Noteable accomplishments

Last Friday the girls recieved their yellow belts in Karate. They were actually set to recieve their yellow belts before we went on vacation, however, our plane left before they could attend the 'moving up' ceremony. Getting them to smile was quite a challenge!

They test every 5 weeks and if they have worked hard and put forth effort at home and at the studio, they recieve a stripe on their belt. I debated on posting pictures everytime they recieved a stripe and figured it was a bigger deal when they actually have more the share! The instructor offered to give them their new belts right when we got back, but we all agreed that it would be more fun to be apart of the ceremony.

It is also great for the kids to see the other people, young and old, who have worked hard to their accomplishments. Here are some pictures of their ceremony/class!

Some new family members

We told the kids that once we returned from our trip to WA, we would look at getting another dog. This was not a new idea because the kids were told that once we got to Florida we would look at getting another dog, however, knowing that we were going to be gone for a month and not really finding what we were looking for before now, put that on hold.
They had been asking for another dog for 2 reasons: 1) to give Hershey someone to play with and 2)So my younger ones will be able to snuggle with a dog. Abby and Ben are both allergic to dogs but, thankfully they are not so allergic that they can't take an allergy med. for it. I know that sounds horrible to put your kid on medications so they can have a pet, but I can't describe how relentless my kids are. For some crazy reason they got on the "I want a dog kick" a couple years ago, then got my hubby on board and despite my best arguements to say no (even threatening allergy shots) they agreed to whatever it took to get a dog in the house. Especially since where we used to live it seemed like those hypo-allergenic dogs would be very spendy! We prayed about Hershey before getting her and I am so glad that God just knew she wouldn't be hard on their allergies!
We did know that if we were to ADD to our family with animals they were going to HAVE to be a hypo-allergenic breed. I don't have the money to pay a puppy mill for a dog, nor do I care to keep them in business by buying a non-mut dog from a pet store that keeps these puppy mills in business. Since the economy is still not very good here, there are tons of animals that get surrendered for no other reason than they can no longer afford to feed them. I figured it might take a couple weeks to find what we were looking for. However, we visited all the shelters in town on Thursday and at the last one we saw these 2 sweet girls. Granted I only wanted ONE more dog, however, since this was a mom and daughter pair, the refuge didn't want to separate them. I guess their surrender was a very sad situation so they thought separating them would not go well for either of them unless they went with each other. They seemed a little scared on the first day so we went out with Hershey the next day to introduce them and see of they might click. They were a bit friendlier that day which was very neat.

Meet Curly Sue (on the bottom), she is the momma, and Permy (on the top), she is the daughter. They seem to be adjusting well, however it might take them some time to get adjusted to dog food. When they came into the shelter the people were having a hard time getting them to eat anything, so one of the employess brought some of the 'dog food' she cooks for her animals at home. This was consistent of greens, whole wheat pasta and ground beef so they got pretty used to this diet. Still not sold yet that I will cook for them so I am praying they will begin eating kibble soon?

Pondering my puzzle pieces & God's plan

Jeremiah 29:11-13
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Romans 5:1-5
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
For many reasons, I have been pondering these verses lately. What immediately caught my attention is the fact that our worldly definition of ‘prosper’ is so off base and opposite to the Lord’s. I looked up the word prosper, however in the KJV, the word that is used is Peace. When I dig deeper into that word peace, in Hebrew it means rest & safety. DUH, kinda sounds like another way of saying peace? After reading the first verse, I can see how awesome it is, that all I have to do is understand God has plans for us and all we need to do is rest in His plan. Seems simple enough right? He promises the end result of doing this is sweet intimate fellowship with Jesus and that He will hear our prayers which provide Him direct access to our hearts. (My paraphrase) With that kind of direct access, comes a yielding heart that is moldable to His plans over our own.
Then my mind slips into the realization of the second scripture. While God does have plans to give us peace and keep us from harm, He never promises that life will be easy. This is sometimes where my “heart to heart” kinship with the Lord gets tested. Many times, God’s plans have periods of refinement that do not FEEL like peace or safety. Dyeing to self through whatever circumstance is usually painful. Many times, those periods when dying is the only option that serves the greatest purpose, became so much harder because I got distracted with how I felt about dying. Just as a baby cries when they have a dirty diaper, we adults can kick against the Lord’s plan when the process gets uncomfortable. We question God’s process eventhough we KNOW He desires peace, rest and safety for our lives. Sadly, this is where kinship and the Lord’s direct access to MY heart gets muddled by self-loathing.
Hence the reason for this verse:
Philippians 4: 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
If testing our faith produces a temper tantrum, isn’t is so awesome that God knows exactly what we need to do, to get right back on track. This verse functions a bit like the tazer/stun gun that cops use to disable a criminal. It jolts them out of their stupidity to get them to comply. This verse stings to the heart to get our eyes off our petty problems and onto the Lord. He is so faithful to keep it simple, for simple folks like myself. After all, God’s ultimate goal is very dis-similar to that of a police officer. He desires a heart that is more than just compliant. The ultimate goal of the Lord is not forced manipulation to achieve the task at hand but restoration. He wants that fellowship back that willingly offers Him humble obedience and that direct heart accessability again.
How come the knowledge that God HAS a perfect plan that suits our best interest, is not enough? How come that concept is not something we cling to while persevering through the refining process? Since not much has changed since the fall of man, I suppose it is much in the same manner by which Adam and Eve KNEW there was ONE tree they were not to eat from but ended up hanging out by that tree? Knowledge is not really good for anything unless it is preceeded by a trusting in, relying upon and clinging to, relationship with Christ.
As God begins to unfold His Plans to “prosper us and not to harm us” in whatever manner He choses to do this, I am praying for our family. That in the midst of His plan, to have yielding hearts that will hold fast through whatever refinement is necessary to achieve things He desires. Counting the cost of following Jesus in the times of comfort is never any challenge. However, when you begin walking according to the Lord’s plan you become a target for spiritual battle. Ergo the need to for this verse of which I am making my memory verse:
Ephesians 6: 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

What are God’s plans for you this year? Do you think He is calling on you to count the cost, in ways that you don’t care to be stretched out of your comfort zone? What scriptures have helped you when you were being stretched persevering through refinement? Feel free to share if you have any words of wisdom!

Going home again

I know I have been silent for a while and it has been due to a mixture of reasons. In July, I was finishing up school with the kids, getting yearly evaluations done, (state requirement for homeschoolers in Florida) and getting other things in place. I was also making preparations to come back to our family’s home city & state, to rest for a while.

We got to visit family members & close friends that we miss dearly. I have lived in that area since the age of 11 and the kids were all born there, so it is still considered ‘home’ to me. It was just the kids and I that got to go back and my hubby had to stay here in Florida and work since he didn’t have the vacation time available. Even the kids, when faced with the decision to do something fun like Disney World or come back and see family/friends, chose to come visit our former home. We planned to be away for the entire month of August to catch up with and spend quality time with the folks that have meant so much to us and are still a great encouragement. What an amazing blessing! It was so refreshing to see/hear the familiarity of cousins playing together, sharing family stories and old friends sharing their hearts about what the Lord is doing in their lives. It was very relaxing to be in our home church that holds fast to the boldness of the word. Where folks are encouraged to ask for prayer from the whole body, share praises of how God is working in their lives OR get answers from our pastor about where they are reading in the bible that isn’t making sense…….. It is one of the ways our very large church still gets that sense of community with one another as we share in each other’s questions, burdens and victories! Where if someone shares something they are going through, someone else who recently went through something similar can then come to them and share how God brought them through it.

One thing I have always admired about our pastor is his ability to keep it simple while challenging the more mature Christians to dig deeper and make sure he is right on. He is the first one to correct us when we think to highly of Him and gives all the glory to where it is due! You never even have to guess his sin areas as he is the first to point them out to show us he is no different than any of us. He is the first one to ask people to call him Steve rather than ‘pastor’. He says people get weird if you have to be called pastor and can’t be approached as a fellow believer. The title of a pastor is a grand responsibility but doesn’t make him better than anyone else who also loves Jesus and desires to be used by the Lord is less visible ways. Being humble enough to admit his failings puts everyone at ease knowing that no matter how much you grow as a Christian, there is always further growth to be attained! That we are all sinners saved by grace, no one more holy than anyone else! My hubby and I are so fortunate to have served under his leadership to get a great foundation in our own relationships with the Lord. (He would be pretty embarrassed to know I was blogging and telling the world about how awesome he is since not only is he pretty modest but he also knows that it is God that has accomplished these things through him. However this still doesn’t change the fact that I appreciate him so much that I think he may forgive me for expressing this appreciation? Maybe?) If you don’t have this kind of teaching at your home church, but want experience what I am ranting over, you can always listen to him at this site: http://www.calvary-tricities.org/studies.html and download his studies in MP3 format for free!

Anywho, back to our visit........... We were able to see my family and the many people we hold near and dear to us here in the Tri-cities. It wasn’t just blood family members that we looked so forward to visiting with, but many of our church friends that have adopted us and we consider to be family members. Many of these sweet folks were responsible for spiritually parenting me in my late teens and early to late 20’s. The days when I was ‘Too wise in my own eyes’ to listen to my parents. They were faithful to rebuke me when I needed it and show me the truth regardless of if I liked it at the time. In their wisdom, they knew that the truth was a far greater gift than making sure I felt good about what I heard.

I got to see some very special brothers in Christ, who came alongside a man that had no clue of his need for Jesus. However, once he was told of God’s great love for him by these faithful men, had a thirst for Him that was unquenchable! They put up with his un ending questions, hung out with him as he struggled to figure out what this new life in Christ meant, discipled him when he was faced with temptations. In doing so, they played a huge part in making him the man that I later married!

Saying goodbye to all the folks that we love so much was pretty painful and filled with tears for the kids and I. Cousins, adopted ones from church and related were really hard to let go of! However, it was a great reminder that no matter how many miles separate us from those wonderful people, the bonds that Jesus forms together will never be lost, regardless of time or distance! This was proven when relationships just picked up where they left off! For this reason, I am in AWE of how much we are so amazingly blessed by this fact!

There are many things about this place that are so near and dear to my heart, however, at the same time I know it is no longer my ‘home’. Don’t get me wrong, if God said we could move back, there would be NO hesitation! We would find our niches, re-join in all the places we were active and even find some new places to minister where God could stretch us. However, while I will never forget the people, the teaching we grew so fervently under and the standards through which God grew a body from 30 people to 3000, it was a chapter in our lives that is no longer what God has in store for us. While we are still uncertain of the reason why we continue to be in Florida I do know for a fact that we are suppose to be there. Comfort has never been a word used to describe this journey, however, God’s plans rarely have anything to do with our comfort. They mostly entail further purification and dying to self. While speaking with one of my friends back there I was trying to describe this strange place we find ourselves in. The best way I could describe what God was doing with us here was to tell her that this journey is basically much like a 1000 piece puzzle. Eventhough we only have maybe 10 pieces to the puzzle, there is still so much that God, in His divine wisdom, just has not revealed to us quite yet. So our task at hand is to be in His word, prayed up and seeking Him continually. If we are diligently doing this, we will be able to receive the next pieces of the puzzle to His will for us!
Instead of spilling the beans on what we do know and try filling in the blanks with possibilities of how these pieces fit into the grand plan, it is better just to remain silently steadfast in prayer to ask for direction. Some interesting things are on the horizon, that are both exciting, yet scary as we continue to seek the Lord and desire to be used by Him to accomplish His will and not our own. I thank the Lord every day that it is HIS burden to carry the WHY’s, WHEN’s and HOW’s, so that all we really need to do is rest in Him.

Some Poetry

Ever since we have stopped our formal schooling/schedule I have found Michaela at the computer...... She just finished a section of 'How to write a poem' in her English. She apparently wanted to try to do some on her own, without the pressure of it being an assignment and just to have some fun! I told her that once she was finished I would share her work on my blog. Love the randomness of a child. Here ya go!


PEOPLE

Some people are pretty, some people are nice
Some people give others,good advice
Some people are disabled ,and some are sweet
Some people are mean , and they're not a treat
Some people are far, some people near
And some are deaf,thay can not hear.

BUTTERFLY

Butterflys are so pretty
I give them, not much pitty
They swing back and forth with glee
Showing there colors to me
It is easy if you know
How buterflys live, and grow.


GRASS

Grass is green grass is yummy
Grass is good for a bunnys tummy
Some grass is soft, like fluffy shirts
Some grass is sharp and it hurts
After it’s mowed, grass smells sweet
The little bunny likes the neat treat


DAD’s

Some dads are strict ,some are cool
Some dads like sitting, in the pool
Some dads are plump and some are skinny
Some are not, such a ninny
Some dads are nice or sweet
And some love to eat meat

In Debt We Trust ~ Scarey!

A friend of mine posted this movie on her facebook today. Although it is an hour & a half long, if you are not educated about HOW credit cards work, WHY they are so successful at making money (most Americans simply do not care to inquire about this) it is worth watching because the information is invaluable! Better to be informed AND educated about how credit effects your family, than simply ignorant or apathetic. After and hour it features the Democratic group ACORN and we all know how credible they have been. UGH! Although you do have to "eat the meat and spit out the bones" it is worth watching to get a well rounded view of how we can control our own economic health!
It is produced by a man that says he is bi-partisan and is a skeptic of typical media, but I will really appreciate his efforts once he makes a movie on how Obama was elected by the media!

Here is the desciption of the video:
In America's earliest days, there were barn-raising parties in which neighbors helped each other build up their farms. Today, in some churches, there are debt liquidation revivals in which parishioners chip in to free each other from growing credit card debts that are driving American families to bankruptcy and desperation. IN DEBT WE TRUST is the latest film from Danny Schechter, "The News Dissector," director of the internationally distributed and award-winning WMD (Weapons of Mass Deception), an expose of the media's role in the Iraq War. The Emmy-winning former ABC News and CNN producer's new hard-hitting documentary investigates why so many Americans are being strangled by debt. It is a journalistic confrontation with what former Reagan advisor Kevin Phillips calls "Financialization"--the "powerful emergence of a debt-and-credit industrial complex." While many Americans may be "maxing out" on credit cards, there is a deeper story: power is shifting into fewer hands.....with frightening consequences. IN DEBT WE TRUST shows how the mall replaced the factory as America's dominant economic engine and how big banks and credit card companies buy our Congress and drive us into what a former major bank economist calls modern serfdom. Americans and our government owe trillions in consumer debt and the national debt, a large amount of it to big banks and billions to Communist China.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9016886482738598023

The undivided heart

Is 43:18 "Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old.19 Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.
Are you living in the past? Or are you trying to re-create the past where you are? Some times when we dwell on things of old we miss the exciting new thing God has for us to do. When we try to re-create the past, it opens our heart up to resentment, to be critical or to frustration because the past is not meant to be re-created. Take time today to ask the Lord to help you not to consider the things of old, but to clearly see the new and exciting road He has created in the wilderness so you can walk in it.
(Unknown)
Our pastor sent this out to the church body the other day and it got me to thinking about the way we grow in Christ. We grow in our faith, from infancy (brand new believer) to mature Christ-centered adulthood. We actually may never reach spiritual adulthood eventhough this is the goal. It is a life long journey, yet sometimes we tend to look back and envy our past relationship with God and forsake the new growth He wants us to take hold of.

At first, as a new believer, we are so unfamiliar with God’s ways. We are newly re-born into unfamiliar territories, however, the overwhelming peace is confirmation that God is good and He will take care of our needs. God proves this in many small and large ways, when we are first saved so that we have instantaneous proof of His provision, goodness, and faithfulness to take care of us. He protects us from some of the repercussions of the poor choices we made before we came to know Him, by covering them with His abundant grace. He also allows us to suffer some of the consequences of these choices, so we will not turn back to make the same errors again. In His effort to keep us near His feet, He continues to protect us from further poor choices by surrounding us with older believers to hold us accountable while also limiting our temptations/circumstances to only what we can bear. We can rest in the fact that God will always have an ‘escape plan’ waiting for us if we do make a ‘wrong turn’. When we realize we are ‘in the wrong place at the wrong time’ and the current surroundings are dangerous to our re-birth in Christ, He is faithful to provide us a way of escape. Just as infants look to their mom to keep them safe, God so desperately wants to do the same for us. He will move heaven and earth to keep us from making choices that will harm us. He will woo us in this manner to capture our heart and so we learn to hear and trust his still small voice over the booming voices of the world around us.
After we grow a bit we become even more ‘mobile’ in our walk with the Lord. We are learning and growing through every biblestudy we attend, and at every quiet time invested with the Lord. Basically, figuring out how to shed the "old man" and become the new creature created in Christ’s image. We become quite aware that there is a serious spiritual battle going on around us, and the war is waged over our eternity. While exploring the world through our new eyes, decisions become a big deal where we truly begin to desire to be in the center of God’s will. Because the battle of the flesh and the spirit is still very new, we begin asking God to protect us from ourselves. It is clear that hearing His will for us is a learning process. How God wants to do things may be at odds with how we have always done them but that desire to follow the Lord is what God sees. Therefore, He is faithful to place road blocks to protect us from stepping out of His will. It is very much like a child who is learning to crawl and explore the world around them. They are ignorant to what is out there that might hurt them. So, we as parents, provide safe places for them to play such as a playpen or we put up baby gates to keep them out of places where they might be harmed. We use barriers/boundaries because we love them and they are not yet old enough to understand the dangers that an older child understands as harmful.
As they grow a little more, become more mobile, parents begin the training process. We begin removing barriers to teach discernment of right and wrong, safe and unsafe. Coming alongside them & train them to obey because it will lead them down a path of righteous living. We begin to teach them in the bible the WHY behind discernment of right and wrong. This is very similar to God training us in our walks with Him. Just like with our children it is a life long process of teaching, reproof, encouragement and love invested with the ultimate goal of obedience and an allegiance to Christ.

In the teen years, this is usually when God ‘shakes us loose’ from this dependence on the former ways of living out God’s will. Since teenagers tend to be fickle & flakey based on how they feel in the moment, this is another indicator that we need to be putting on the mind of Christ. We seek the Lord and He may not provide an instant answer. He asks for more of our walk in order that we further die to self so that be can really LIVE for Him. We, being teens, may chose to rebel when we don’t receive our answer immediately, by maneuvering in front of the Lord and then, expect God to again protect us from ourselves. When we do this, we risk our flesh getting too wrapped up in what we are pursuing. We grasp at circumstances to justify or confirm the pursuit. Finally, in a last ditch effort to "not go outside of God’s will", we then wonder why we are SO conflicted and not able to discern His will over our own agenda/circumstances.

In our walks with the Lord growing up is a longer process for some more than others. Some people remain babies for far too long and desire spiritual milk rather than the training process of discernment, reproof & seeking the Lord diligently. It is the spiritual weaning process where we are no longer caudaled in the decision making process. God has established enough of a relationship with us where we can begin to weigh all decisions on the basis of knowing scripture and seeking His will for the direction of our lives. It is also the time where He removes many of the remaining barriers in order to grow us up and teach us to seek and trust Him more.
It is confusing to see mature Christians resort to the things of old & the former ways of God working in their life. Asking God to place barriers where we should and should not go, when instead we should be asking for direction before seeking any opportunity. It is much like grown children asking to be given a bottle again. Once we have grown past our the toddler years in Christ and are spiritually eating solid foods, there should not be this unhealthy dependence to ask for the former relationship of barriers & limitations in our path to figure out God’s will. Instead we should be so intimate in our walk with the Lord, that He has every opportunity to make His plan for us abundantly clear. We can therefore, step out in an obedient confidence, through scriptural confirmation, that we are moving forward in His will.
1 Corinthians 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;
Hebrews 5: 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
God wants our loyalty to Him first……... He warns us to seek Him first, because He already knows our needs. If we don’t diligently seek and continue seeking to get an answer BEFORE following in our pursuit, God is not in it. Without God being at the forefront, we run the risk of becoming double-minded. The pursuit of God in an effort to follow His will is never the easy route, but it is the route that keeps us from have a flakey, divided heart.
James 4: 7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
Matt 6: 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 7: 7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!