting comments of love! :) Each of you mean so much to me, & although it is impossible to get to know each one of you personally, I feel blessed to pray for you & to call you friends! Thank-you!!

I have had so many of you asking, wondering & praying for our family during this time of transition, that I hope you don’t mind if I try to answer some of your questions here, as I am just not able to always keep up with responding to every comment & e-mail as I would like!!

If you are wondering “What transition our family is going through?”… please read a previous post, about how you can be praying for our family! While reading that post, you will find that our precious time at our church (where my husband has been the associate pastor for over 7 years, & which we have been a part of for 9 years) is coming to a close. You will also notice that this is a difficult topic for me! The “right” words seem to be a bit stuck like peanut-butter in my mouth! For, I strive to be honest yet careful in all I write, but at times there is a fine line between sharing truth & hurting others in the process. And I do not want to hurt any others in that way (yes, there may be times that you feel convicted by what you read here, & that may “hurt” a bit… but I’m talking more about the hurt that comes through gossip or slander or grumbling)!! So, I will do my best to answer your questions honestly and carefully!! :)

*Where & when are we moving??
At this time, we really do not know!! We are actively seeking God’s will & direction for our family, as well as trying to be patient as we wait on God’s timing, not our own. Gabe will finish off his role as associate pastor of our current church here in Minnesota at the end of the 2011 year (or sooner, if we are able to start at a new church before then). He is ordained in & most familiar with the Christian & Missionary Alliance denomination (C&MA), so we are seeking out a (senior) pastoral position within the C&MA first, but are certainly open to other Christ-centered denominations/churches (& other pastoral positions) as well! We have been able to send his resume to 11 different districts spanning the United States {{so, maybe I WILL get to meet some of you “in real life” in the near future!!}}, & have heard of a handful of open churches. In our hearts (& considering our family size), we long to find a place where we can “plant roots” & raise our children… a place where we truly consider our church- our family! Please pray that God would lead us to the perfect church for our family!! We know that somewhere there is a church that needs our family, & a church that our family needs, & we are excited to find out what church that will be!

(Little Elliana- right after we moved to this house 3 years ago!)

*How is our family doing??
Each day is a new, different day, & with it comes a variety of emotions, challenges & joys! Some days are much easier & some are much harder as we realize our time here is quickly coming to an end! Sundays are usually the most difficult days for me. Yet, we have had many precious times of both joy & sorrow together as a family & as individuals! And God is continually teaching us (particularly Gabe & me) about surrendering to Him. Bitterness & frustration continue to try to take root in our hearts, & sadness seeks to overwhelm us, yet God is changing us & working in us for HIS glory! And more & more peace & joy are beginning to spring up in our minds & in our hearts as we continually seek Him!

*How are the kids?? What do they think??
For the most part- they are very excited (or they are too little to grasp all that is going on around them)!! For them this is all a new adventure! At Sunday school yesterday, Kayla (our 5 year-old) told her teachers about how our family is kind of like Abraham & his family… how they packed up all their belongings, followed God & moved to a new land! She has complete faith that God will lead us where He wants us to go {{she’s also hoping for Colorado- where there aren’t as many bugs, or Kenya- where she can meet the precious orphans they collected items for over the summer… I didn’t have the heart to tell her there were many more bugs there!}}! Yet, there have been tears as well, along with a huge pile of pictures & gifts to give to all their “best-friends” before we leave!

*Have we started packing??
We haven’t started “officially packing”, but we have been doing a lot of organizing & sorting, going through just about everything, & giving away or throwing out as much as possible! All of those projects that we have been putting off for “someday, when we have more time”- like the boxes full of artwork & our overflowing with stuff garage… are now priorities that we are working to accomplish.

*Have we put our house on the market??
Not yet! Although we have been able to cross a number of projects off our list, there are still quite a few projects that need to be done (which we are so thankful to have many who are willing to come help us out when needed). We are also hoping to have at least a little idea of where/when we will be moving before selling our house. You can be praying that our house will sell quickly at that point, although we have wonderful parents who have offered to have our whole family for as long as needed {{You know you have wonderful parents when they are willing to host your family of 8 for an undetermined amount of time!!}}!

(Our kids with 2 of their favorite people… Papa Paul & Grandma Mary!!)

*How is our church??
I’m so glad many of you have asked this, as I know this is a challenging time for them as well. Yet, this is hard to answer, as I can only speak for the ones that have lovingly spoken to me! Most come with tears in their eyes; others don’t come at all or don’t say a word about it (as I am assuming they just don’t know what to say); many encouraging words have been spoken; yet, others are unaware of the circumstances. But, overall, they seem to feel a lot like we have… sad, surprised, scared, overwhelmed, & yet- also excited for all that God has in store. They are learning to trust- to trust in God & to trust in the leadership that He has put in place at our church. Dear friends are sad that we are leaving (& they are the reason that makes all of this particularly hard for us… as we love them deeply & will miss them greatly!), & many are confused & have questions that I am not fit to answer, others are concerned- particularly for their children- as a major role of my husband’s was working with the youth, but they are also very excited for & affirmative of my husband searching for a Senior Pastor position… as they have reaped the blessings from his amazing gifts of preaching & teaching for the past 7 years.

*How do you get everything done?? What about homeschooling??
We are on our fourth week of homeschooling for the year, & we LOVE it (more on that later)! I was so ready for the routine that our school-days bring… everyone is happier! So, although I’ve added more to our “to-do list”, & our days are quite full, it is a good full. Our “Schedule” has been working very well for us so far, & has allowed me some extra time to focus on the many “new” projects that need to get done around our house!

*Will you continue blogging??
Especially if you have a blog, you understand the time & energy that gets poured into blogging! For me, it is not a burden, for this is a place where I can share my heart & all that God is teaching me! I have such a passion to lead children & families (my own & others) to Christ- & this is one way I can tangibly do that (or at least try)! I know that you other mommies out there need encouragement, because I need encouragement. There are so many things I have on my heart to share, yet I also know the reality that there are only 24 hours in a day, & I do have to sleep at some point! :) My priority is first of all GOD, then MY HUSBAND, then OUR CHILDREN, then OUR HOME, & then OTHER THINGS… therefore, things may or may not get a bit quiet around here… either way, I desire God to get all the glory!! And know that I will not forget about all of you! :)

Thank-you for continuing to pray that God would reveal His will & direction for our family! What a blessing to know that so many of you are uplifting our family to the King of kings, & what an honor it is for us to be able to pray for you as well!!

Blessings,
Jessica

Holding Onto Each Fleeting Moment

2011-09-08T16:39:00.001-05:00

For months Alyssa & Elliana have been begging to have the training wheels taken off their bikes, & we decided this past weekend… with grandma & grandpa visiting… would be the perfect time! It took them a while, but by the end of the weekend- they were making there way up & down the sidewalk without falling once! {{Unless another little person happened to wander right into the middle of their path… then they were gracious enough to take a little fall in order to spare crushing their little brother or sister! :)}}

It was another one of those bitter-sweet moments! I am SO happy for them, as once they got it- they got it! And now, for the rest of their lives, they will know how to ride a bike… what an accomplishment & what fun! Yet it made me realize once again, that they are growing up… never ever to go back! Never again will they desire to ride a bike WITH training wheels (they tried Kayla’s- which still has the training wheels on, as her legs are not quite long enough- & that lasted about 5 seconds, until they set it aside for their own bikes once again)! It made me wonder what happened to the 2 little girls that were just learning to crawl? and to walk?

And it reminded me of how quickly time is going! Am I using each of these moments to bring glory to God? Am I talking about Him? And praying to Him? Am I modeling Christ in my life? Am I pouring God’s Word into their hearts? Am I choosing joy over grumbling? Or am I forgetting that all too soon doll house pieces will no longer be scattered across the floor, & little dirty hands will not be grasping on to my shirt, & giggles & squeals during wrestling matches with Daddy will all be a distant memory?

Yes, every stage has its difficulties & challenges, but also its many joys & delights! Although days can seem long, the moments pass as quickly as it takes to walk my daughters down the sidewalk as they balance on their bikes. Am I using each of these fleeting moments to point my children to Christ??

Are you??

Do You Struggle With God’s Thoughts?

2011-09-07T08:51:00.001-05:00

Do you ever wonder what God is doing? And what God is thinking? I do… quite often actually… in so many different circumstances! For example… What was God thinking when He gave us 6 children?? Didn’t He realize that I am a bit of an introvert that likes peace, quiet & order!? :) Or, why did He make children, people, me… so stubborn?? Why must we keep learning (& teaching) the same lessons over & over & over again?? Or, why do we have to go through trials and difficult- sometimes even tragic- times?? Isn’t there a different, much easier way??… The questions are endless, as I cannot wrap my mind around an all-powerful, all-knowing, magnificent, holy God!

As I looked back through pictures from our time at a lake for my husband’s family reunion a couple weeks ago, & as I thought of how our future seems so uncertain right now, I couldn’t help but think of these verses in Psalm 139…

“How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! They are innumerable!
I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!…”
Psalm 139:17-18a (NLT)

As I talked to our children about God’s thoughts for us, I had them pick up a handful of sand… imagine little hands trying to grasp onto as much sand as they possibly could in their tiny little fists… & then I had them try to count every little grain… imagine my girls counting & counting & counting, because- “Look Mom! I can count to 1000!”, & Isaiah counting to 15 over & over again… & no matter how long we counted, we could not count the number of grains of sand just in their little palms! And then we thought of all the sand in our sandbox, & all the sand at our park down the road, & all the sand at the lake we visited, & all the sand in all the sand boxes & on all the beaches in the world… that is A LOT of grains of sand, & yet God’s thoughts toward us outnumber the grains of sand!

It reminds me of some verses I read in Isaiah 55. Right after Isaiah urges the people to seek the Lord, call on Him, turn from their wicked ways, & turn to God, he states these verses… ‘“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts”.’ (Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT).

As I strive to answer my children’s many questions about God & His ways, & as I grapple with my own questions, I can rest in the fact that God knows what He is doing!!! And His thoughts & His ways are far greater, far bigger, far more wonderful than I can even imagine… they outnumber the grains of sand!! How precious it is to realize His thoughts toward us, & how amazing it is to see even a tiny glimpse of His ways in our lives!

The same is true in your life! Are there things you just do not understand? Are you overwhelmed or hurting or just plain tired or confused? Are you facing a trial? I would love to pray for you, & encourage you that God’s ways & His thoughts are so much greater than our own!

Head to Internet Cafe Devotions for more Word-Filled Wednesdays and/or visit Katie Lloyd Photography for Scripture & a Snapshot!

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!!

2011-09-04T22:07:00.000-05:00

My Dear Annabella Love,
Today was such a special day celebrating your second birthday! For you are such a precious girl! Yet, how can it be that you are two already?? The time is slipping through my fingers as I watch the girl God is creating you to be!

You are my quiet girl that loves to watch & take everything in!

And yet you are full of fun & giggles!

Your soft, sweet, silly, loving personality are a joy to behold!

Bella Love, We are so very thankful for you, & we pray that your quiet strength will be used to bring glory & honor to God!

We love you, sweet girl!!!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Annabella!

A Few of My Favorite Things

2011-09-03T22:50:00.001-05:00

All of your sweet comments & e-mails from my post about “loosing my mind” have been so encouraging & fun to read! :) I’m so glad that I am not the only Mommy out there that has searched for long minutes for the sunglasses that I was wearing, or wondered what I was forgetting when leaving for church, only to realize the baby was still sound asleep in her crib! :)

As I was giggling at all of our “Mommy brains,” I remembered reading “So That’s What Happened to My Brain”… I love, love, love this!!! And I thought it would be fun to share a few of my other favorite posts I’ve read “around the web” these past few weeks…

*Parenting Isn’t for Wimps
I feel like I could have written these words… so full of truth!

*In My Heart ~ Psalm 100:1-3 by Totally Tots
Many of you know that we really appreciate “Seeds Family Worship” at our house! And Totally Tots has wonderful printables to go along with many of these verses!

*I love this Super Quick Mom Tip!
I never realized how easy it was to take out rubber band ponytail holders… perfect with 5 girls! :)

*Training our Children to See
I am definitely trying this with my children in the next week… what a simple but seemingly effective idea!

*Never too Young to Cast our Cares
So precious! I’m so glad Becky shared about her sweet Kindergartener & how he is learning to cast his cares on the Lord!

*These adorable “Baby Be Blessed Dolls” are the sweetest dolls! I know my girls would love these!

*DIY Prayer Journals
Our girls keep prayer journals & have treasured them! This is such a fun idea that would work for kids of any age!

*How to Find Joy in Motherhood
Such perfect heart-felt reminders to find joy amidst the chaos of the day. Rachel is a mom of 7, yes, seven, & I have enjoyed so many of her honest posts!

*And from a while back… When Changing a Life Changes Yours
Such a powerful post on the impact we can have on the lives of children & their families!

And because tomorrow is Annabella’s 2nd birthday, & I found some favorite pictures from the day Kayla turned 2…

What were some of your “favorites” over the past few weeks?? –and/or- What funny “Mommy Brain” stories are you willing to share??

Am I Loosing My Mind?

2011-09-01T15:58:00.001-05:00

Reading through the Bible in 90 days has been SO, SO, GOOD, but also EXTREMELY CHALLENGING! My biggest challenge has not been time, as I thought it would be. My greatest challenge has been my mind!! For, with all of the life changes going on in our family right now, on top of my normal “Mommy brain,” I think in some ways, my poor brain is on overload!

I can’t concentrate…
{{I noticed this when I had to ask my daughter to start her story over again for the 5th time, because “I’m sorry. Mommy wasn’t paying attention… again!”}}

I don’t remember anything…
{{The other day I told my husband what a great idea it was to cut up onions to put on our tortilla pizzas, & he reminded me that I was the one who gave him the idea… & I have absolutely no recollection of it!}}

I’ve been loosing things…
{{And then eventually I find them… cereal in the refrigerator, car keys in the bathroom cabinet, etc. This morning my husband asked me where the money that had been in our top drawer went… hmmm, I’m not sure, but maybe he should check the microwave.}}

Every.Little.Thing is completely overwhelming to me right now…
{{A drawer left open this morning just about had me in!!}}

And so, when I try to read my Bible IT IS HARD!! It is such a battle to actually read & concentrate on what I am reading- instead of just letting my eyes brush over the words. Yet, I know God has not given up on me (& is probably laughing with me at all my silly mishaps), for all too often there is a verse that just “jumps off of the page at me”!! :) And I am so blessed!

Isaiah 26:3 was one of those verses…

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (NLT)

-or-

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (ESV)

-or-

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” (NIV)

As I crave God to fill my life with His perfect peace every single moment of every single day- Isaiah 26:3 reminds me that His perfect peace comes when my thoughts are FIXED ON HIM!! When my mind is STAYED ON HIM!!

I don’t need to think about where or when we will be moving, as that is completely uncertain. I don’t need to think about the many, many projects that need to get done around our house. I don’t even need to think about the reasoning behind putting the cereal in the refrigerator or the fact that at times I feel like I am loosing my mind (although, being able to find car keys would be nice- hehe!). But, I DO NEED TO FIX MY THOUGHTS ON HIM; KEEP MY MIND STEADFAST ON HIM; DO EVERYTHING IN MY ABIBLITY TO KEEP MY MIND STAYED ON HIM!!! And that’s when I feel His perfect peace, because that is when it is so much easier to TRUST IN HIM!!

This afternoon, as I glanced through e-mails & comments from the last few days, I have been blessed by SO MANY of you! It was no surprise (because God works that way) to find these precious words from a dear friend- “Hoping… your mind is filled with peace as you continue to trust that God will place your family in a perfect home and church. Praying for you.” Isn’t it amazing how God works!? A precious reminder from a verse & a sweet encouragement from friends… all to trust & fix my eyes on the one who has everything in control, even if I am loosing my mind! :) :) :)

What do you do to fix your thoughts on HIM??

{{Find out how others are doing on the “Bible in 90 Day Challenge” here!}}

What to do with “The Little Ones” While Homeschooling

2011-08-30T20:55:00.001-05:00

How do we do it?? How do we homeschool with so many “little ones” running around?? That is a question that has been asked of me so very many times, & honestly, it’s one of those things that I wonder myself- how do we manage to get everything done with little ones in tow? Even when we’re not homeschooling- I wonder the same thing! And, I don’t really have a good answer, but after A LOT of prayer, by depending on God’s guidance & strength, & through trial & error- we have found some things that work for our family! Here is a list of my top ten ideas of what to do with the “little ones” while homeschooling the “big ones” (all school-age children)! {{These ideas work for other times during the day too, so you don’t have to be a homeschooling mom to utilize my top 10 ideas!}}

{1} Have quiet/alone time for the little ones! At our house, our almost 2-year old & our 3 year-old have “Alone Time” for about an hour each morning! It’s a time when they play quietly by themselves! Some of you may think that sounds like torture- hehe! But, my children LOVE this time, as this is one of the only times during the day when they just get to play & nobody else can touch their stuff! :) We have done “Alone Time” many different ways, but for now, Annabella plays in her crib with her favorite baby doll, a few books, & a bin of toys- they HAVE to be items that she can play with completely on her own (so nothing too small that she might put in her mouth & nothing too frustrating). Right now her favorite things to play with during this time are “Snap Babies”, puzzles, her dollhouse (& “Little People”), her “tea set”, her “purse”, & blocks! Isaiah plays on the floor in his room, & he chooses his own toys… usually anywhere from 1-4 bins ~~explode~~ are lovingly played with in his room! He also has a basket of books, & loves listening to Praise & Bible Verse Music during this time. Right now his favorite things to play with are cars, tools, dress-up, & trains. {Oh, & the clean-up I will get to in a little bit. :)!!} Throughout this hour, we are able to get the “bulk” of our school done… feel free to peak at our schedule to see how it all works!

{2} Have “Table Time”… where the little ones can work on an activity- such as play-doh, coloring, stickers, puzzles, painting (with water on construction paper is my favorite), small manipulatives (think picking up cotton balls with tweezers & placing them in a jar), gluing, cutting (with caution!), or games, etc. at or near the table where the “older ones” are working. I try to find something they will be occupied with for about a half an hour. During this time my kindergartener is finishing up any projects she is working on (in the other room), & my first graders are at the table (with the little ones) doing Spelling/Language Arts & Math.

{3} Have a Snack! Eating helps keep everyone quiet, & it keeps everyone happy! :) We read our story-time book while eating a small snack each day!

{4} Have the “older ones” take turns playing with and/or helping the “little ones”. During school-time, the only time we do this is when we are transitioning from “Alone Time” to “Table Time”. While I finish with Kayla (our Kindergartener)… the 2 oldest girls help Isaiah & Annabella clean-up from their “Alone Time”. This works so well, for the “little ones” think it’s much more fun to clean-up with their big sisters than with mom. We also have the “older ones” play with the “little ones” at various times throughout the day… as I prepare supper, as I nurse the baby, etc. & it is SO helpful (IF I make sure to have the right kids playing together… I try hard to not put the 2 that “butt heads” together, as that would be counter-productive!)! Even something as simple as having one of my oldest daughters take my toddler for a stroller ride on the driveway, can give me an extra 20-30 minutes to get something accomplished!

{5} Have some cabinets you don’t mind the “Little Ones” digging in! The pots & pans cabinet, as well as our Tupperware cabinet are places I don’t mind little hands being. They could spend many minutes taking out every pot… putting on each lid… putting them all back… & then doing it all again. I love it! :) I’ve also heard of others that have cleared out a cabinet & made it just for the little ones… adding games, puzzles, etc. that are on their level! If we had the cabinet space- I would definitely do this, but seeing that some dishes & many of our pantry items can be found in our linen closet- the pots & pans & Tupperware cabinets are great for us! :)

{6} Spend quality time with the “little ones”! They need to know that they are just as important as their school-aged siblings, & they will be much more willing to give you the time you need with the “older ones” if they know their time with you is coming! So, carve out some time to get on the floor & play, snuggle, read books, & discover together! You can follow a plan, or have no plan other than to spend that time with them! Last year, I spent the time immediately before schooling my older children with the “little ones”, as I had heard that spending that time FIRST thing was very important. While I believe that spending quality time with my little ones is extremely important, I no longer believe that this time needs to be first in our day. For our family, the little ones play best on their own first thing after breakfast (& the older ones are ready for school) & they look forward to that special time with Mommy when we’re done schooling for the morning! {{This year, I don’t have much of a plan, but I’m hoping to incorporate some Bible verses/stories & some fun learning activities into our time together!}}

{7} Utilize PART of nap time! I cherish nap time at our house- it’s my time to be quiet, spend time with God, rest, make phone calls, catch-up on posts & e-mails, etc. – so, I just can’t give up the whole nap time… but part works really well! As soon as the “little ones” lay down, I work one-on-one with each of the girls on their reading. When they are not working with me, they are “practicing” their piano and/or doing handwriting/copy-work. {I save reading, in particular, for nap-time, because there are usually no distractions or interruptions!}

{8} Don’t forget about the baby- Nurse while reading or being read to; let him/her play near-by in a bouncer or exer-saucer, or with a mobile toy; let them sit & watch the fun; school while they’re napping; begin “Alone Time” by letting him/her play in their crib or pack & play (We usually start with about 10 minutes & work our way up)! Babies- up until they become quite mobile, are fairly easy to homeschool around- that’s why the “crawling” & the “walking” can wait a bit for me. :)

{9} Make ORDINARY times throughout the day- SPECIAL! Are you changing your little one’s diaper?- sing a special song, tickle her, or talk to her about God… Are you lying your little one down for a nap? –utilize that time to ask him how he’s doing & really listen to what he says… Are you cooking in the kitchen? –let your little one help… Are you looking over your kindergartener’s math page?… –have your toddler find all the pictures colored blue… etc. EVERY time can become an opportunity to pour love, attention & guidance into the hearts of our little ones!

{10} PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! & then pray some more!!! I know well the “mommy-guilt” that can creep up on us! It is SO very hard to balance everyone & everything! We moms often feel badly for not having as much time & attention to give to any one or all of our kids. Yet, we have a responsibility, a joy, & a challenge to train & teach our children. We do not have 12 arms, 15 minds, or even 2 laps, but we do have a great big God that loves us & loves our kids, & we can call to Him for constant direction, guidance, patience & joy!

I hope this list is helpful to you!!! I would love to hear what you do with your little ones while homeschooling (or cooking, or cleaning, etc.)!!!

Linked to…

Happy Birthday!

2011-08-28T00:47:00.001-05:00

Happy, Happy Birthday to the best husband & Daddy I know!
I am so blessed to be married to a man after God’s own heart!
Your passion & love for God & for your family amaze me,
& we are so blessed!

As I look at our children, I see the great impact that you have in their lives!

I see the adoring eyes that look to you for love & strength…

I see the impact your words of TRUTH have on their lives & in their hearts…

I see the joy-filled smiles when they are with you…

I see all the laughter & the fun…

I see their worlds being changed by a Daddy who loves them deeply…

I see a boy that wants to grow up to be just like his Daddy…

Gabe, Thank-you for all the love & dedication you pour out on all those around you!! I love your strength, yet gentleness- your kindness & trustworthiness- your wisdom from God & your willingness to follow Him. Thank-you for leading me, your children, & all who will listen, closer to Christ!

We love you (& your silliness too)!! :)

Happy Birthday!

Our Family for His Glory

Family Fun {Bible} Time

Favorite Children’s Storybook Bibles

How to Reach the Hearts of our Children

Our Favorite Homemade Play-Dough!

Don’t Forget Grace

Answers to Your Questions

A Reflection of Glory

I am Not a Writer… or am I?

Dear friends…

The End of a Chapter *Please Read*

Top 10 Ways to Memorize Scripture (for toddlers on up)

Are you Stuck in a Pit?

The Best Family Service Projects

Another “First”… Can My Heart Handle It?

Feed My Starving Children

My Top 10 Questions for YOU {{please, please answer}}

Too Many Tears

Shining Pumpkins

A Little About Our Family for His Glory

To My Precious Girls on Your Birthday

A New Smile

The Story of Our Miscarriage {{the rest of the story}}

The Story of Our Miscarriage {{Part 2}}

The Story of Our Miscarriage {{Part 1}}

A Grace-Filled Mommy

What To Do With My 4 Month Old

Do Your Kids Study the Bible?

What To Do With a Dirty Heart

The Perfect Wife… Where Are You?

Brokenhearted

Are You Struggling to Read Through the Bible!?

Healing to My Heart

My Top 10 Favorite Baby Items

Praying for My Boy’s Daddy

Our Homeschool Days

The Greatest Accomplishment

Marriage Moments… Stopping My “Pity Party”

Do You Sponsor a Child Through Compassion International?

It’s AWANA Time Again

Bickering Drowns Out the Giggles

Answering Some Questions…

Holding Onto Each Fleeting Moment

Do You Struggle With God’s Thoughts?

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!!

A Few of My Favorite Things

Am I Loosing My Mind?

What to do with “The Little Ones” While Homeschooling

Happy Birthday!

The End of a Chapter Please Read