A Challenge To Younger Women from Revive Our Hearts

Was listening to Revive Our Hearts and was very challenged by this. Thought I'd share.

On Revive Our Hearts today Holly Elliff said:

Let me issue a challenge to those younger women, maybe moms, who think they don’t have time to start becoming an "Anna." Let me encourage you that you do. Look for, pursue those little moments, whether you’re sorting dirty socks or in the car waiting . . . .

So what you’re not going to have are those large blocks of quiet to pray, so don’t wait for those. But you will have tiny moments of quiet. Sometimes I have to go in my closet to get those, but you’ll have tiny moments of quiet. So take advantage of developing the heart to be an "Anna" as you get older.

But it doesn’t start when you’re 50. It starts when you’re 20-something, or whatever age you are in-between there and 81, like Miss Dorothy. It starts as you develop a heart after God and start applying those truths to your life even in little spaces, so that by the time you have more space, eventually . . . unless God gives you a bunch of kids, and then it’s long time before you get space!

But take the moments you can find. It’s not so much the amount of time; it’s the direction of your heart.

Listen to the whole "talk" here.

Christmas Pics

Merry Christmas to all!

Sorry, we never got around to sending out Christmas cards and pictures this year.

Praise The Lord

I went to the O.B. today and she told me that I don't have to be on bed rest but that I can resume normal activities but not to do anything extra like working out, working in the yard, or prolonged shopping trips!

For those who don't know . . . we had a little bit of a scare. I started having contractions on Saturday when I was bringing my mom home from the hospital (of course she does not know they started then because I think it would cause her to be more stressed & cause her blood pressure to continue to rise). They slowed down when I napped that afternoon but started up as soon as I woke up from my nap. That night we started timing them while laying down and they were about 10 min apart - which was a lot slower than they had been. They went away after a few hours of laying down and then we went to sleep.

I woke up Sunday very sore but decided that we should still go to church. I took it very slow getting ready and sat most of the morning - while Clay got the girls ready. Then we went to church. I started having contractions again after walking across the parking lot and taking Micah to her class. I don't know how close together those were - but much closer than ten minutes - seems as if they were right on top of each other. We got home and Clay fixed lunch and took care of the girls while I laid down. When I was still having contractions about every ten min at around 3 we called the nurse hot line and she called the doctor on call. I was then told to report to Labor & Delivery. We spent several hours there in a labor room monitoring my contractions and the baby's heart beat. After getting some rest their they sent me home to rest for 2 days with only doing what was absolutely necessary and not being on my feet for more than 20 -30 min at a time.

So, today the doctor checked to make sure I have not dilated - which I have not. She then told me to resume normal activity and to let her know if the pain of contractions gets a lot worse or if I have any other signs of going into labor. She said the contractions were probably a result of all the stress we have had and that it is not abnormal for me to start having contractions this early with my third pregnancy. I just hope they don't continue like I've had them because my stomach and back has stayed pretty sore over the last few days. But I guess only time can tell. The baby's heart also sounds great and I am measuring right on the 25th week. So things are looking good!

Thank you to those of you have been praying for this situation - as well as for Gabriella and my mom.

Blessed With A Wonderful Husband

I have a wonderful husband. God has richly blessed me through him. Clay has always been wonderful with helping take care of the girls when he is not at work. He is always thinking about putting his family before other obligations and taking care of us first. But in these last few weeks he has been such a servant in a time in which I have really needed him - and he has done it without complaining.

First I must say that the first probably three months of this pregnancy he has been such a sweetheart to bring me breakfast in be as we have tried to conquer the nausea that this pregnancy brought. Which means that he would also get up with the girls and get them breakfast on most mornings.

Clay has been such servant to
- rush to the doctors office to help me with the girls when he found out that we were in the
middle of having Gabriella tested to see what was making her so sick.
- take off while Gabriella was in the hospital to help ease the burden that was put on me.
- take off from work when he found out that my mom was having surgery.
- clean the house & take care of girls while I was at the hospital during my mom's surgery.
- take care of the girls while I took my mom home from hospital.
- he then took care of the girls most of Sunday while I tried to get some rest.
- do laundry while i have been on "bed rest" these last two days.
- clean up any dishes that we have gotten dirty.
- get the girls their baths
- help get the girls in bed.

Now, it is not unusual for him to help me out around the house. But I know these last few weeks of having a sick kid, projects winding up at work, hospital stays, and a wife having contractions at 25 weeks and being put on short term 'bed rest' has been extremely hard on him. Yet he has been a trooper and I have not really heard him complain.

God has truly blessed me with wonderful, gracious, servant of a husband.

In the Trenches of Motherhood

I am exhausted.

Today makes day 6 of Gabriella running a fever from 101 - 104 and her feeling yucky (with no answers from the doc except that its something viral).

The three days prior to her getting sick we were out of town due to Thanksgiving.

Micah was sick a few days before that with a slight fever and she was extremely whinny.

I am tired . . . .

Prayers are appreciated.

Leaving A Legacy

That is what it is about, right? Leaving a legacy for Christ. Not a legacy of money or fame or a good name - but one for Christ. That's why as parents we are so concerned about traditions, and teaching our kids to memorize scripture, teaching them Bible Studies, and discipling and disciplining them in the Lord. We want our children, and our grandchildren, and our grandchildren's children (all the generations that may follow after us leading up to the return of Christ (if He does not return in our life time)) to be grafted into the family of God through the blood of Christ.


Here is a link to a blog that has three videos of Dr. Voddie Bauchamn preaching about this concept. These are the best I have ever heard on the subject. I will say I love these sermons but I don't know anything about him more than what I've heard on these sermons.

They are well worth your time to listen to. I listened while preparing dinner and his sermon made me laugh at how ridiculous our society is and cry as the Lord used some of the things he said to convict me.

Memorizing Scripture

In my years since having children, I have been extremely disappointed in my ability to memorize scripture. But a few months back I saw a blog about Scripture Memorization with a really neat video on a guy quoting scripture as if he was actually the one delivering the orginal sermon recorded in scripture. Read and Watch This Video - It is incredible.

I put into practice with the girls memorizing passages instead of single verses. I have really seen a difference with Micah and I being able to learn scripture. For those of you with younger children, know that Gabriella loves listening to us do this. She always gets a huge smile on her face and watches us with big shiny eyes.

Micah is also learning a lot of scripture through CBS. If you have young children and have the time to get involved in CBS - I highly suggest it. It is one of the best preschool programs that I have seen on getting kids to memorize scripture.


In the last 3-4 months Micah and I have learned these scriptures through this method. I know it does not seem like a lot - but it is a lot better than I was doing.

Ephesians 6:1-4 (Gabriella has the word "honor" down when we say this verse).

Psalm 139:14 (I know it is only one verse - but we did this because Micah seemed to be struggling with wanting to always be Gabriella and she never wanted to be herself. So we learned this verse to reinforce how special she was.)

Psalm 95:1-5 (We are trying to see how much we can get memorized before Thanksgiving. Micah and I are also trying to learn the verse before Daddy does. I am not doing as well as I would like - but Micah can just start saying parts of it - and is doing way better than I am. )

Through CBS Micah has learned many verses in the last couple of years. They put memory verses to nursery rhyme tunes. I still have to sing the song to get the scripture and verse correct, but Micah does not have to sing it - she can just say it.

Since my children can remember nursery rhymes and little songs like that with out any effort -I see it as prime time to be getting these scriptures ingrained in them. I truly see how they are little sponges soaking up anything I give them. So I want to feed them as much TRUTH as I can.

For all you Joel Olsteen fans out there

I found this audio on SermonAudio.com and just loved it. It's a contrast between the preaching of Joel Olsteen and Paul Washer. It's only about 15 minutes, so enjoy...
http://playmp3.sa-media.com/media/111507142380/111507142380.mp3

Gabriella's Prayer

Gabriella has been saying lately, "Mommy I pray." Then she is listing things to pray for and wants me to say thank you and say whatever she said.

But tonight it went like this:

Thank you God - Jasmine, elephants, Tigger, Colby (I was having trouble understanding what she was saying. I thought she said Cody, so I would ask her if it was Cody and she would keep repeating it over and over. I figured out that it was Colby when Micah finally translated for me. When I repeated after her Colby, she then continued.) Kennedy.

She then decided to jump and asked to get out of the bed.

It is so precious watching them learn to pray.

Christmas Traditions

My friend, Jenna, has started a discussion on Christmas Traditions and Santa Claus. Most of the discussion so far has centered around to do or not to do Santa Claus. She asked us to share our traditions - but since my response about Santa was so long, and I wanted to ask some of you what traditions you have in your homes to keep Christmas Christ - centered - I decided to do my own post on it.


Traditions in our household include:

The lighting of the Advent Candle Wreath.

Unwrapping a "present" which is a book related to Christmas every night preceding Christmas. We read the story to the kids and will talk about the book as much as they want. Some of the books are the story of Christ birth, some are legends about Santa Claus, some tell the truth about Santa, and some are just about how different families celebrate Christmas.

We give each kid three gifts to represent the gifts the three wise men brought Jesus.

Reading of the Christmas story before opening any presents.

This year we are going to try something new. We have been working on memorizing passages of scripture as a family. I have been meaning to post on this subject for several months. But starting after Thanksgiving, we will start reading the Christmas story from the Bible every night at dinner. My hopes are that Clay, Micah, and I will memorize most of it by Christmas and that Gabriella will be familiar with it. I will have to share the key that I have found to getting Micah (and me) to memorize scripture with y'all soon.

I also started this last year: I either have everything cooked by Christmas Eve or we eat a pop in the oven pizza for lunch on Christmas Day. I know it sounds silly - and even makes me sound lazy. But if I don't do this - I will spend the whole day stressing on making a big production on a meal. I then miss out on sitting still and giving thanks for the wonder of the birth of Christ and reflecting on Him. Secondly, I miss out on creating special family time with the family. It is kinda like making time stop - by not having to deal with all the normal duties - and savoring the day of Christmas.


Traditions we wish to start this year or as the kids get older.

A night of Christmas Caroling with good friends and hot chocolate.

The telling of the Christmas story on the felt board. I really need to get busy making all those pieces because I want to start this year.

Making a soft bed for baby Jesus (I have been wanting to do this with my kids for over 10 years - when I first read about someone else doing this with their family.). You set up an empty manger somewhere in the house for baby Jesus. You tell the kids that baby Jesus will need a soft place to lay when He comes on Christmas Eve. Then you all draw names of those in your family. Everyone has to secretly do kind things for that person for a week - or how ever long you decide, before you draw different names. But for every kind deed done, the person who does the deed gets to put a single piece of straw in the manager. The hope is that by Christmas it will be filled with hay for the baby that you will lay in the manager on Christmas Eve night.

The reenactment of the Christmas story - complete with makeshift costumes and stuffed animals.

What are your family traditions?