Our Family Prayer

Ephesians 3:14-19

Date Night

I don't know about anyone else but we have been sick at our house since the end of January. My least favorite thing about two kids is that they piggy back cooties. As soon as one is feeling better, the other gets sick and then once they get better it's your turn! Next thing you know, we've all been sick for 6 weeks! Things are finally starting to calm down - Praise the Lord!

Tonight, in celebration of spending time with my big boy, Jackson and I went on a date. We had the best time just the two of us. We're always so busy with church and other activities that we rarely get to do anything alone. It was a special, treasured time. I encourage each of you to do things alone with each of your children. Even if it's just a walk or trip to the park, making time for our children is always worth it and sends them the message that they are worthy of your time and affection. I know I need to make time to do this more.

Last night before bed Jackson said, "I'm so excited about our date - I hope I can sleep!" How absolutely precious is that? I treasure these boys. And I really treasure that Jackson said he wanted to eat somewhere that had chips and salsa. He knows my love language.

Prayer Request

Please pray for our sweet friend Kelly. She is currently in the hospital with a staph infection. You can read more about it here.

For those of you who don't know Kelly (although I'm not sure how) she is a friend of mine from church and mother to two little girls 3 and almost 1. They need their Mom back home and healthy soon!

Pray for her husband Scott and all of the grandparents helping with the girls. Pray for the drs and nurses. Pray direction and wisdom and quality care.

We are believing in complete healing for Kelly!

Bah Love Bug

Last Wednesday our MOPS group had a Valentine's Party. It was from 3-5 on a Wednesday, which is a really busy day for us because of AWANA but I thought it would be fun for the boys so we went.

Neither of the boys napped ahead of time so I knew we would be pushing it, couple that with a bunch of sweet treats and you can forget about it. They did really good for the most part...until all of the older kids played a game and the prize was a pencil.

Jackson walked over to me all pouty faced and when I asked him what was wrong he said, "I didn't want a pencil. I wanted a toy."

I wanted to die y'all. Like, melt in the floor die. I was mortified, mostly because that is totally not who Jackson is. He is a sweet, caring boy who is always the first one to share with everyone around him. Needless to say, we left immediately and headed back home. Oh well, it gave us a really good opportunity to talk about gratitude. I know he is four and he was tired, but still, that response and attitude is never ok, I don't care what the circumstances. On a positive note we made some really cute crafts and have some fun Valentine's Day picture memories :)

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Mary, Did you Know?

Yesterday was an unseasonably warm day in February. I had an outdoor photo session at a local walking trail and since it was late enough in the day, Ben could watch the boys for me. The boys ran and played, threw rocks - enjoyed being boys. After the session I met up with them and snapped a few memory shots and then we headed home. Jackson wanted to jump of the bench (of course he did) and I thought it would be fun to catch the shot. He loves to talk about being able to fly. He gets that from Ben. I hate to fly and the thought of that super power sounds anything but super.

When I got home, I uploaded the images and was struck by this one. My eyes were immediately drawn to the crosses in the background and I was just flooded with emotion. It was like everything I am hoping and dreaming for my boys was right there in front of me. Oh how I LONG for the day when I can say with calm assurance that they have taken the leap for Jesus. I pray over the boys that God will call them, save them, do whatever He has to do to just keep them with Him for eternity.

Do you feel burdened for your children? Do you feel pressure to show them the Jesus they read about? I'm so horrible with accountability but I know that my boys are watching me. How will they know Jesus is real if I proclaim Him but act like everyone else? It's a lot of pressure and I can't do it on my own. I need grace just as much as they do but HE gives me the strength and He always will, if I seek Him and ask. Who knew that the two people who know the least about my struggles and failures would be the ones that keep me focused on letting God use me and heal me.

I used to cringe at the thought of anything bad ever happening to the boys, but I'm coming to realize that without the bad, where is the need for Jesus? My prayers have changed from "Protect them, Lord! Watch over them and keep them from any harm!" to "Do whatever you have to Lord to save them." Will it be painful in the process? Maybe. Pain isn't everyone's salvation road, but for some it is. Like Mary, watching Jesus carry the cross - it was painful. It looked wrong. She didn't know it at the time, but that painful road would save me. And you. And, some day, my boys. So until I get to see that official leap, that day they call Jesus King and Savior I will do as Lamentations 2:19 says and "Pour my heart like water before the presence of the Lord, Lift my hands to him for the lives of my children"

What a precious day that will be.

Scarrrrry

We don't do scary at our house. I just don't like really scary things and I don't let the boys watch shows with big, scary bad guys. I mean, the world is scary enough and I want them to be guarded as long as possible. And good grief, my oldest is only 3! But, even the sweetest of shows (Veggie Tales and Blues Clues) have scary-ish episodes. Of course, from just these small influences, the wild imagination of a child takes off running.

For some reason, Jackson thinks it's fun to tell scary stories to each other, ones that are not at all scary but are as scary as it gets to him. As you can see in this picture (that makes me laugh out loud every time I look at it) today he was telling me a big one. He had this big elaborate story about a ghost that makes playground equipment disappear - truly his worst nightmare! Then, it's my turn. He finishes his story with a big oooooooh and then giggles and says, your turn! Here was my scary story:

"Once upon a time there was a Mommy who was kept up all night by two little boys. She barely got any sleep and woke up super early and super tired. Then, as she slowly crept into the kitchen she realized there was NO COFFEEEEE!!!!! AGGGHHHH!"

Ha! Hope everyone had a great Tuesday :)

Our Weekend

I Took His Hand and Followed

Mrs. Roy L. Peifer

My dishes went unwashed today,

I didn't make the bed,

I took his hand and followed

Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,

My little son and I...

Exploring all the great outdoors

Beneath the summer sky

We waded in a crystal stream,

We wandered through a wood...

My kitchen wasn't swept today

But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade

And now my small son knows

How Mother Bunny hides her nest,

Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,

We climbed a sunlit hill...

Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,

We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected,

That I didn't brush the stairs,

In twenty years, no one on earth

Will know, or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy

To noble manhood grow,

In twenty years, the whole wide world

May look and see and know.

Lately

I am the worst blogger in the world! I post once every two months and I know everyone is wondering what in the world we are doing. Here is a recap.

It's so stinkin hot that we hardly do anything outside that doesn't involve water. Here is a picture of Jackson after he'd been in the pool, mid sentence. Because he has elaborate stories and talks non stop.

We have come down with some sort of cootie crud that will not go away. I started feeling down the Friday that we finished VBS and by the next morning I was so sick I went to the walk in clinic in my pajamas with my hair just barely pulled back. The dr kept saying, "I'm so sorry you feel so bad" which we all know is code for "daaaang girl, you are looking rough!" Ben took this picture after I had been in the bed for almost 2 days. Luke was missing his mama snuggles.

It has been two weeks since my dr's visit and even though I feel better than I did (praying for Jesus to return) I still have this inappropriate involuntary cough that interjects itself mid sentence, it has a life of its own.

Last Saturday we went swimming at my Aunt Regina's. We got to her house about 30 minutes after the power went out and it did not come back on until 30 minutes before we went home that night! The boys had a lot of fun and I'm glad we went because they woke up sick Monday morning and we've been stuck inside ever since.

We couldn't go to church this morning because the boys were still snotty, much better but still snotty. This afternoon we couldn't take it anymore and decided to take the boys to see Winnie the Pooh. We just found a nice little corner by ourselves and enjoyed being out of the house for a little while. We are so looking forward to not being sick anymore. I mean, good grief it's still summer!

My Bad Friend

Random fact about me: After our boys fall asleep I go in their room, cover them back up and watch them sleep for a few minutes. I just love seeing them all sweet and peaceful, something I rarely see during the day. I like to pray over them and whisper how much I love them in their ears. Then I make sure they know Jesus loves them. Even when their sleeping I want them to know how much they've always been loved and wanted. It's one of my favorite times of day.

I gave my testimony to our bible study group not too long ago and even though most of it was about an eating disorder I used to struggle with, a big portion of my life has centered around rejection. After I finished, my friend Berkli came up to me and referenced what I said on Mother's Day the Sunday before. In Sunday School, just two days before, when asked what we hoped our children would say about their parents 20 years from now my response was that I hoped they would know they were always loved and wanted. After I spoke at our Bible Study, Berkli simply stated that she now understood why that was important to me. And, honestly, it really is.

You see, my Mom and Dad divorced when I was two and I haven't seen or heard from him since I was 4, maybe 5. I can't even remember what he looks like. Over the years I've battled with some pretty big rejection over that. I've done some healing but when I had my boys it took a whole new turn. I just thought about how nothing in this whole world would ever keep me from seeing them. Not money, time, jobs, other relationships. Nothing. I'm already looking into where we are going to college some day. Ha! *kidding. sort of.

It just baffles me when I think about it. Though this blog post might lend you to think differently, I really don't think about it very much at all. Unless someone brings it up or I'm in a Bible Study Group being asked how God has shaped my life.

As most women in America do, I struggle with insecurity. Big time. My friend Nikki boldy sent me a copy of Beth Moore's So Long Insecurity because she and I both know I need to read it. I struggle with body image, being liked, being wanted, being worth anyone's time. wondering if I have any talents, if I'm replaceable. All things, that I'm realizing from this book are from life circumstances I've let take root in my life.

Maybe you don't struggle with insecurity, and Praise the Lord if you don't! But if you do, in any way, I recommend grabbing a copy and reading it cover to cover as soon as possible. No matter what your root is, we have a Perfect Heavenly waiting for us, never absent, always present.

Like Beth says, insecurity has been a bad friend and quite frankly I'm tired of it hanging around.

Wigley Boys

Mary Avery and I have been talking about taking pictures of her boys for a while now but every time we plan on it the weather does not cooperate or something is going on with our families. This past Saturday we finally just made the time to do it! It was a thousand degrees and we found out later that both boys were sick! Good thing they are both super precious so we got a few good shots of her beautiful boys.

These are my two favorites. I love that they are so different yet have that common look that lets you know they are brothers.

Top 25 Faith Blogs - Vote for Courtney!

I would love it if you would head over here and support my friend Courtney from Women Living Well in her quest to be one of the top 25 Faith Blogs on the net. How great would it be if a Christian blog was #1!?!

Vote every day until June 8th!

Matchy Matchy

I wonder at what point will they get tired of me matching them all the time and make me stop? I hope never. Yes, I said it. I hope they are 60 and wearing matching clothes. Don't judge.

Whispers

I put another three miles on these legs tonight. I managed a respectable pace, but. it's clear that I've lost a step or two since I ran distance in High School. The other night, I was telling Bethany, after you hit thirty, you are suddenly conscious of the odometer on your knees. You realize that it may not roll over as many times as you want it to, and you start to appreciate them more. I digress...

During my cool down, I walked to the end of the street- down where there are no houses. Just fields and sky. As I turned back toward home, my attention was upward. What a sky it was - golden hues of the setting sun ringed by the ever-deepening blues and violets of dusk. The fleeting tail of another glorious day. How had I missed that? How had that scene not stopped me in my tracks during the course of my run? I felt The Lord whispering my name...


Ben, look at this, isn't it something...

I stopped and stared because what else could I do.

The heavens declare the glory of God; 

   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

I think that about sums up my feelings. I needed to get back home and get things done. So many things drain my time at night- necessary and otherwise.  Still, I heard that whisper - Stop. Wait.

What is it Lord, what are you trying to tell me here?

So I just stood there in the middle of the street, in awe of that sky. I just took it in, absorbed it, tried my best to see it as if I'd never seen the sky before. That's when I heard Him again...

I did this in a day. What is it that you are so afraid to ask me?


Thirty minutes later, I'm still not exactly sure where God is going with this, but I had to jot this down before I forget. Maybe this is for one of you reading this too, and you need to ask yourself that same question.

We (self, that means you too!) get so entangled in our pride here on earth. It is all about us, isn't it? That's our deal, right? For goodness sakes, a few years ago, Time Magazine's person of the year was who? Yep, you remember - it was You. It was me, it was all of us. Says a lot, doesn't it? It's all about us. Tonight I was so into what I had just accomplished, so proud, that I missed the greatest love letter of all time, stretched across a limitless sky.

I'm glad that God still takes time to whisper our name and speak words of affirmation into our hearts.I encourage all of us to listen a little more this week.

Mother's Day 2011

I had SUCH a great Mother's Day weekend! First, Ben would not let me do anything. All weekend. I would try to clean or do a project and he would just lead me away from it, making me just relax...which is something I have a really hard time doing. I took his advice though and overly enjoyed myself. Saturday Kacy and I decided we would try our first 5 mile run. It was intense to put it lightly. This part is funny though - We got to where Kacy had mapped the trail out for us and there was already a race going on. When we got to one of the check points they thought we were racers and didn't know why we wouldn't go around the cone! It was funny - they did share some water with us though so that was nice. It was both of our first ever race crashing experience -ha!

Sunday Morning I was showered with way too many gifts by my boys. I got these two beautiful new plants, one from each of my boys.

Then I got a pair of flip flops - my favorites!

And then a gift card to a local spa - Ben is in trouble for doing so much!

I really wanted a picture with my boys, so before church we attempted a few. Some turned out good but as you can see in this one- they weren't having it. I just laugh when I see this because it is so true to life. Those boys do not want to stand still!

We had lunch at our house after church for my Mom and then dinner at Mama Fu's that night.

It was such a great day, I really didn't want it to end. I told Ben it was like having two birthdays in one year :)

Oh the places these will go...

Happy 17 Month's Luke!

 My sweet baby boy turned 17 months old this past Sunday. How is that even possible?! He is so rotten. You can't even tell that by these pictures can you?

 He has such a big personality and let's us in a new aspect of it each day. I can hardly keep up with him - sometimes he is very intense.

 He wants to "go" all the time and makes sure I know it. Sometimes he'll just grab his shoes and head to the door.

 He and Jackson have a very special brotherly bond. One minute Luke is hitting him upside the head and the next Jackson is giving him a kiss. They really are as different as night and day.

These two boys keep me on my toes - especially that wild 17 month old. I couldn't imagine our life without him :)

Confession

I have a confession to make. I have a boyfriend. We met up about 2 months ago and he has done wonders for my self esteem. I mean, who knew that one simple change could make such a big difference? Here he is – my teasing comb. He’s the best $5 I’ve ever spent. J

At church yesterday, a sweet friend said she loved the way I fixed my hair – words I never thought I’d hear anyone say! She asked me how I got it to poof up and I almost said, “Oh, it’s my boyfriend!” and then quickly realized that would not come out right – ha! 

Praise the Lord!

I should have written this post a few weeks ago but we have been so crazy busy with everything that I'm just now having time. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for our family - Ben was offered a full time job a few weeks ago and we are overjoyed that God chose to bless us in such a short amount of time.

Like I said before, our church family has more than taken care of us with food, prayer and anonymous blessings that have more than overwhelmed us. I have never, in all my life seen such Godly people in action. It was a blessing to be be a part of. So thank you for praying with us and for us. We are so grateful to everyone who has called, emailed, written letters, left comments and anonymously prayed. You really have no idea how thankful we are.

We serve a God who is able. No matter what your life circumstances. I was fully aware that He might not ever give Ben another full time job but I knew He would take care of our family and He did. Did you know that since Ben was laid off in late January we have not had to go to the dr one time? I'm sorry but with a toddler and 3 year old who are very active in church and social outings that is a miracle straight from His hands!!! We get insurance again next month and I'm so thankful that He carried our family through until then. I am aware that for the next few months we might come down with the plague :)

3.5

Jackson turned three and a half years old today. Sigh. How does that even happen? I mean, I know your children get older but they don't ever really get older to you. I see him now and think of this face. This sweet newborn baby. I remember how we struggled to get started nursing and then how we later struggled to get him to quit - ha!

I remember so many wonderful firsts - the first time I saw him, held him, knew my life would never be the same.

He has always been such a precious child and I'm so thankful to be his mom. I just wish he'd stay little forever. I love his sweet fabricated stories, crazy dance moves and the way he'll just randomly run up to hug me and whisper, "I love you Mommy" in my ear. He is growing like a weed - some 4T stuff is getting to be too short for him.

He read his first "real" book today. It had 6 pages each with 2 sentences on them and he sounded out each word until he read it. I mean, he's too little for that! He should still be learning shapes and colors or something. It just goes too fast for this crazy old mom :)

Happy 3.5 Bear! We love you.

Brothers

Look at this cute print I got for the boys that came in today! Here it is up close:

So cute and will be perfect for their room.