Staying Connected

A couple years ago, our church announced the beginning of a major transition for our congregation. We would be losing our music minister, children's minister, associate minister and senior minister to retirement. One of the greatest blessings of our church is the commitment and longevity of our staff. It also has made for a time of radical transition. Our staff and leadership put in a lot of time planning a "transition schedule" if you will, so we wouldn't be losing everyone at once. Two weeks ago Sunday, we closed the final phase of the transition. We said goodbye to our senior minister who had been serving at our church for 24+ years. Leon Weece had faithfully and wonderfully shepherd our congregation, and the loss of his presence is one that is tangible.

Last Sunday, our youth minister preached during church. This was something he felt strongly led to do so that we as a congregation would know that he felt the loss as well. Jerad preached an amazing, strong, God breathed sermon that spoke to the soul of the church.

He challenged us with the thought of staying connected. Staying connected to God and to each other as a body of believers. This thought has really got me thinking this week. One of the biggest evangelical movements of today is reaching the "unchurched." We live in a country that is void of many "non Christians," and is full of people that have left, never been, or been turned off from the church for a myriad of reasons, many of which are extremely valid. We are challenged to make friends and "do life," with these people so they know they belong with us.

This is an idea that I have loved from the moment I heard it preached. I have always been one of those people that has had the need to "belong." I don't do alone well. I  hate not feeling like I "fit in" or belong. And I never want anyone else to feel that way. So many people present this idea of Christianity as one that is almost like a private club. You have to look, act, think, work and play like we do, or you don't get in. This has burned so many bridges that we're being built in an effort to lead someone to Christ.

However, there is something to be said for surrounding yourself with fellow believers. Not necessarily ones with the exact same doctrinal beliefs as you, but people who when it's all said and done at the end of the day, have chosen to live a Christ filled life. You need a strong foundation of relationships to help you when you go through a hard time. Like our church will rely on one another to stay connected as a body of believers rather than letting Satan tear down the walls of our congregation from the inside out, we need those deep personal connections with fellow believers when we're in the middle of very real, very personal, very traumatic events happening in our lives.

During dark times in my life, I've been close to both active Christ followers, and once that haven't quite reached that intimate level of relationship yet (though my deepest prayer and desire is that they will). Reactions to troubling circumstances can differ greatly, when the advice or direction from one friend is driven by the Spirit. One's main focus is me and the other, is Jesus. One gives me advice that they feel will make me the most happy. One gives me advice that may not be exactly what I want to hear, think, act, or do, but is what the Bible calls me to do. I need the challenge, I need the accountability. I love surrounding myself with all kinds of people and loving them with a Christ filled love, but the one's I let in the closest, the one's that I let see down to the darkest, deepest depths of my soul, need to be on the same page with me about Who I'm living for and Who's I am .

So today, I encourage you to reach out and love on those that don't yet know Christ. Because I do. Please don't hear me wrong on this. Love people. Let them in. Show them the tangible love of our wonderful Lord and savior. But I also encourage you to be careful about who you turn to during troubling, wonderful, tragic, and rejoicing times. We all need people. We just need to make sure the people we're needing will always point us back to Him.

Living a Spirit Led Life

A few weeks ago I went with about several women from my church to a Women Of Faith Conference in Kansas City. I haven't been to an event like this since I was in High School and we attend CIY conferences. I was so excited about this event. I was especially looking forward to the event because of the theme, "Believe God Can Do Anything." I have seen God move in mighty ways in my life recently and was ready to celebrate that fact! What I didn't anticipate was the stirring the Spirit was going to begin in me while I was there.

I've always been unsure about God's plan for my life. Did he want me to be a nurse, a teacher, a business women, a writer, a stay at home mom? There are a few things I have always been sure about though. I knew God wanted to use me in a mighty way. I knew God placed a passion in my heart for people. I knew God gave me the gift of gab. But how am I supposed to use these things?

Currently I am an RN in an intensive care unity in a nearby hospital. I love my job. I love helping people, I love being able to be a light to them in some seriously dark times. I love that I am able to get full time hours done in three days and be at home with my sweet boy the other four days a week. But is this where God is calling me to? I know God is calling me here now, for this season, but I can't help but feel this stirring in my heart for something else. I want to preach, teach, lead, and live life side by side with women in some practical way. I want to be a light in this dark world. I want to live a Spirit led life.

I've always said I have three jobs here on this earth, 1) Love God, 2) Love People, and 3) make sure people know God loves them too. I am a firm believer that God can use you wherever you are doing whatever it is you're doing. As long as you live your life doing these three jobs, whatever you do as a career, whoever it is you're surrounded by, that is your ministry.

I have no idea what God is going to do with these promptings I feel on my heart. I have no idea what doors are going to be opened. But I do know I'm here. I'm waiting. I believe God can take this simple girl from Oklahoma and use her in mighty ways, whether it be staying right put where I am in the ICU, or whether He's going to blow open doors I never thought possible. But I do know I'm ready, patiently waiting and living a Spirit led life.

Down on the farm

Brody loves everything about life on a farm. He loves the animals, the clothes, the chores. Stick this kid on a farm and he is happy. He chooses to wear his "bowboy" boots with everything. Give the kid a hat and fuhgetaboutit! It'll stay there all day. So when it came time to plan his second birthday party, a party on the farm is where we went.

There is a great pumpkin patch that we went to last fall (you can read about it here) and I knew it would be the perfect location for Brody's birthday party. They have the cutest barns on site, a petting zoo, a train ride and a play area. The staff was absolutely fabulous to work with! I would highly recommend  Annabelle's Fun Farm! Brody got sick and was diagnosed with pneumonia two days before his birthday so we had to cancel last minute and reschedule. The owners were super understandable and worked with us.

Finally came the day for us to hit the farm and here's how we did it...

Kept the food super simple with hot dogs and chips :). 

My sister-in-law made the adorable, not to mention delicious, cake and cupcakes. We had lemon, cookies and cream and chocolate cupcakes and the cake was white cake with strawberry filling. To die for! 

And a farm ain't a farm with out sweet tea and lemonade. 

I LOVED the way these milk jugs turned out!

Goody bags for the everyone! All the kids got a cowboy hat and bandana. They also got to pick out a farm animal mask. Inside the bags were bubbles, suckers, farm stickers and a farm animal rubber ducky. 

There was so much for the kids to do at the farm! They got free reign of the place and got to just run around to their hearts content! There's a great petting zoo (no picture, momma fail) with all kinds of animals for the kids to see and pet. The owners were there to take the kid on train rides and they have an awesome play area with swings and slides. 

Then came time for cake and presents. This year was so fun because Brody was actually more into the whole idea :). He joined in the singing and loved picking out a cake :). Brody was so cute opening his presents He got some really awesome toys this year and his momma he was ready to tear into each one and start playing right away! 

We had such a great time and can't wait to go back to Annabelle's this fall when the pumpkin patch and corn maze are all ripe and ready!

Love Come to Life

Love. It's the driving force in our walks with Christ. It's our calling. It makes this world a tolerable, even enjoyable place. Yet sometimes, we get so hardened by the evil that presides on earth, we get cold. We need to be the warmth, light and love to this fallen world. Big Daddy Weave's song "Love Come to Life," articulates this message so beautifully, I wanted to share it with y'all today...

I've been restless on the inside
Wondering about this heart of mine
I've been desperately trying to find
A way to prove that I'm still alive

Has the love I speak so loudly of quietly grown cold
Has my life been an empty voice?
What I say needs to be seen
I need to step out and make the choice
To let go of everything
Would You reignite this heart spark here in the dark?

[Chorus]
Bring Your love to life inside of me
Why don't You break my heart 'til it moves my hands and feet
For the hopeless and the broken
For the ones that don't know that You love them
Bring Your love to life inside of me

A generation You're calling out
Living everything that we sing about
A revelation right here and now
Of love beyond a shadow of a doubt
Love that's greater than our own
Won't remain unknown, when You...

[Chorus]

Love come to life
Love come to life
Bring love to life inside of me
[X4]

[Chorus]

Love come to life
Love come to life
Bring love to life inside of me
[X4]

Preparing for Easter

We are now in the season of Lent. We belong to an Independent Christian church, and while we don't place any emphasis on this season, I want to use these days as a time of preparation and teaching in our home so that our children will always know the true meaning of Easter.

This week I spent time with Brody reading and telling him about the Triumphal Entry. I love accompanying a craft with lessons and important stories because I really think it helps children grasp the idea and meaning behind them.

Here's the craft we made to drive home the Triumphal Entry. I apologize for the lack of quality and quantity of the pictures. I accidentally rebooted (or whatever the technical term is) my iPhone and erased the pictures I already had on there. So I was forced to just snap a quick end product pic.

I took two leaves from an old wreath and dipped them in paint, then let Brody apply the "stamps" the be paper so they resembled the palms branches laid down. Then found a picture of Jesus riding a donkey on the internet, printed it off and let Brody color it. Then we glued it on top of the "branches."
This week we have been saying "Hosanna, in the highest." And singing a song we sing in church,

"Clap your hands all you people, shout unto God with a voice of triumph. 

Clap your hands all you people, shout unto God with a voice of praise. 

Hosanna! Hosanna! Shout unto God with a voice of triumph! 

Praise Him, Praise Him! Shout unto God with a voice of praise! "

What activities are you doing with your kids to help them prepare for the Easter season? I'd love to read your ideas! 

Sometimes Life Sucks

This is me an my momma. This is one of my absolute favorite pictures of us. It's old yes, (from my 16 birthday lol) but I love it. Pictures of us are few and far between. My mom has always hated having her picture taken, and I never thought to push the issue. Now I wish I would have. I wish I had more pictures of us together.

You see, our world was turned upside down in the late summer of 2010. We got the unthinkable, unfair diagnosis of Early Onset Alzheimer's. Excuse me? Alzheimer's? No, no no. You see, I'm a nurse. 57 year old, healthy, funny, intelligent, hardworking women don't get Alzheimer's. People get it late late in life. After they have enjoyed retirement for a while, enjoyed their grandkids, traveled, enjoyed the changing relationship with their children to friends.

I was supposed to be able to call up my mom in the middle of the night with my first child in tears because I don't know what I'm doing. I was supposed to be able to ask her when I started sitting up, crawling, walking and all other fun milestones my Brody was reaching. Brody was supposed to be able to "go on vacation to my Granny's," like my nieces and nephews did.

Instead we are dealing with early retirement and disability, selling her house and moving in with my sister, the inability to read a clock or get out correct change. My mom doesn't know how old I am or when my birthday is. And you know what? It sucks. It's horrible, it's not fair and it sucks. My mom is seriously the best mom in the world. We had the most amazing relationship that has been forced to change. And I hate it. It has rocked my family, my faith and my life to the core and it's not fair.

Sometimes a girl just needs her momma.....

Wordless Wednesday!

A little after Valentine's Day creativity :)

This silly boy makes my world go round.

A Little Pinterest Love

Brody is really getting into crafts and art projects, so I have tried to add at least a couple (other than drawing with crayons and paper, which he does daily) into our weekly rotation. I also am a serious holiday junkie. I go overboard and love it. So when I found this pinterest inspired Valentine's craft I knew we had to give it a go, and it was a total success! This craft was so easy and Brody had a blast doing it. Toilet Paper roll as a heart stamp? Hello genius. 

Supplies

1 toilet paper roll

paint

paper

That simple folks. I cut the toilet paper roll into two so that Brody could have a red stamp and a pink stamp, dipped the ends in paint and let him go to town! 

 **TIP- I always use blue painter's tape to secure the paper to the table. This way, the paper stays put, it peels up easier than regular tape and comes right off his paper without tearing!**

He loves craft time!

The dude is serious about his art 

Ok, maybe not SO serious :) 

Bonus? When they get bored of painting, the stamps make an awesome telescope! Yo Ho Ho! 

The finished Project!
And someone trying to sneak their cute little hands back into the paint :) 

Well hello there...

...trying twos!

Some refer to this as the "terrible twos." I HATE this term! Do some days, hours or even minutes feel terrible? You bet. But I loath the idea of referring to any part of my son's life as "terrible," I like "trying" much better. :)

Brody is such a great kid with such an awesome personality. And in the last couple weeks this little boy is definitely starting to explore exactly what this personality is going to be. He gets the craziest ideas in his head and he HAS to see them through. Like, right. this. second. Even if said plan is jumping off the back of the couch, throwing our snacks around the living room, our playing "earthquake" with our sweet 5 month old friend while he is in the jumper. (It didn't get far Mika, promise!)

If I happen to have the audacity to stop one of these wild schemes, whoa man. It is world ending. We're talking throw ourselves on the floor, wailing, flop like a fish kind of world ending. Another world ending event we've been experiencing is bed time (and nap time). He is so full of energy and life the idea of having to slow down for any amount of time seems insurmountable and torturous.

Hello discipline, we finally meet. Lance and I have been having many discussions as to how we want to handle discipline in our house and what behaviors we find unacceptable. Now I know there are 10,764 ways to discipline a child, these are just the ideas that we have decided to implement in our home and reserve the right to declare them utter failures and abort at any time. :) I'm just going to say upfront we are ok with spanking. We are definitely not ok with excessive spanking, violent and anger driven spanking or spanking for everything. We have decided we will have a list of things we feel are completely unacceptable all the time and those get an automatic spanking. The driving factor with this list is hurting someone, hitting, kicking, biting, throwing things AT someone all make the list.

The other forms of discipline we are sticking with are positive reinforcement, distraction and time out. Positive reinforcement and distraction are ideas we've been using all along. I feel no child wants to misbehave and can usually be redirected to acceptable behavior. And everyone wants to be praised and do a good job. Praise good behavior, that's what the child will strive for. But, Brody is a kid and is trying to figure this thing called life out, and will do things that require teaching and punishment. Enter time out. Our decided time out length is based upon age. So right now, his time out length is 1min 45 seconds. Yesterday was the first day we really started implementing time out. He sat in time out 3 times, twice for dumping his food out on the floor and once fore the earthquake baby incident. And you know what? They worked great for us! He cried through the whole thing of course, but after the second food incident he didn't dump his food anymore and after one time out for playing rough with the baby, he didn't attempt that either.

Now, I know we will have set backs, we will have great days and we will have days that  tempt me to call this phase "terrible." But along with this stage is so much fun. Brody is becoming so loving and affectionate (hello melt into a mushy momma puddle every time I hear that sweet voice say "ah you" {translation=love you}), his sense of humor is starting to develop and finds things hilarious, the amazing way is knowledge grows everyday. And oh so much fun playing! I love this age with all the ups and downs and can't wait to see where this little boy takes us next. :)

Brody's Wish List!

     I am very much a one holiday at a time kina gal. I love them all and think they all deserve their own time to shine. With Christmas being the PARTIAL exception. I refuse to put up any decorations, listen to music, give in to the social pull to start Christmas in August (I mean, come on! Respect the bird people!), but I will begin thinking about Christmas gifts months in advance. That way I  an keep my eye out for sales, get lists to relatives and so on.

So, without further ado.... (dun dun dun...)

Brody's Christmas List! 

Fisher-Price Grow with Me Workshop Playset

Brody loves to work on things and figure out how to take things apart and put back together. He will LOVE THIS! 

Some play cookware, food and dishes for his kitchen Some Melissa and Doug Puzzles Some Movies      On his list will also be some books, PJs, and new outfits. And this little Santa tends to go overboard, so I'm sure a few more things will pop up between now and December 25. :) But it's a start.        What are your little ones asking for/planning on getting for Christmas this year?  Liking up for Toddle Along Tuesday!