tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61810132807512621972023-11-16T04:54:55.016-08:00Undivided"Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." Psalm 86:11Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-53612129436601925702009-06-20T07:28:00.000-07:002009-06-20T07:35:36.270-07:00We Won't Be Quiet<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Our family is tired today after a long, but really great week! My kids attended another great week of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">VBS</span> at a large church in our area. This was my oldest daughter's seventh and final year to attend. They love going because this church does everything really big! They have tons of bouncy games for recreation and just do a lot of really great stuff. But what I love the most is their chance to learn a little more about God's word and to really get to have fun worshipping. I LOVED getting to sneak in during worship time this week and watch from the back of the auditorium as all three of mine sang. My son had a great time with the songs this year and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">seemed</span> to really "let is all out" for the first time. He's always been a little more reserved at this church than at our own. His favorite song is now number three on my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">playlist</span> below! Check it out....We Won't Be Quiet! Great Song....</span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">We are looking forward to another great and long week next week as our church hosts it's own version of Vacation Bible School. We call it Nick At Night...<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">VBS</span> with a Mess!! The part I'm most excited about is getting to watch my two girls help lead during the worship time. They love helping to lead the songs and watching them practice with the other kids this week just blessed me so much!! I love seeing them get excited about serving and using their gifts. My oldest daughter is finally getting to also help in the preschool area. She could not be more thrilled! I'll let you know how everything goes next week. Praying for no rain and cooler temps!!</span></div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-10112581383165251722009-06-08T12:19:00.000-07:002009-06-08T12:44:14.129-07:00Giants<div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em><span style="font-size:180%;">My</span></em> husband told me today of a pastor friend/<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">acquaintance</span> of his that had to step down from his position of senior pastor this week due to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">infidelity</span>. That's such tough news to hear. It's so easy for any of us to judge a person in that position. Yes, he is a pastor and is held to a "higher standard" so to speak, so everyone expects more of him. Yet he is just a man....just human....and is vulnerable to the same temptations as any other person, maybe even more so. Satan wants nothing more than to destroy the church and destroy it's leader and he's working overtime to make that happen. It all comes down to being on your guard, to being diligent about being in the Word and to being 100% accountable to those close to you. </span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;">My husband and I have talked about these matters through the years, and yes, there are times you can be lulled into thinking it could never happen to you, and that's exactly when the enemy strikes....when you've let yourself think you are untouchable. Though I don't know them personally, my heart breaks today for this family. I can only imagine the grief and heartache they are experiencing. I know God forgives and makes all things new, but their lives will never be the same again. I pray for them that God would hold them tightly down this dark road and that they would come out so much stronger on the other end. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;">I was reminded today of a devotion I read last week that I thought I'd share here. It was entitled "How to defeat your giant." Maybe it will encourage you whether you are dealing with addictions, weight issues, are struggling with what you watch or listen to, what company you keep, or sexual temptations. All of these are giants that we cannot overcome ourselves. </span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;">1. <em><strong>You're not unique</strong></em>: Your temptations "are no different from what others experience" (1 Cor. 10:13). Our giants are usually little sins we overlook and indulge until they assume a life of their own and come back to haunt us.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;">2. <em><strong>You can't do it alone:</strong></em> Your giant will defeat you anytime you tackle him in your own strength. You need divine help to overcome old habit and establish new behaviors. David told Goliath, "This is the Lord's battle and he will give you to us" (1 Sam. 17:47)</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;">3. <strong><em>You must confront your giant head on</em></strong>: Don't run away, don't try to negotiate, don't compromise and don't excuse. The Bible says: "As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran...to meet him." (1 Sam. 17:48) Force your giant into the light and don't let him back into your life. Establish boundaries and make yourself accountable. Stay out of the wrong company. Above all, don't look at God in the light of your giant, look at your giant in the light of God.</span></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em><strong>What this looks like for me</strong>:</em> I have to understand I am not alone and that there are others going through the same things I am. I can't pretend I'm "special" and that this sin is okay because I am the only one ever affected by it. I have to understand that only God can help me overcome it. That's right, Oprah can't fix it, neither can the next self help book. Only God can help me lay aside old habits and replace them with ones that reflect His word. And I can't excuse those little temptations. This is kind of like believing a little white lie is not really a lie. When we do that, we allow our selves to move to the next level of sin! When we hold these sins and temptations in the light of God's word, we see them for what they really are. I have to set clear boundaries for myself BEFORE I am in the middle of a tempting situation. I can't wait until I'm smack in the middle of it to start thinking about this. And I have to be accountable, first to God, then my husband, then those friends I've surrounded myself with whom I can trust to speak truth into my life. We can't do it on our own, but with God's help, we can defeat our giants!</span></div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-70982268216183218532009-06-05T20:01:00.000-07:002009-06-05T20:01:00.694-07:00The Wonderful Words of Kids<div align="justify"><em>One of the things I love the most about my kids growing older, in addition to longer nights of sleep, and the increasing freedom we are experiencing, is the wonderful words that come from their mouths. I love that they can express themselves more eloquently and thoughtfully. </em></div><div align="justify"><em></em></div><br /><div align="justify"><em>My oldest daughter has been writing very sweet, heartfelt notes to us lately, ones that I'll treasure in my heart and not share here, but that have been so meaningful to John and I. I love it!</em></div><div align="justify"><em></em></div><br /><div align="justify"><em>My middle daughter thinks deeply with all heart. She's always been quick to show deep emotion. I won't tell you what popular Christmas movie quickly brings her to tears, but it's just adorable when it does. Not because I want to see her upset or in tears, but because it shows how compassionate and tenderhearted she is.</em></div><div align="justify"><em></em></div><br /><div align="justify"><em>My son...we'll, he's just down right funny. Takes after his dad. In almost every way! One night at dinner, I asked him a simple question about school that day, and his answer, in a very funny voice, was "hot tub." Once he got the first laugh, he was on a roll. We all sat crying, laughing so hard at the table that night as he said it over and over. (He also answers Nefertiti to any question he does not know the answer to. Apparantely, he was enamored by her when we studied her in history last year.) Funny thing about the hot tub, he loves them and would spend most of the day in it if we had one. We are currently looking forward to a family cruise this summer. Driving down the street one day, he asked me if they have massages on the ship. I answered yes, and he said good, because he wanted to be rubbed. What does a seven year old need with a massage anyway?? I love it though....it shows that he's thinking about so many things in life, and I'm glad to see he's going to enjoy some of life's little pleasures. </em></div><div align="justify"><em></em></div><br /><div align="justify"><em>Kids...they encourage us, they lift us up, they make us laugh and sometimes cry. They are such an awesome blessing!</em></div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-25967516751070807842009-06-03T08:34:00.000-07:002009-06-03T08:51:36.127-07:00The Choices We Make<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7k9ilRAyIhJpzs3b3d1YSHjINd9vP_LID2VjUlX54rooZmigsKhhyphenhyphenRqlsvjhntXmZgpYp0uCLMPja98iPaGFVL6QTVHI0oRBgk-0sQAwC57qiURYHHWfFK0T0oOhrTOXGhe-X8tR3hY/s1600-h/balloon.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343128379331567730" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 170px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 170px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7k9ilRAyIhJpzs3b3d1YSHjINd9vP_LID2VjUlX54rooZmigsKhhyphenhyphenRqlsvjhntXmZgpYp0uCLMPja98iPaGFVL6QTVHI0oRBgk-0sQAwC57qiURYHHWfFK0T0oOhrTOXGhe-X8tR3hY/s200/balloon.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>I've been going through the "I hope I'm not ruining my kids by homeschooling" phase this week. Seems like I went through it last year as well. It's really tough to watch all the "end of the year" stuff happening around us with their friends who are in traditional school settings. We've cried a little...okay, a lot this week, knowing we can't ever get back some of those opportunities. It's hard. Homeschooling is a sacrifice in so many ways. I've given up so much of my time, and sometimes my sanity, to teach my kids from a biblical perspective and to keep their hearts and minds from being exposed to so much junk in the world. No, I don't believe in "sheltering" them forever and ever. We deal with and talk about real issues in our home, but are able to monitor how much is coming at them. </em></span></div><div align="justify"><em></em></div><div align="justify"><em><br /></em></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>But it is also a sacrifice for them to give up the little things that we don't ever get a do over on....the last day of school parties, the field trips with the whole class, the kindergarten performance on the last day of the year, the fifth grade graduation and tea! I've told my kids this week that one day, I hope they can look back and not just remember the moments lost, but all the moments gained. The times they got to play outside on a beautiful spring day ALL afternoon, rather than be stuck inside doing homework, or taking the day off from school on their birthday to go to the park or hang out on the boat, or the extra curricular activities they did because we actually had time for them, or the family walks in the evenings or game nights, or the science lesson about the awesome sea creatures God created and then getting to see them in an aquarium or on the beach (on a school day), or getting to laugh and learn with their siblings in ways that they never would have otherwise. I hope they will be grateful for those moments and feel like they gained so much more, rather than feeling like they've missed something. The choices we make as parents are hard. Sometimes we make the right decisions, and sometimes not. I just keep praying God will lead and guide and direct us as we walk this road of parenting....and maybe my kids won't be on a therapists couch one day lamenting about missing a Valentine's party in the fourth grade!</em></span></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em></em></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>The ballons in this post are in honor of the ones my oldest daughter did not get to release yesterday with her fellow fifth grade classmates at the public school she once attended. I love you sweetie and am so proud of you!</em></span></div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-18643706530866572682009-06-02T08:00:00.000-07:002009-06-03T08:52:20.468-07:00It's Not All About The Kids<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">So far on my blog, I've steered clear of the more controversial issues, not delving into politics or social issues. I've just wanted to share about my family and what God is doing in our lives. However, I've been a fan of a show that has recently been under much criticism and I feel I need to share my opinion on it. There are always two sides to every story and I fully understand that. But, watching last season's episodes of Jon and Kate Plus 8, my husband and I began to sense some changes in their family dynamics. Things that in reality where probably there all along, but become more clear as their lifestyle began to drastically change. We watched last week's premiere of Season 5, wanting to see it first to decide if our kids could watch it or not. The answer in the end for me was no. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">I believe Jon and Kate most likely started out as a normal, American couple desiring to start a family and give their kids the very best they could afford. Nothing wrong with that! I was always happy that they seemed to have a strong faith and shared that when the show allowed. But one of the comments I've heard a lot lately amid all the turmoil they are going through is that "it's all about the kids." They both say everything they do is for the kids! That sounds well and good, but is it really?? In my opinon, they have it all wrong. Maybe if they had not had that backward mindset from the beginning, they would not be where they are today. Let me explain my thinking:</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">1. First and foremost, their relationship with Christ should have been front and center. Granted, I know TLC does all the editing and for ratings purpose, probably cut out a lot of faith talk from the beginning. But I wanted to see that without a doubt, they were seeking God's will and plan for their lives and they were surrounding themselves with godly men and women who would hold them accountable for all their decisions and help pray them through the tough times. They did not do at least this second part. If you believe the tabloids, they have shut out any of the trusted friends and family that may have been the very people that could have helped prevent them from getting to the place they are in now.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">2. It's not all about the kids. Their (and my) marriage came before the kids, and my husband and I will be together when our kids are long gone from home. We tell our kids this often so that they never feel they are front and center in our home. Yes, we love them unconditionally and will do just about anything for them that is for their well being. And there are many times while kids are growing up, especially when they are young, that you have to put their needs first above everything else....when someone is hungry or needs changing, or is sick or injured...just to name a few. But in the grand scheme of things, if I'm putting my kids above my marriage 100% of the time, then it won't take long for my marriage to fall apart and and crumble around me . From where I'm watching, that looks to be exactly what this family has done. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">I watched a very sad couple last week try to pretend things weren't as bad as they are, but never once mention that they wanted their marriage to last or to work it out or that they still loved each other. How sad that all those precious kids may not get the chance to grow up in a healthy, thriving, loving home with both parents in the home working together to make everything work, all the while teaching them about God's love and plan for their lives and living His word in front of them daily. And all because of a stupid TV "reality" show that they allowed to consume them, bringing with it greed and the desire for more stuff and notarity. Let me be clear, I know ALL of us make mistakes. I do not believe there is any such thing as a "perfect" family and if anyone says they have one, they are lying. Yes, I do believe this couple can turn things around and be a healthy family once again, with a lot of the right kind of help and a lot of prayer. But, I think Jon and Kate can offer many lessons (straight from God's word) for the rest of us not living in the limelite and with far fewer kids. </span></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Keep your mind and heart focused on God's word and seek to live by all of His principles; desire and run after His will for your life; be accountable to and with others; listen to the wisdom of other Christians; love your kids with all your heart, but hold your marriage high above them and don't let anything or anyone snatch it out of your hands; don't seek after those things that bring destruction; guard your heart and your mind; stay away from evil and RUN from temptation! </span></div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-77126049182855581632009-06-01T09:38:00.000-07:002009-06-01T09:49:39.057-07:00Celebrating<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANHvZs50-mk3goE3VZqxV_tXr4VTTPKYXs0KxjVia4-vEBCRwtxN5zoCjfOLpZA0rNN29x4zlowHGXxTehUgjRVT4d8s3vCO_4gxC54ykocCGQMkDX3EQviM6-auYYlC9OQx9K_PQNSo/s1600-h/May+31,+2009+033.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342401650336829074" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 129px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 165px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANHvZs50-mk3goE3VZqxV_tXr4VTTPKYXs0KxjVia4-vEBCRwtxN5zoCjfOLpZA0rNN29x4zlowHGXxTehUgjRVT4d8s3vCO_4gxC54ykocCGQMkDX3EQviM6-auYYlC9OQx9K_PQNSo/s200/May+31,+2009+033.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">We were excited on Saturday to celebrate two big events. My son received his first coach pitch baseball trophy and was very proud of it. He had an awesome first spring season!</span><br /></span><div><div><br /><div></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Later that day, we got to celebrate with lots of people at a baby shower in honor of my sweet sister-in-law (my brother did good!!). We are anticipating the arrival of a baby girl in just a couple of months and can't wait to meet her. Even more, I can't wait to watch my brother change a dirty diaper!! So glad I get to be past that stage and la</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAv0SHr7vOfLzx6XS5hQpPUqBi4MlKK6GhZXclWkhJptEDLdkRHhDg-L6KjihweSJahSJ3uKXjNBYtgK7O4g0lXDrw8zzwvjGMR4312U5XrWFnB4azEcm5MQOS5DALMF3Mdy0T8hkTBWI/s1600-h/May+31,+2009+139.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342400860047757618" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 276px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 206px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAv0SHr7vOfLzx6XS5hQpPUqBi4MlKK6GhZXclWkhJptEDLdkRHhDg-L6KjihweSJahSJ3uKXjNBYtgK7O4g0lXDrw8zzwvjGMR4312U5XrWFnB4azEcm5MQOS5DALMF3Mdy0T8hkTBWI/s320/May+31,+2009+139.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">ugh at him instead! In all seriousness, we are so excited!!! My kids ADORE all their aunts and uncles and are thrilled to get to be the older cousins! </span></div></div></div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-40636995973274924942009-05-20T11:18:00.000-07:002009-05-20T11:28:28.741-07:00School's Out<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKr3YyX0Qlz-5bCZe6IA5wJ4BVDaBM-8s-r3Zm7EEd8oSmlgThXu6zZJoH0OuAMVfRtyTwVL-uzDzx8uOWwTGMUGKKLTypkxI9O_VXs5Sc_MRO9Cjovy4_a8fI1Sc-PKfs9KOxfZ_3PQ/s1600-h/May+20,+09+227.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337973684480780034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKr3YyX0Qlz-5bCZe6IA5wJ4BVDaBM-8s-r3Zm7EEd8oSmlgThXu6zZJoH0OuAMVfRtyTwVL-uzDzx8uOWwTGMUGKKLTypkxI9O_VXs5Sc_MRO9Cjovy4_a8fI1Sc-PKfs9KOxfZ_3PQ/s400/May+20,+09+227.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><em><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Honestly, I have not forgotten my blog. I just went through a few weeks of not really feeling like I had much to say. But I have quit a few posts up my sleeve that I hope to get on here in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, I wanted to share some new pictures I took of my three precious kids today</span></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. With homeschooling, we miss "picture" day at school, which saves me money, but we have to make a special effort to be sure we are getting what we call "school" pictures. In this case, they are spring pictures. I prefer the outdoors anyway and would rather find a nice park instead of a fake backdrop of a tree. So, here are my sweeties!! In the pictures above, they are all three celebrating the fact the we have finished another year of school. 180 days in the books! Enjoy!</span></span></em></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTiCimhWlwv17PwcA2BsXm9bL6En0N63wUGHrUUvMMx82tdbvQOvfVRdiqxB0LTcROHv4ppsXA0zjl6pQeRAw2-Sv7BgzeB_Nbx5FfINMfx8DUbtWUctrNSMGNaktLz8quNvE5cL1ybW4/s1600-h/May+20,+09+075.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;"><em><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337972993914020274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTiCimhWlwv17PwcA2BsXm9bL6En0N63wUGHrUUvMMx82tdbvQOvfVRdiqxB0LTcROHv4ppsXA0zjl6pQeRAw2-Sv7BgzeB_Nbx5FfINMfx8DUbtWUctrNSMGNaktLz8quNvE5cL1ybW4/s320/May+20,+09+075.jpg" border="0" /></em></span></a></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTiCimhWlwv17PwcA2BsXm9bL6En0N63wUGHrUUvMMx82tdbvQOvfVRdiqxB0LTcROHv4ppsXA0zjl6pQeRAw2-Sv7BgzeB_Nbx5FfINMfx8DUbtWUctrNSMGNaktLz8quNvE5cL1ybW4/s1600-h/May+20,+09+075.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;"><em></em></span></a> </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1IilIV5CO58IHfiVlFtIFtdKHiL9v_wggJXv3rLQuXl1x8yZUmNGEkIqpOD2jreNUkqsMtDxvbkETlF4qfpaRNm5mf8873UyfjB38WwsPq8N3cwtZ_I4WxsIHvw2Mo5nX3aPfQwcVfrs/s1600-h/May+20,+09+203.jpg"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337973214476804818" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1IilIV5CO58IHfiVlFtIFtdKHiL9v_wggJXv3rLQuXl1x8yZUmNGEkIqpOD2jreNUkqsMtDxvbkETlF4qfpaRNm5mf8873UyfjB38WwsPq8N3cwtZ_I4WxsIHvw2Mo5nX3aPfQwcVfrs/s320/May+20,+09+203.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337973522561293634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSe7qpipYrdYYvKBgoCG-mZVw0vM_T4oRFU8HrG7-SMG0AZ0oGmUbmbLvE2CjOT_Mhu5E_rKytapDMVyhgTo-dnkeqKDlGsoM_iHrc3EvaXZw9996cKuL3IgE_uvK0JON1chY84JpR7uo/s320/May+20,+09+121.jpg" border="0" />Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-66455226506057552032009-03-15T19:28:00.000-07:002009-03-15T19:30:34.979-07:00Confession<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I have to make a confession….get ready…it’s big. I have to confess that I have always longed for one gift that God did not give me. I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ve</span> always been jealous of people with this gift and have secretly wished I had it all my life. It’s the gift of music….specifically, being able to sing. Now, it’s not that I don’t have vocal chords and a fully function mouth, etc. But God just not gift me with the ability to make all these parts sound the way I would love for them to sound. I can sing, but it’s not the kind of thing you want to listen to necessarily. (My kids are gracious to me sometimes in the car!) However, I truly love to be able to lift up words of worship to my Father. Today, I had the rare privilege, thanks to some precious</span> <span style="font-family:times new roman;">friends, to have about three hours alone. Yes, with no kids and no husband. Just me and the dog. And she might have wished she were somewhere else too. </span></div><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><div align="justify"><br />I contemplated all the things I could do in three hours. Nap, watch a movie, exercise, go to the store, hang out at a coffee shop, read, write, grade papers, scrapbook, visit a friend, make a phone call, write a blog, check my e-mail, etc. I opted for worship…not the kind you do in a padded seat on Sunday morning. The kind you do while you are cleaning the house. I don’t get this opportunity very often anymore, but one of my favorite things to do is to blare some praise music while I’m cleaning house. First of all, it makes the job seem less of a nuisance and more of a joy. Second, it passes the time much more quickly. Third, it allows me to enjoy the music I want to listen to as loud as I want to. (I’m sure my neighbors are pleased!) and finally, it allows me to sing. I can sing as loud as I want to and guess what? It sounds wonderful!!! At least to my Father. </div><div align="justify"><br />I’ll write about this next part in depth later, but my music of choice today was a hymns CD from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Selah</span>. I love their voices and I love many of the old hymns that my children have never heard of. It was so refreshing to just think about God’s goodness and blessing on my life, to remember His sacrifice for me and to think about all of His perfect plans for me. I know, not necessarily what you always think of when scrubbing a toilet, but I got to use my “secretly longed for but won’t have this side of heaven” spiritual gift and God completely blessed my afternoon. Anybody want my kids tomorrow?</span></div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-70858826923369960902009-03-14T19:38:00.000-07:002009-03-14T19:53:34.623-07:00Life<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>The simple fact that I have not blogged in three months says one thing....life. Life has been happening all around us, moment by moment, since Thanksgiving. We enjoyed a wonderful time at Disney World with my family that week, and came home to life. Life seemed to creep into every crack and crevice in our lives. Nothing earth shattering has happened, nothing devastating, nothing that we can't move past or work through. Just life. We've run the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">gammat</span> of a relatives surgery, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">another's</span> ER trip, revelations about our kids abilities in school, ups and downs in ministry, allergies and illnesses, mission trip planning and going, sports and so much more! </em></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em></em></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>God has been so awesome to get us through these crazy, busy months and has been so faithful to continue to show us so many wonderful things about His character. Through this time of life, I was able to finish reading through the Bible. Yep, the whole thing! I started in the late summer of 2007 and was kind of on and off while getting going on it, and did not finish until February 2009, but the point is, I finished. And it truly changed my life. I have such a clearer picture of God's plan for humanity now and am so much more in love with Him. And I've already started over. Just finished Job...oh yea, someone else who really experienced "life." Glad my God is with me through ALL of it! </em></span></div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-57190760122577805052008-12-16T10:32:00.000-08:002008-12-16T10:41:23.580-08:00<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Wow! It's hard to believe it's been nearly two months since I've written on here. Seems like life has been crazy and the time has flown by. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We spent a year planning a trip to Disney World over Thanksgiving with my whole family. It was such a great trip and wonderful time together. It was far from being a restful trip overall, but we made some wonderful memories that week. I've really grown to treasure these opportunities for time together. We are not promised tomorrow, so I love it when we get the chance to do something different together. We were all very thankful to be together during that time of year, and to enjoy the gorgeous FL weather.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Now, we are preparing to celebrate Christmas. We will get time with both of our families as well as some dear friends, and we are all excited about this special time of the year. One of the things I am most excited about this year, beyond the time with family, gifts, celebrations, etc., is that I am almost finished reading through the entire Bible, chronologically, for the first time in my life! I got a little behind this fall, but have a plan to finish by December 31st. I've always known God's word was life changing, but have experienced it so much more this year. I finally understand so much more about history and how all the parts of the Bible fit together as a whole. It's truly amazing! I can't wait to finish so I can start over again on Jan. 1!</span></div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-85279361363567424452008-10-25T14:58:00.000-07:002008-10-25T15:02:54.215-07:00Three Little Pumpkins<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8y2Z4T-OKUWw_jICMeLwjVJDue2ePrqZpLPltPg8njI7iJjX1CVhYPN5avyE7ZvNGYtRuCutNKtKVLKG_-Jys9QdgBDJBX4W3lXhcpy5K2bN1cxtb4L-HaZ-x-HN8NKf1wZhrPt2PL4/s1600-h/Oct1908+712.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261215260518057586" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8y2Z4T-OKUWw_jICMeLwjVJDue2ePrqZpLPltPg8njI7iJjX1CVhYPN5avyE7ZvNGYtRuCutNKtKVLKG_-Jys9QdgBDJBX4W3lXhcpy5K2bN1cxtb4L-HaZ-x-HN8NKf1wZhrPt2PL4/s320/Oct1908+712.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>My favorite time of the year has always been fall. I love so much about it, but especially, since having kids, I've loved the annual trip to the pumpkin patch. Thankfully, a nearby church in our area hosts a pumpkin patch each year as a fundraiser. This year was year number eleven for our family to visit it. Our oldest was only ten months old the first time we went. I have treasured these picture so much every year, although it is getting harder each year to get my son to cooperate for pictures. We usually start our trip with a lecture in the car about how we WILL smile when mom says to. Of course, we still have to go over this rule several times during our visit. Just wanted to share here one of the pictures from this year. Obviously, my son was ignoring the rule in this one. That's okay, these will come back to haunt him one day. :}</div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-86477492093278394572008-10-15T06:00:00.000-07:002008-10-15T07:35:08.283-07:00Happy Birthday Baby!<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aAilgR_dm0LBOrr-2OpMeJeBq17PhcuIfMLHmj2FG2G01p2JlILG8etMLoLQhI1sx6kROP8Z8xn9Iy0EAfVncwWMtOE9XEDvmdbEM6uihhI1sgw7Lax95fcdJ7EHv4CMkctX_kgEKPY/s1600-h/Oct0108+132.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257388961819431826" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aAilgR_dm0LBOrr-2OpMeJeBq17PhcuIfMLHmj2FG2G01p2JlILG8etMLoLQhI1sx6kROP8Z8xn9Iy0EAfVncwWMtOE9XEDvmdbEM6uihhI1sgw7Lax95fcdJ7EHv4CMkctX_kgEKPY/s320/Oct0108+132.jpg" border="0" /></a>Today my baby turns 7 years old. I can’t believe how that sounds….to think my youngest child is already seven!!!! God has richly blessed us with three beautiful children. I am fully aware of what a treasure they are. I know that some struggle with having kids for years and never see that dream come to fruition. I know some have lost one of these little miracles and I am thankful for each day God gives me with all three of them.<br /></div><div align="justify"><br />On October 15, 2001, God gave us the blessing of becoming mom and dad to a little boy. I knew right away that this bond was different from the one I have with my girls. I can’t really explain it. I don’t love him more, just differently. He has always been such an easy, laid back kid. He goes with the flow, does not cause much trouble, is generally polite and easy to please. (Yea, don’t you wish you had one of those!) I am amazed at all God is doing in his young life. He’s smart and cute and has a magnetic personality, or at least seems to, based on the kids who want to play with him. I love his beautiful, big brown eyes, infectious laugh, and toothless grin. I love that he wants to hug me every day and tells me he loves me every chance he gets. </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">I think I’ve had a harder time watching my son turn from baby to little boy to big boy, knowing one day all too soon he’ll be a young man, looking for his place in a man’s world. I love watching all these stages, but am also sad knowing one day very soon, he won’t look to me for comfort or attention. And one day he’ll give his heart to another woman….and she better be really nice to me! </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><br />But today, I will celebrate seven. Seven years of joy, hugs, and love from this amazing little boy that calls me mom!!</div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-10995806250408299162008-10-13T08:00:00.000-07:002008-10-13T08:00:00.714-07:00Bucket List<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I don’t know if you’ve seen the movie the “Bucket List” or not, but we watched it several months ago and it really got us thinking about what we want to do in life. The premise of the movie is two men who are terminally ill decide to fulfill all the things they want to do in life before they die. I know, it’s a little morbid maybe to think about, but really, if we never write down the dreams we have, how will we ever see that some of them at least come true. John and I have been talking about some of the things on our own bucket lists, but we’ve also talked about starting a family list. Maybe not of things we want to do "before we die", but just of life dreams. Things that are easy to fulfill, things that will take some work, planning and saving, and things that are likely to never happen but are fun to dream about. So, what’s on your bucket list??</span></div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-82169978724313587572008-10-11T08:00:00.000-07:002008-10-11T08:00:00.794-07:00Why I Homeschool<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:85%;">Several </span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;">weeks ago, a friend of mine who is brand new to homeschooling, asked me how I answer people who ask me why I homeschool. That’s such a great question and one I asked as well before we started this journey. It is a question that does not have a right or wrong answer and is different for everyone. I told her the basic reasons I give. Here’s why we homeschool.</span></span></div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><div align="justify"><br /></span>1<span style="font-size:85%;">. The week I believe God began working in my heart to homeschool, a good friend of ours reminded me how little time we actually have left with our kids. That thought rolled around in my heart for several days and one day, I felt like God spoke into it and told me I could homeschool. I had always admired people who could do it, but never really thought it was for me. I was wrong! I do believe God lead us to homeschool for the first reason of really being with our kids. We have time with them in ways we never could have otherwise. We were so tired of the eight hours of school, then 2-3 of homework, and rarely having time for conversation. When we saw things in their lives we needed to work on, it was put on the back burner while we finished a project or homework assignment. Now, we stop and deal with a character flaw immediately. No more burners!</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><div align="justify"><br />2. We are able to talk about God’s word and this wonderful world He created every day. Basically, we homeschool with a biblical perspective. Honestly, I don’t use the Bible during math. I am sure there are ways to incorporate the Bible in every single thing we do. I don’t….but I know they are getting FAR more than they ever would have gotten on the road we were headed down.</div><div align="justify"><br />3. I am now in tune with exactly where my kids are educationally. Whereas before, I had no control over what they learned, the pace they learned or what they needed extra help in, I now know everything they’ve learned and heard in a day…which makes us all be able to talk to each other more intellectually. I know what they need to work on or where they can work more quickly to move ahead instead of waiting for 20 classmates to catch up. </div><div align="justify"><br />4. It’s truly amazing. I can truly say I never imagined getting to be part of something so incredible with my kids. We have fun learning each day. We have lots of challenges, and some tears occasionally, but we laugh, we are amazed together and we experience wonder in all God is showing us all the time.</div><div align="justify"><br />5. My kids are getting to have a relationship with each other I don’t think they could have had otherwise. Does that mean they are perfect angels with each other….yea, right! They still argue and fight daily. But they also help each other, learn from each other and play together through imaginations that are expanding because their world is expanding. </div><div align="justify"><br />6. Are they getting enough social time? Are you kidding!!! Anyone who knows my kids, especially my eldest, knows this could never be a problem. I’ve sat amazed at times while at friends houses in the way she gives adults instructions. My kids have a blast with each other and they treasure the times they get to spend with friends. No, it’s not every day and I do have to be intentional about it, but I think they value this time a little more now. Plus, they are getting to participate in activities only available to homeschoolers. </div><div align="justify"><br />7. We are committed to homeschooling year by year. This means I have never felt that God had called us to this for their entire schooling. We are praying about it each year, but so far, we are all very happy and would not trade what we are doing for the world!<br /></span> </span></div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-14192340311464216272008-10-08T08:00:00.000-07:002008-10-08T08:00:01.651-07:00Take Me Out To the Ballgame<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">I’m so</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">proud of my son! He’s in his fourth season of playing baseball. He started at the age of three with t-ball and played again the next two years. We took a break last spring after being exhausted from basketball season, but promised him we’d try fall ball for the first time. He’s now playing coach pitch. He absolutely loves it.</span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Now, when I sign my kids up for things I enjoy knowing all the costs up front. I paid for baseball, believing that would be the only cost incurred. However, I was soon to be educated on the needs of a six year old coach pitch player. Apparently, the same bat that worked for t-ball is no longer suitable for coach pitch. It is also now a necessity, at least in my son’s mind, to own batting gloves. And the ball glove that has not stretched nor shrunk really needs to be replaced by a larger glove, even though the size of his hand is no bigger. New cleats were also in order since the night he wore his old ones to practice, he came home with huge blisters on his feet. What a great mom I am!!!! </span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">So, I reluctantly agreed to some of the new purchases, and other’s we mutually agreed to wait on. I’ve learned after nearly 14 years of experiencing the inner world of a man, that men need different things for every sport. How rich I would be if I could just come up with a shoe that worked equally well for basketball, running and golf. Because of my 14 years of training, I am slowly accepting the fact that every new venture my son takes on will likely involve a new this or that since the old one just won’t do. And though this may cost something, he sure does look cute in his uniform, but don’t tell him I actually said that. I am not allowed to point out how adorable he is while he’s up to bat, or that he’s just too cute standing on 1st base. At the field, I am serious business and only point out things about his technique, or what a great job he did batting. I try not to comment on the sounds and smells I find in the dugout. But no matter what, he’s still my baby and he always will be.</span></div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-82955975875548939982008-10-06T08:00:00.000-07:002008-10-06T08:00:01.320-07:00Unbelievable<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">About eleven years ago, God began to tug at our hearts regarding church planting. John was in seminary and I was working at a church that in its short lifetime, had already planted over a dozen new churches. I had always considered church planting to be something people did in Africa in huts. Though this can also be true, I was far from understanding all God was up to right in our backyard. </span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">We finally decided this was what God had called us to and began the process of seeking a place to plant. This was not easy, knowing God could have sent us anywhere, and we were trying hard to be open to that. About that same time, our future sponsor church was praying about supporting its first church plant and the pastor happened to be one of John’s best friends. They began praying about whether this was the right place and partnership. I am so thankful it was. </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><div align="justify"><br />I will never forget the last Sunday at our church in Texas. I remember standing near the back, probably because I was holding our first baby, who was only about five months old, and listening to the music and wondering how long it would be until we were able to stand in a room full of people and worship like that again. I felt in some ways that it would be forever.</div><div align="justify"><br />Those first few months were not easy. John began knocking on every door in our neighborhood, then in surrounding neighborhoods, meeting people and developing relationships. It was hard for me, because I was home with a baby and knew no one. </div><div align="justify"><br />A bible study started in our home in early July and by September we were able to move to an office building. We had about 40-50 people attending at that time. Those months were hard on me since I was now also pregnant again with our second child, a huge shock just after getting settled in our home. I was the only childcare worker for a short time and would barely make it through the morning service before I was sick again. But we knew even through the difficult days, God was up to something much bigger and better than ourselves.</div><div align="justify"><br />A few months later, our public worship services began in an elementary school. Of course, we came into this whole thing with a vision and really big dreams. I believe those are two different things….we had a vision that God wanted to use us to reach our area, but our dreams maybe did not always line up with that. We thought we’d see a church birthed over night, with hundreds of people within the first few weeks. We soon realized we had to let go of some of those “dreams” and trust God with the vision He’d given us. The first few years seemed painstakingly slow at times, but God was truly changing lives and families. People came and went during that time. We grew deep relationships, some of which exist today and mourned over the loss of some of them. </div><div align="justify"><br />After what seemed like an eternity, God blessed us with our current “permanent” location. We were thrilled to finally have a home base for ministry. God grew our character through difficult steps, through mistakes we’ve made, through things we’ve gotten sort of right along the way, and through the advice and teaching of so many Godly men and women. I can’t say it’s all been easy or that it’s always even been fun. I can say we’ve honestly NEVER thought about throwing in the towel. We’ve believed the vision God called us to since day one, trusting Him for every step along the journey. There were times we did not know where the next dime for ministry would come from. There have been huge faith steps along the way and at times, we’ve shuffled along in faith rather than taking big leaps. </div><div align="justify"><br />It’s unbelievable to think it’s only been ten years. Sometimes, we feel as if we are just getting started. At other times, it feels like a lifetime. The only way it really becomes real to me is when I look at my almost eleven year old and remember how tiny she was when it all began. </div><div align="justify"><br />Having grown up in a Baptist preacher’s home, I’ve known the joys and challenges of living in a minister’s family my whole life. And yes, around my senior year in high school, I believed God called me to be a pastor's wife long before I ever met John. As a kid, we were in some churches full of wonderful people who loved the Lord, and who often showed their love for us as their pastor and family. However, we were also in places full of darkness where there were few if any shows of gratitude. In fact, we were in some places all of us would love to forget. </div><div align="justify"><br />That’s why I can never fully put into words how much it means to me to be in a place that really cares about its pastors. We’ve never looked for or expected any kind of "appreciation." In fact, based on my experiences growing up, I’ve been shocked to see that it can exist. But our sweet church body has blessed us tremendously time and time again just with sweet expressions of love all along the way. I have to admit it is a little hard to accept and we feel a bit undeserving, but it is deeply humbling. Most of us are used to receiving gifts only when we are in need or on a special occasion. This month, our church is digging deep in the way it shows love to us. We know it’s a sacrifice for them. But we are so honored by their love. Thank you North Point! We love all of you guys so much and can’t wait to see all God has for us as a church the next ten years.</span> </div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-23256128267192871942008-10-04T10:12:00.000-07:002008-10-04T10:17:16.553-07:00Saturday Morning<div align="justify"><span style="color:#003300;">I’m enjoying a beautiful, cloudless fall day outside on my deck. I love hearing all the birds chirping, especially now that we have bird friendly backyard thanks to several new bird feeders and baths for science projects. The kids and I have really enjoyed becoming birders lately and trying to name all the new wildlife around us. In the distance, I hear lawn mowers running probably for one of the last times this year, kids biking on the walking path, and the sounds of several tennis games being played on the courts just outside of view. All my windows are open and my house seems to be saying thank you as it drinks in the morning air, refreshing itself after a long, hot summer.</span> </div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="color:#996633;"><em>I love this time of year. I have since I was a kid. I love the changing temperatures, the awe I feel as I see the changing colors and the change in my family. Everyone seems to be able to breathe a little deeper, taking in the freshness of cooler, shorter days.</em></span> </div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="color:#666600;">That’s what I love about God. Every time I breathe in his word, it refreshes me. Every time I take a look at all He’s done for me, I am awed. I never walk away from receiving a little more of Him and not be changed.</span> </div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><em>Yesterday I had the incredible opportunity of spending the afternoon with my favorite person on the earth….my husband. We had about four solid hours on the boat together, without kids. The weather was gorgeous, a little warm, but a nice breeze. He fished for four straight hours, I read for four and occasionally we had a little conversation. That’s what I love about us. We used to think we had to find all kinds of things we both loved to do and could only do those things. The problem was, our interests and tastes are often very different. But I love this place in our marriage, where we finally accept the differences and rejoice in them. We know we can both be totally content being together, yet enjoying our time from two different perspectives.</em></span> </div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">I enjoy my time with God in a similar way. Sometimes, it’s unfortunately all about me. What I need, what I want, what I did not get. But He patiently listens, and talks to me in quiet whispers, waiting for me to shut up and listen. Other times, I’m just still, listening. Sometimes He’s also quiet and we can just enjoy that time together, soaking up the beauty of our time together. Other times, I am desperately pouring my heart out to Him, crying, begging for help and answers. I don’t always get the answers I am looking for, but I am always comforted. <br />Enjoy today….take time to smell fall, see it, feel it, take it all in. God is so good!</span></div><div align="center"><br /><em><strong><span style="color:#660000;">“The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17</span></strong></em></div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-48598909691893970982008-09-28T09:36:00.000-07:002008-09-28T09:37:35.062-07:00The Least of TheseI just returned from an awesome weekend at the Women of Faith conference in Atlanta, GA. I spent a weekend with 34 other beautiful women from North Point and enjoyed time with friends both old and new. We worshipped together, cried together and laughed together as we sang and listened to incredible women of God sharing their lives with us. There were many “take away” moments from the weekend that I may write about in future blogs, but none stood out as much to me as the one that happened outside the walls of the arena, away from the spot lights and loud music.<br /><br />On Saturday, several of us walked outside as a group to pick up our boxed lunches. We searched around to find a place to sit to enjoy the nice temperature. We had to walk down to an area a little outside of where most conference goers were sitting, near a stop for the public transportation. This meant that there were many “non conference” people passing through. Before we even sat down, all of us noticed two men who appeared to be homeless, sitting about a 50 yards away from us. One was stretched out on the ground, seemingly unaware of all the people around him. The other sat in a plastic chair beside him, several bags of his personal items propped nearby. <br /><br />As we sat down, I had feelings of guilt at all the people scattered in the area, eating right in front of him. He was shabby looking, not at all kept or clean. He watching everyone around him, very observant of people. I felt sorry for him.<br /><br />I’d love to say at this point that I hopped right up and sacrificially gave him my lunch. But I did not! If I have to be honest, I must tell you that my first thought was that I probably should be setting a good example to all these ladies with me since I was their pastor’s wife and all. (Real self serving, huh?) The second thought that crossed through my mind was not what would Jesus have me do, but what would my husband have done? He probably would have taken him a lunch. I wish I was as good as him. As I wrestled with these thoughts, one of the ladies with our group did go over and use her lunch ticket to take him a lunch. Wow! I probably should have done that. While she was gone, a lady from another church also took a lunch to him, which he set down beside his friend who still seemed a little out of it. <br /><br />All of this was neat to watch, but the best was yet to come. I watched as he moved his friends lunch up closer to him, trying to get him to wake up, and making sure they both had equal food to eat. Soon, a lady from another church, came near where we were sitting with a large stack of Styrofoam trays to attempt to put in a trash can a couple of few feet from us. We watched her struggle, not able to get them in through the small opening at the top. Again, I ‘d love to say I got up to help with a servants heart. No! I sat, eating my lunch and still thinking about how sorry I felt for this man and trying to pretend not to smell the area around us, which we had decided early on was probably a rest room for men like these.<br /><br />As she walked away to find another trash can, I saw this man running towards her. I was sure he wanted to save the trays to rescue any remaining food so I again felt guilty for not sharing mine. How wrong I was!! He ran over to her, gently took the trays from her hands, walked over to the trash can and actually took off the dirty top of that filthy can so that he could stuff the trays into the trash. I was amazed. Here was this man…somewhat unsightly, clothes hanging on him, hands filthy, unshaven, walking around in only dirty socks, no shoes in sight. He did what none of us would dare to do. He was acting as a true servant. I certainly was not going to risk getting dirty under my nails or on my clothes to take off this trash can lid. <br /><br />Again, a few moments later, I watched as he came to the trash can to stuff down more trash, almost as if doing some house cleaning. His hands were covered in dirt, fingernails dark from not being washed. He stood only a few feet from me. My friend offered him her chips and I passed some fruit to him. I looked him in the face as he took it graciously, thanking us, and walked back to his seat. I realized for that moment, looking into his eyes, that I did not have pity on him….but perhaps him on me. <br /><br />I do not know this man’s name. I don’t know his story. I don’t know if he had a spot to lay his head that night. I don’t know if he got to this place as a result of life’s hard blows, or from a series of his own poor choices. As I’ve had time to come home and get some rest, I’ve realized it does not matter. I felt like I looked into the face of God that day. Here was a man who acted out of compassion, with a true servants heart. He did not sit and ponder what he should do. He did not look around to see who was watching or worry what others would think. He did not look down at his clothes to determine how he could help in a way so as not to get messed up. Here he was….dirty, ragged, already probably at one of life’s lowest points, yet he acted humbly to meet a need at the very moment he saw it. I am ashamed that I could not do that same. I am touched by this man who I will never see again. He taught me at that moment far more than I ever could have imagined. Father, help me not to stay the same!!<br /><div align="center"><br /><em>Matthew 25:44-45<br />“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a </em></div><div align="center"><em>stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ </em></div><div align="center"><em>“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help </em></div><div align="center"><em>the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’</em></div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-3643874887672869002008-09-22T18:53:00.001-07:002008-09-22T18:57:19.529-07:00Getting RealJohn asked me and our Associate Pastor's wife to share a testimony on Sunday about how God has used our accountability group in our life over the past year. Those of you who know me well know that John was the one gifted with the speaking ability, not me, so this was totally out of my comfort zone. But, I thought I'd share with you the script of what I shared on Sunday.<br /><br /><div align="center"><em><span style="font-family:times new roman;">"I accepted Christ at the age of six while growing up as a preachers kid. <br />I’ve been in church since birth and have heard most Bible stories at least<br />once, some of them many times. I’ve grown in my walk with Christ<br />through many seasons of my life….high school, college, being a<br />newlywed, seminary, learning my role as a wife and mother and then as a<br />pastor’s wife. The season I’ve been in for a little more than a year has<br />been one of those big spiritual growing times.<br /><br />Almost two years ago, I was asked if I wanted to be in an accountability<br />group with several other women. Accountability was something I’ve<br />learned about all my life and always thought was great for “other people”<br />to do, but never truly considered as something I personally needed. I<br />thought being in this group would probably be a good thing, but never<br />really thought I could be really transparent, open and honest with other<br />women. Today, I am so thankful that God brought these ladies into my<br />life and allowed this group to begin. It has totally changed my life.<br /><br /> A year ago, if anyone from North Point had asked me how my quiet times<br />were, I would not have been able to reply honestly that they were great. <br />In reality, they were few and far between. The truth is, I’ve spent many<br />of my adult years being really good at playing the part of a Christian, but<br />not necessarily living it out in my daily life. I wanted to grow, but was not<br />putting in the time necessary to do so. I had enough head knowledge to<br />pretend like everything was all okay.<br /><br />God has used a group of very special, godly women, in incredible ways in<br />my life. I know I have a group of sisters in Christ that I can share life with<br />in deeper levels than I ever imagined. I now am seeking to know my<br />heavenly Father in a deeper, more intimate way than ever before. I don’t<br />get it right all the time, and know that I never will, but I know these<br />women are going to ask me each week how my quiet times are going, or<br />how I’ve treated my kids, or how my relationship with my husband is<br />going. And I have to answer honestly. <br /><br /> I’ve been reading through the Bible in it’s entirety for the first time in my<br />life and continue to seek God’s will each day for all He has for me. I now<br />believe that being accountable to others is an essential part of a believers<br />life. It’s not something that is meant to be punishment or to be afraid of.<br />It’s not about getting a slap on the wrist because you messed up. It is a<br />joy and an honor and I would encourage Christ followers to seek out<br />accountability relationships with other believers. </span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I promise you will not be the same!"</span></em></div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-44742410305632682352008-09-17T13:33:00.001-07:002008-09-18T06:36:08.854-07:00More Fish TalesOkay, we went into this whole fish ownership thing with me believing that all you had to do to keep fish alive was feed them and keep the water clean. When we purchased this fish tank in June, I thought we had spent the most money we would need to spend on the initial setup, and all it would involve from here on out was restocking the fish food pantry. Wrong....<br /><br />We purchased this tank, with help from our kids from their "fish fund" they had been saving up and immediately realized we needed decorations to make the tank look realistic. I am not sure what is realistic about fish swimming in circles all day in a 16 gallon tank, but I was as equally excited as my kids about making it look beautiful. So, we purchased gravel, a glow in the dark corral type piece (in case they need a night light), some fake plants and a very large rock piece which I do really love. However, this rock needed a pump so that bubbles would come out of the top of it. I guess there are many rocks in the sea that actually have bubbles coming from them? But, I liked it and it adds to the atmosphere. Of course, extra tubing was also required to make it fit.<br /><br />So tank, decorations, and pump in hand we set up the tank, filled it, and soon added our first five fish, followed by three more the next week.<br /><br />I have now learned that it is necessary to own a vacuum to suck up all the stuff that the filter did not get up from the bottom of the tank. This process also involves a large bucket and usually some amount of water that has been spilled onto my carpet.<br /><br />Then, when several fish died, including our two favorite dalmatian fish, we learned our chemical levels were all out of whack so it would be necessary to "upgrade" our filter. Apparently, the filter that originally came with our tank was only suitable if you were never going to actually put any fish into the tank.<br /><br />Next came the need to purchase a chemical testing kit. I had been assured that this could be done for free by taking a water sample to our local pet store and having them test it on the spot. However, I guess it is more fun to get to play with test tubes, so we now have a test kit.<br /><br />Then, two weeks ago, we discovered that one of our fish had babies. We found one little speck of a fish still alive at the bottom of the tank, but think mom may have dined on the rest of them. How sad!! This one we were not able to save, but a week later, discovered another tiny baby. Now, I have to add that we knowingly purchased three females and one male to see if they would have babies, thinking this would be educational and fun to follow. A couple of weeks after purchasing them, we started to noticed the females had put on some "padding" shall we say. One of our females looks like she could pop open at any moment. Of course, the male is swimming happily around, skinny as a rail. (Isn't that just how it is!!!)<br /><br />So, I came home one night this week from my accountability group to discover that we now have a nursery floating in the top of the tank, which housed the largest female at the top, and the still tiny baby in the bottom. Who knew!!! I also began to look closely and noticed an algae eater that had not been there earlier that day. Would you believe all three of my kids denied having been to Pet Smart that night with their dad??? And we wonder why I had a lying issue with one of them yesterday?<br /><br />I have now resigned myself to the fact that we need a line item in our budget labeled fish and that I would do well just to rearrange my furniture so that our fish tank can be viewed from every seating position. I do believe the people at Pet Smart have probably handed my husband a store key so that he can just come in and get what he needs anytime. And I am quite sure there are many more fish "necessities" that I have yet to hear about. But I do have to admit, it has been fun watching them and watching the excitement of all of our family as we see changes to them each day. And I love the peaceful sound of trickling water coming from our sparkling, new super filter!!<br /><br /><em>(After posting, we found three more baby fish in our tank this morning...two were added two the nursery. We lost site of the third. Did I mention these fish give birth to live babies, and can have 20-100 every couple of months?? Yea, I think next time we'll call all male. But it is cool!)</em>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-60030325911074649062008-09-17T13:33:00.000-07:002008-09-17T19:33:42.063-07:00Faith of a Child<div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I am so excited to be seeing the first signs of fall….a cool night last night and a pleasant day today. The first signs yet that the summer heat will eventually fade away. Fall has always been my favorite time of the year and I anxiously await the cooler days.</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">I had the great privilege of spending about an hour with one of my three favorite kids in the world today. We had the rare opportunity to take a long walk, just the two of us. With three kids and homeschooling, this does not happen as often as I’d love it to. But this was a great chance just to talk…one on one….without the interruptions of siblings, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">tv</span>, play, etc. To protect this child’s identity, I’ll not refer specifically to him or her. But after we’d been walking for awhile, I asked the question, “So, what has God been showing you lately?” To preface the response, I have to tell you that we spent part of our school morning with this child dealing with a lying issue that happened this morning. We talked about it, prayed about it and awhile later, a very repentant, tearful child had a very different countenance.<br /><br />The answer I received to this question was this, “God showed me I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ve</span> been doing some bad things lately.” I asked what God showed him/her to do about it and the reply was, “To start walking a different way.” Wow!! It seems so simple. We are breaking God’s heart, the Holy Spirit convicts us of this, and we just repent….we turn around and start walking a different way. Not veer slightly off the path we were on, not slow down or speed up, not sit down on the path and hang out there until we decide to move…no, we turn around and start walking a different way. I was really blown away by this child’s depth at that moment. He/she never realized how powerful that was for an adult to hear….it just seems simple. It’s what God tells us to do. If only we could all have the faith of a child all the time!<br /><br />We did go on to talk about how that is sometimes easier than at other times and how our pride can get in the way and make us want to keep doing what we were doing. But I was very blessed today to get to spend some time walking with this sweet, child of God, and anticipating the change in seasons and marveling at the change of heart I’d seen today.</span></div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-33046695993854903462008-09-05T16:52:00.000-07:002008-09-05T17:05:14.749-07:00And then there were seven...As I've talked about previously in my blog, we were <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">coerced</span> into purchasing a fish tank this summer by our sweet children. We successfully kept all nine of our first fish alive for about two months. One green fire tetra, four red wag poly's, two neons, and two dalmation fish. Last week, while cleaning out the tank, we discovered our first loss. One of our little neon fish had perished. I had warned my children not to get attached to the fish as they had short life spans and would probably not be permanent house members. I also knew our record of plant growing in our house so these poor fish were not looking too lucky. So this first loss was not a big deal.<br /><br />However, we've noticed the water looking really cloudy since that cleaning and wondered what was causing it. A water test today at the pet store showed the water to be not exactly friendly for our fish. We knew we'd be cleaning it out again tonight. But sometime during dinner, one of my personal favorites bit the dust. He was a black <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">dalmatian</span> fish and I really liked him and his sibling, a white <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">dalmatian</span> fish. They had longer tails and fins they kind of flowed in the water, and though they sometimes appeared a little aggressive or domineering towards the smaller fish, they were really fun to watch. I knew I went against everything I told my kids....I got a little attached and admit to feeling a little sad after our discovery. <br /><br />So, my kids being the great kids that they are, decided we needed to bury the fish and have a service. (I think the first one just got flushed!) All five of us attended....in our pajamas...under our deck in the backyard as we placed the fish in his final resting place. Our precious dog Boo was nearby. The kids thought this was really sweet that she wanted to be part of everything. I think she wanted to remember the spot for a late night snack! But we said some parting words, my son placed some flowers, and we went back inside. The tank is on the way to being clean again, and now we have room for our next victims.Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-19360379567957065152008-08-29T18:05:00.001-07:002008-08-29T18:12:16.460-07:00How Times Have ChangedI laughed tonight when I walked in my kitchen and caught this site at the bar. My ten year old was talking on the phone to a close friend while they were playing together "virtually" on Webkinz world. Remember when we just rode our bikes to our friends house, with no cell phone to cal<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIaszE76gs-lMsJK16xYSxtl8WOPATNAykQhO2U3Abb1rfS-tmn1dhwGmVjeWFLGowyoJP_FZAjtdjfO25V_xE9WTbFQCBp9kPjKsV7oYx2aQ4sZsAXxFIllzK5E8Le80vipbF1vkfCTc/s1600-h/Aug29-08+012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240111581634977874" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="214" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIaszE76gs-lMsJK16xYSxtl8WOPATNAykQhO2U3Abb1rfS-tmn1dhwGmVjeWFLGowyoJP_FZAjtdjfO25V_xE9WTbFQCBp9kPjKsV7oYx2aQ4sZsAXxFIllzK5E8Le80vipbF1vkfCTc/s320/Aug29-08+012.jpg" width="292" border="0" /></a>l home with and no computer to check our e-mail before we left and multi-tasking was a foreign word??? Wonder how her kids will interact with their friends? Maybe by then, they will be back to riding their bikes to their houses.<br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-65629250109414242072008-08-28T06:08:00.000-07:002008-08-28T06:14:04.384-07:00My Favorite Parenting Tool in the BoxI’m going to share my secret to parenting. It’s such a great secret that you won’t find it in any parenting books. In fact, you’ll find that many parenting books would advise against it. It's just one word….bribery!<br /><br />Yes, I am ashamed to admit it, but unfortunately, this is a tool we pull out of the toolbox more often than I’d like. Sometimes, you just have to do it. Most of the time it works, sometimes it fails miserably.<br /><br />On our last Disney World trip, my son was about 4 years old. His all time favorite Disney character has been Buzz Lightyear. I was very excited about getting his picture made with Buzz, Woody, etc. One evening, we finally saw Woody next to a line of kids eager to get his autograph. For some reason, my sweet son put his foot down and was not taking his picture that night. I was not leaving DW without this picture, so I finally did what most of us never admit to…I offered him a dollar if he’d take the picture. He said okay and got in line. During the picture moment, he seemed happy and I stood thinking how proud I was that I had gotten him past his hesitation and that when he was older, he’d look back and think how thankful he was to have a mom who pushed him so that he had that picture to treasure. How wrong I was....as soon as the picture was over, he walked straight to me, put out his hand, and said “Now I want my dollar.” So much for treasuring!<br /><br />Bribery works in many different ways and forms. A few weeks ago, we were having our family picture made with my entire family. My sister and I have had a tradition for many years of taking a picture with our little brother (much to his dismay) standing in the middle of us while we kiss him on the cheek. He’s such a sweet brother to allow us to do this, or knows it’s more dangerous to fight with us about it. We even did a picture like this on his wedding day. So, I decided it would be so cute to do this picture with Nathan and the girls in front of us doing the same thing. Now you have to know that Nathan HATES for anyone to kiss him other than mom and dad. Even his sister’s kisses are off limits. So of course, he flatly refused. I begin to slowly tug on my toolbelt. I offered a dollar, then two, deciding that would be my limit and what six-year-old would turn that down?? NO! That was his answer. <br /><br />Before I knew it, John stepped in and started upping the ante. First it was an ice cream cone at Marble Slab. What was he thinking?? It was almost dinnertime??!! But, if it got us the photo, I would oblige. Out of nowhere, I realized he was offering the child a Wii for Christmas if he would take the picture. Can you believe it??? I wanted the picture, but really, at what cost?? And would you believe this kid…who DOES really want a Wii…completely turned it down and would not take the deal!! Thankfully, this was an example of the bribery card not working out. <br /><br />So, on those days when pleading and begging just is not going to cut it, speak your child's true language. When they are young, it's usually easy to do with a food item, but the older they get, the more it can cost you. <em><span style="font-size:78%;">(Disclaimer: I have absolutely nothing biblical to say about bribing your kids. I'm quite sure it's not the best parenting tool to use and most experts would agree it's not best for your kids, but hey, if it works.....:})</span></em>Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6181013280751262197.post-854001423145949772008-08-20T13:36:00.000-07:002008-08-20T13:39:45.211-07:00HookedEarly in marriage, I learned from various books on the subject, that one of the needs of men is to have recreational companionship with their wives. This was something we found difficult in the beginning, as it seemed we had been created in two different worlds. But as the years have gone by, we’ve found common interests in several areas. We both enjoy working out at the Y, we love Carolina football, going bike riding as a family (when it’s not too hot) and participating in or watching any sport our kids are in to name a few.<br /><br />However, my husband does have some passions that I am less than passionate about. At first, it was golf. A sport I find pointless! Thankfully, though he still plays occasionally, he found other passions that were more budget and family friendly. His biggest passion as far as hobbies go is fishing. He’d be on the water daily if life allowed. (He says this sentence should read “if wife allowed it.”) I love that he enjoys something so much, but have thus far been unable to personally get excited about fishing. He keeps telling me if I’d just try it, I’d really like it. I am quite sure I am always going to be happiest with a book and a suntan.<br /><br />Wanting to really show how much I love him and want to share in each other’s passions together, I went with him (and the kids) to a fishing event last weekend. There was a professional tournament in town and we went to check out all the activities going on. I must say, I was amazed at the number of people (including women) who love fishing even more than John. To say I was a fish out of water is an understatement….I had no idea what all the guys at the booths were saying as they explained their latest and greatest lures, I could not name you a single type of rod and reel and I have no idea what type of engine goes in what type of boat. <br /><br />But…I did get great joy though out of seeing my husband act like a kid in a candy store and my kids act like, well, kids! I had fun watching the kids shoot in a paint ball booth, attempt to “surf” and drive the boat simulator. I’ve now heard the national anthem sung in a sporting event I never really realized existed and am the proud owner of a Wal-Mart coozie, Yamaha hat and various other “useful” items that I could neither name or explain. And though I am no more “hooked” on fishing than I was a week ago, I do have a little more appreciation for my hubbies passion, and I’ll be perfectly happy with him fishing the next time we’re on the boat (hopefully without the kids) as long as I have my bag of books and a mountain dew!Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15590070481622750228noreply@blogger.com0