The day after our sunshine...snow was predicted! It didn't grace us with her presence until a few days later. But before the snow flew, I thought it would be fun to rake the leaves and let the kids have fun jumping and playing! And boy did they have fun! It was a blast! I couldn't stop laughing! Having kids is the best thing in the world. Talk about cheap entertainment! Watching them laugh and play makes my heart literally happy! 
How often do we complain? How easy it is to find something wrong! Why? B/c there will always BE something wrong with something! But the greater challenge lies when we overcome the fleshly desire to COMPLAIN and find the beauty that may be staring us straight in the face! It is there...I PROMISE! FIND IT! LOOK FOR IT!
God has been convicting me lately of being so negative...of complain...of judging others or ASSUMING things that 99% of the time, aren't even true! And He has challenged me through His word to find good...to look for it...and be a ray of light in this dark and cynical world! It is depressing to be so negative...not to mention being around negative people. But I have actually had FUN looking for the good, the positive, the beautifuL! It is rewarding internally, to see the beauty God has placed all around, in things, in circumstances, and especially PEOPLE!
There will always be bad! There will always be ugly! There will always be negative! We live in a sinful fallen world! But when we choose to look past all that, and see through our ETERNAL Glasses, we see Christ all around! He lives! He is the VICTOR! He is glorious and beautiful! And His creation screams His goodness! And yes, I said GOODNESS! I believe with all my heart, that finding the good is bringing our Lord glory and honor! I am loving this new challenge...and I challenge you to do the same! It will make you a happier person, and it will bring joy to others around you! I PROMISE!
Have you ever say and thought about the extreme coolness it is that we have means of communication with the God of the universe? The very one who spun the world into motion, speaks to each of us in the most intimate way! He has given us His very own words and thoughts, spelled out in a language that we can actually understand...and then He tells us to pray, to talk to Him daily! He tells us that we simply don't have, b/c we fail to ask! He desires us to come to Him...He LOVES our conversations!
Awww...so sweet! So amazingly wonderful to know that I serve a God who not only knows my name, the very number of hairs on my head, but also listens and SPEAKS to me!
My kids love to pray. We pray about everything! But I have never been strict on telling them to "pray with their eyes closed". Why? Why would I? Why do we pray with our eyes closed? It isn't in the Bible...the best explanation I have ever gotten was from my dad. He said it is because it helps us not get distracted. And very true! But sometimes it is so fun to keep our eyes wide open! Have you ever watched people pray. I love the expressions on people's faces when they are in deep conversation with the Lord. It is like stealing a peak into the most intimate moment with them and their Creator! I love it! I don't know if they would love knowing I am watching...but it is still a very surreal moment.
I truly love my Lord! He thought of everything...and knew exactly what we needed! Don't we serve an awesome God!
Being Busy! I enjoy soaking up life to the fullest! I love going and doing! It is fun and exciting to try new things, hang out with people, minister, serve, have fun! But too much good stuff just makes you BUSY! And too much busy=not good at all! I have been too busy as of late! And I know b/c of the look in my baby girl's eyes today! Wesley loves to go and do just about as much as I do! He enjoys being out and about! He is truly a people person just like me! And Luke does pretty well on the go...just so long as he gets fed and gets to snuggle throughout the day with Mommy! But Emmy Grace is another story all together. She is very much like her Daddy in the fact that she likes time to herself. She enjoys being with people, but she needs her downtime! And I have been stretching her too far these past few weeks. We have just had so much to do...and even though she likes "doing"...today she was DONE!
We woke up early...I mean REALLY early to get school done before our busy day. Wes gets out of bed easily and bounces around the house so ready to tackle yet another day! But Emmy moves slower...she likes some cuddle time with Travis or I...she HAS to have her cup of chocolate milk each morning...and she doesn't like to be rushed or in a rush! She tends to get confused, overwelmed, and VERY VERY sad! Small tasks become huge hurdles that she cannot jump over! She becomes frustrated! And so, today she finally snapped! She was trying to get her shoes on as we were hurrying out the door, and she just couldn't do it! So she finally sat down and started to cry! And she just couldn't stop. I asked her what was wrong and this was her response..."I am having a hard time. Can we please go slower!" She looked up at me with tears streaming down her little cute cheeks and I knew it was time to stop! Slow me down Lord! Help me take it easy...and be sensitive to my children! They are amazing little people! I want to enjoy every minute with them...and not loose those precious moments to the busyness of life. SLOW ME DOWN!
Okay, so this post is getting a VERY bit personal...but I must share! My belly jiggles! That is right...it jiggles like a bowl of jello! (this is how Emmy Grace described it yesterday). She told me in her sweetest voice...."Mommy, your belly is so pretty! IT jiggles like my jello!" Awww...the honesty of a 3 year old! I wanted to cry...but all I could do was laugh! B/c, well, she is right! Why, in this culture of ours, do we spend so much time obsessing about weight! ALways the struggle of being smaller! In some parts of the world, the larger you are the more beautiful you are! That's right! YOu heard me! They take pride is their jiggles! Oh, why haven't I found that part of the world...I've heard about it...but haven't discovered it yet! I am sure I would pack up and move there!!!! I guess it is all in the eyes of the beholder! I have had 3 children, 3 C-sections, all in the past 5 years! I've struggled with preeclampsia through 2 pregnancies (this is a lovely thing that not only is harmful for the baby b/c of all the toxins in my blood...but helps me gain LOTS AND LOTS of weight!) So, along with my 3 precious children that God has so blessed me with, He has also blessed me with 30 extra pounds of pure, raw JIGGLE! And this jiggle is the hardest thing to get rid of! I am trying though! 100% trying with all my might! So, in the mean time...while I am trying to rid myself of these extra UNWANTED pounds....I will try and look at my jiggle like Emmy...and know that I am "fearfully and wonderfully made"...JIGGLE AND ALL!
