Christmas Devotional Giveaway!

Momstart.com is giving away a wonderful book for Christmas!

"Prepare Your Heart for a Great Christmas combines unique reflections with real life, using daily prayer and to-do lists to ease your mind and inspire your heart. The reflections begin on Thanksgiving Day and proceed through Christmas Day to the Feast of the Epiphany, celebrated in many churches as the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus. When we take time with God on a daily basis, our days are blessed. Follow this book’s simple formula and prepare your heart for a Great Christmas!"

Prepare your Heart for a Great Christmas was written by Maria Rodgers O'Rourke. To learn more about the author and giveaway, please visit Momstart.com.

Many Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving!
Jen

Wordless Wednesday: Teach me to read, Big Sis!

(Thanks 5 Minutes for Mom for W.W.!!)

I had to capture this precious moment. Big sister was trying to help her little sis read the words. So sweet!

God's Amazing Plans

You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11



God has important plans for all of us and our families. When we are confused about life and what our purpose is, we need to turn toward God and seek his plan. Oh the blessings we reap when we do this! In the book, Purpose for Everyday Living for Mothers, three important truths are listed to remind us that God does have purpose for our lives.

1. God has a plan for your life.
2. If you seek that plan sincerely and prayerfully, you will find it.
3. When you discover God's purpose for your life, you will experience abundance,peace, joy, and power- God's power.

Over the past couple of years, this reality has been very clear to me. It isn't always easy to discern God's plan, but I know in my heart that he does have a plan for me and my family. As I try to obey and go where God leads me, more peace and happiness comes to my life and to the life of my husband and children. Leaving my full-time job to go part-time and then eventually to leaving the teaching profession was done through many hours of prayer and discussions.

We have had less money, yet we have been given so much more. We have been focusing on simple living and relationships, and less on material things. This has brought an amazing amount of love and peace to our household. Leaving a full-time position, gave me the opportunity to grow as a Christian by building new relationships with other Christians, more time to volunteer and to serve others, and to grow in my relationship with Christ and family.

The new adventure that God has placed in our lives is homeschooling. I will start schooling my oldest daughter at home through Cyberschool. I started learning about homeschooling and praying about this shortly after my oldest left preschool. She had such a strong foundation from Christian preschool, so it bothered me to take Christian education away from her. At the time we didn't feel we had the financial resources to send her to a Christian School. She even said that this was one of the main things that she wanted to learn about in Kindergarten. She didn't understand why she wouldn't continue with a Christian curriculum in public school.

Even though my daughter had a wonderful and very supportive teacher last year, I continued to learn about and pray about this educational option. Especially since she was slowly being influenced more and more by the values of others than by the values being taught in her own home.

Even though in my heart, I felt that teaching her at home was the best option for our family right now, I sent her to first grade. I fought the idea because of my own insecurities and concerns for socialization. The more I fought the idea, the more God would whisper in my ear- You can do all things through me- I strengthen you . You are not in this alone. Over the past year, God has placed so many people in my life who are homeschooling or cyberschooling their children who have offered words of encouragement and inspiration.

Many think that I chose this path because I'm not pleased with her teacher this year. Her negative experiences have just pushed me in a direction that we were already heading. There are many reasons why I came to this decision with God's guidance which include my philosophy of education, opportunities for real-life learning vs. paper pencil tasks, my daughter's unique learning style, and individualized instruction. As a former educator, it was very difficult to sit back and watch a very curious, creative child be stifled by her current educational setting. After working countless hours to educate other people's children; with God's help, I'm willing to work as hard to provide the best educational and spiritual environment for my own children. I feel blessed that I have a supportive husband and the time and ability to do so.

"It's incredible to realize that what we do each day has meaning in the big picture of God's plan." Bill Hybels

Many blessings,
Jen

Cyberschool- Here we come!

Or should I say- Here we stay!! In the comfort of our home!

I'm preparing some space in the dining room to school my Sunshine girl. We created a word wall together to add words that she is studying and common words that she will use in her writing. I also have an area to hang her and her sister's best work and a couple of activities. (popcorn and turkey center) Luckily, I have a lot of teaching supplies in storage that I can pull out. I wanted to get my daughter excited about the transition between public education and schooling at home. She seems to love her new learning wall!! Her desk and computer will sit in from of the wall.
This was a big decision for our family, but one that was done with a lot of thought and prayer. We are excited about this new learning adventure!

Heart of the Matter Thank you for this weeks topic!

Many blessings,

Wordless Wednesday!- Christian Pumpkin

(Thanks 5 Minutes for Mom! for W.W.)

Christian Pumpkin

A small child had recently been baptized. One of her classmates asked her what it was like to be a Christian. She was caught off guard and didn't know how to answer when she looked up and saw a jack-o-lantern on the desk. She answered. "It's like being a pumpkin."

Her classmate asked her to explain that!

"Well, God picks you from the patch and brings you in and washes all the dirt on the outside that you got from being around all the other pumpkins. Then he cuts off the top and takes all the yucky stuff out from inside. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, and all those other bad things. Then he carves you a new smiley face and puts his light inside of you to shine for all to see! It is our choice to either stay outside and rot on the vine or come inside and be something new and bright!"

Author Unknown

Many Blessings,
Jen

Please Pray!

Please continue to pray for this sweet little baby! Here is the latest update from my sister:

Poor Landon is really having a rough couple of days - both lungs have collapsed so the nurses re-intubated him. He now has a tethered spine which will require surgery and may impede his mobility. He likely will end up with a diagnosis of either CP or spina bifida. Once he is medically stable, he will have three surgeries at once - his G tube insertion, a tracheotomy, and they are twisting a portion of his stomach to prevent stomach acid from coming back up his esophagus. Poor baby is going through so much..... Please keep him in your thoughts.

Many Blessings,

Wordless Wednesday: School Picture Day!

Fancied up for her 1st grade photo!

Planting Seeds

Recently, my four year old has been collecting seeds from the fruits and vegetables she has been eating and then planting them in our backyard. This summer she saved cucumber seeds to dry out and yesterday, I found her planting seeds from an apple that she was eating. Her motivation? Possibly,the garden that we planted this past Spring. It has been such a blessing, a wonderful family project, plus it has provided us with more than enough cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers than we could ever need for just the four of us. So, of course we willingly shared our harvest with others. So easy to do, but why don't we do this more often with our faith? Why don't we plant seeds so that others can see the harvest, too! God can do such amazing things through us and our children. I want to do more to plant seeds in the hearts of others so that they can know Christ. I also want to recognize that sometimes it takes time to see the harvest- it is in God's time- not our own.
This morning, I read a wonderful devotional titled The Pumpkin Patch by Sharon Glasgow. She shares in the devotional how one year she was so excited to plant seeds for a pumpkin patch, but nothing grew. She described her disappointed. But the next season, she was presently surprised to find a large pumpkin growing from last years seeds. She then shares how God uses this to teach her a lesson about the harvest of the seeds that she had once planted in the lives of others and how she can continue to labor. (God's Purpose for Every Woman: A P31 WOMEN'S DEVOTIONAL)
I try to pray with my daughters daily that they will plant seeds in others by letting God's light shine though them. By helping others, sharing their faith, and being kind, children can do big things for God's Kingdom. So let's go plant some seeds today with our children- whether it be to give an unexpected smile, share about Jesus, help someone at work- so many ways we can share the love of Christ.

He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
Luke 10: 2 NKJV

Many Blessings,

Just Hanging Around!

Wordless Wednesday- Thanks 5 Minutes for Mom
My little monkies hanging upside down from a hammock. Their Daddy had to put an old mattress underneath them. (just taking care of his girls!!)

Prayer Needed- Baby Landon

Baby Landon recently had open heart surgery and has many other complications.
He continues to battler for his health and his little life. Please pray for this family- parents- Amy and Matt.

Here is more info that his mother wrote on the Children's Hospital Website-

Once Landon was born, he went to the NICU and suffered from Pulmonary Hypertension (PHT) and was transported to Children's Hospital. He had tons of IV's, a ventilator and other things connected to him.Landon is also suffering from (VSD)Congenital Heart Defect as well as a undiagnosed chromosome issue.We have been at CHP since 8/22/08. His PHT is doing better, however Landon will be having open heart surgery sometime in the near future and I am not sure when we will be able to go home.All we ask from you is to keep our precious little angel baby in your thoughts and prayers.Now that I am a mommy, I can't imagine ever loving someone has much as I love Landon. He brings Matt and I such joy and we feel very blessed. We are completely in love with our son.

My younger sister shared this story with me about her friends, Amy, Matt, and baby Landon. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for this family. I can't even imagine how difficult it must be.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I lift up this family today. Please provide them strength and comfort as they care for baby Landon. I pray for the doctors and nurses that are caring for him. I pray that you give baby Landon the strength to continue to fight and that you heal his little body from all of the complications. Please Lord comfort him as he continues his battle.
In Jesus's Name,
Amen

Many blessings,

Hello?? God made them!!

This morning, my four year old was catching a little bit of science on PBS kids, when I overheard the cutest comment! They were explaining the science of teeth and the job of the different types of teeth. The narrator asked something around the lines of -Why are our teeth so amazing? My little one commented,

"Well, of course, because God made them!!"

I love how she is able to connect her faith with science at such a young age! Too cute, so I had to share!!

Many blessings!!




ps. I'm running a Children's Book contest over at my other blog, so feel free to stop over and enter!
http://raisingcreativeandcuriouskids.blogspot.com

Being Truthful!!

As a parent, I so want my children to grow up with strong Christian values, but do I let this get in the way of understanding where they are developmentally? In the past, when my six year old would lie, it would really upset me to the point where I would overreact in my discipline. Then I would feel really guilty when I would read that it is perfectly normal for children at her age to lie and that they grow out of it. Especially younger children who struggle between fantasy and reality. A couple of days ago, my four year old lied to me, but later came and confessed. She said, I thought that "God might be mad at me, so I thought that I better tell you the truth." I want the kids to develop a healthy "fear" of the Lord, but I don't want them to feel guilty or to fear God in an unhealthy way. Also, moral development comes with time, so with healthy discipline,parental role models, and God's guidance children will learn proper behavior. I think that when I overreact, it is out of fear- I need to put my trust in the Lord!

Blessings,

Wordless Wednesday: Simply Beautiful!

What more could I ask for? Two precious girls, beautiful mountain scenery, and relaxing time with husband- God is good!
Visit 5minutesformom.com for more Wordless Wednesday!!

Heart like a Child

Yesterday, I received a really nice email from a friend that focused on how God whispers to us everyday, but how we miss it. (Click here to view Whispers) This made me think about a recent experience with my youngest. We were walking home from taking big sis to school, when we noticed a tree that was changing colors. After explaining a little bit of science behind the tree, my little peanut wanted even more details. I explained to her that I didn't know exactly how the tree held the nutrients in the winter. I just knew that it did. She responded- "Isn't it amazing how God can do that to the tree." A four year old sees his presence daily, but so many of us as adults miss it. We miss his great works and his whispers. It makes sense why Jesus says to have faith like a child. Then we would hear and see better! Boy, children are smart!

Children see things differently than we do. Simple. Peaceful. Humble. And while we spend our time, energy, and resources on balancing life's stresses and fighting to maintain the reputation we've built for ourselves, Jesus is gently calling us back to the heart of a child. from Biblesoft.com: Like a Child: Part 1

Wordless Wednesday: Off to the Mountains!!

We'll be traveling this weekend to our camp in the mountains. We just love it there and hope to see one of God's many amazing creatures- Elk!! Also, looking forward to seeing the beautiful fall leaves. The photo above was taken the last time we visited!

Please Pray for Carlos

Please pray with me for a baby named Carlos who will be getting surgery today. (He is the baby of a friend of mine that I work with and has been having difficulty swallowing food.)

Dear Lord,
We lift up Carlos today that his surgery will go well. Please keep him safe and comfort his parents as he is going through his procedure. I pray for the doctors who will be taking care of him. I pray that you provide them with wisdom as they work on Carlos to find out what is wrong with him today.

In your son's precious name,
Amen

Thank you and many blessings,

Dear Heavenly Father..

Dear Heavenly Father,
Please stop the rain so that my sister can enjoy her lovely fieldtrip.
Amen

My eldest was concerned about missing her trip yesterday, so little sis prayed for her to comfort her. It is so sweet to hear a little child pray for someone from their own heart without a grownup telling them to do so. So precious.

Blessings for a wonderful Saturday,
Jen

Wordless Wednesday-Gift from God

This is the most precious photo I've ever seen, (except for photos of my own babies of course(Ha, Ha) Anyways, I got this in an email and wanted to share! Not sure who took the photo though??

Questions about Heaven

How confusing and abstract heaven must be for a four year old little mind! My youngest has been having fears and concerns about heaven, which surprised me. My grownup mind thinks of heaven as being this awesome, wonderful place so it didn't even occur to me that this would be an issue for one of my children. Especially when my older child never questioned heaven in such a way. I realized that she was having concerns when she told me, "I don't want to go to heaven, Mommy."
I said that I didn't understand because heaven is a wonderful place. And because we follow Jesus, we will live there forever together. She then went on to explain that she didn't want to die. Concerns about leaving her home and her bunny behind filled her little mind. It makes more sense to me know thinking about how children need a place of familiarity to feel secure. For a week or so, she let the subject go, but on the way to church this morning, she brought it up again. This time she asked if we stayed dead in heaven with our eyes closed. A smile came across her face as I shared with her how God will give her a new body and that she will walk around in heaven. She told me that she is glad because she wants to dance around and she also wants to hug Jesus.

Please share any resources that you may have that relate to teaching young children about heaven. I'll be sure to post any if I come across any good resources as well.

Blessings,

The Finger Prayer

The Five Finger Prayer

1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers
by praying for those closest to you. They are the
easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is,
as C. S. Lewis once said, a 'sweet duty.'

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for
those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes
teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support
and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction.
Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us
of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in
business and industry, and administrators. These
people shape our nation and guide public opinion.
They need God's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to
many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as
any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us
to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain.
They need your prayers day and night. You cannot
pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger - the smallest
finger of all which is where we should place ourselves
in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, 'The
least shall be the greatest among you.' Your pinkie
should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time
you have prayed for the other four groups, your own
needs will be put into proper perspective and you will
be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

Some of you may have already seen this prayer, but my little sis shared it with me and I thought I would post it for others!

Blessings,

Look what I won!! I'm so excited. This new book will be coming out in October!! I won this over at Simplifying Motherhood. If you haven't been to Trish Berg's blogs, you'll have to check this author and speaker out!! I can't wait to take a peak at the Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts blog as well.

Blessings,

Wordless Wednesday

Why do we buy toys????
(Sunshine Girl when she was a baby.)

Thanks 5 Minutes for Mom for Wordless Wednesday!

Clothed with Compassion and Kindness

Clothe yourselves with compassion (and) kindness.
Colossians 3:12

What a joy it is to dress little girls in ruffled dresses, fluffy bows, and black dressy shoes! Even more joyous is to dress our children in compassion and kindness. Oh how difficult a task this is when we live in a society that focuses on the outside instead of our beauty that is long-lasting on the inside.
Abigail was a beautiful woman in the bible who was kind and compassionate to David. Today, I read about Abigail to the girls and we discussed how to be clothed on the inside. Abigail husband on the other hand was the opposite of his wife. We also discussed how some people dress fancy, but are mean to others.
After I shared the story of Abigail with the girls, they drew a picture of themselves being kind. Big Sis drew a picture of herself consoling Little Sis. She drew her with tears. Little Sis also chose to draw herself with her sister and she is holding her big sister's hand in the picture. They enjoyed sharing the pictures and talking about how they were demonstrating kindness.

To learn more about Abigail, read 1 Samuel 25.


Resource for today mini-lesson:
Devotions for Girls
Ages 6-9 God and Me! by Diane Cory

Blessings,
Jen

I want to "BEE" like Jesus!

"I want to be, be, be like Jesus! I want to be, be, be like Jesus!" These are the verses to a song that the girls learned at Camp last year. Often, I hear them singing or humming this song around the house. It is such a cute song! Sometimes I will ask them- what do you think Jesus would have done in this situation or how can we be more like Jesus. This isn't to make them feel guilty, but to teach them that there is a better a way, a better choice. Today, I came across a cute website that has BEE activities and is titled Bee-ing What He Wants Me to Bee. It has the cutest printouts with bee's and bible verses for little ones to color and also activities with the bee theme! Have fun exploring the site with your little ones- Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!

Bee-ing What He Wants me to Bee!

Blessings,
Jen

Wordless Wednesday-Photo Album

Thanks 5 Minutes for Mom for Wordless Wednesday!

Christian Resources: Mom Bargains!!

Abby is outgrowing her Children's Bible. I can't believe that it is time for her to move away from her storybook bible to a young girl's bible! She is starting to learn about the books of the bible and the Old and New Testament, so I started my search for a new bible for her. As I was searching, I came across a few bargains at Family Christian Stores. I listed a few resources that might interest Moms.

Closer To My Children - Intimate Journal
Barbour Books

Sale Price: 4.97 Reg: 16.95








Prayers And Promises For Mothers
Nancy Farrier, Rachel Quillin

Sale Price: $5.97 | You Save $1.98 (25%)










Daily Wisdom For Mothers Michelle Adams

Sale Price: $5.97 | You Save $1.98 (25%)












Many Blessings,
Jen

Wonderfully Made

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

Isn't it wonderful how God made us each so unique? One of the things that I am trying to work on as a parent is to appreciate the uniqueness in each child. To help them to see the gifts that God gave them and to not be envious of others who share different gifts. Recently, I started reading a book by Dr. Kevin Leman, titled Making Children Mind without Losing Yours. He discusses the importance of relationship building before establishing rules. I often think that we can try to control our children, but if we ultimately want their love and respect, we need to try to understand and appreciate them first. Discipline should be rooted in love more than authoritative control.
If you know my daughters, then you've come to know the differences that each of them share. I think it is exciting to have two girls who are so different, athough it often feels as times that I am parenting all over again. How awesome our God is to give us children who are so different that we can love and learn from in different ways.
One time Big Sis made a comment about herself that was negative. I asked her, "How would you feel if someone said something bad about the painting that you made in art class?"
"I would feel sad," she resonded.
"Well, that is how God feels when you talk about something special that he created," I explained.

We are beautiful, our spouses are beautiful, and our children are beautiful because we are all works of God! We are his unique creation.

Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for loving us for who we are- your unique creation. Help us to value our children's uniqueness and to love and see them like you do.
In Jesus' name,
Amen

Christian Resource Review

Baby's First Bible Songs
(The First Bible Collection)
Illustrations by Moira MacLean

I enjoy sharing the songs of my childhood with my children. Some of my favorite memories include singing songs in church and at summer camp. Emmy received this book as a gift when she was just a baby. It is recommended for children Birth to 3 years, but I think it is appropriate for older Preschoolers as well. The pictures are very colorful and eye-appealing. The plastic handle helps little ones carry the book easily with their little fingers! Includes popular songs such as Rise and Shine and This Little Light of Mine. I recommend this book as a gift for a new baby, 1st birthday gift, or for a baptism. Other titles in the series include the following: Baby's First Bible, Baby's First Nativity, and Baby's First Prayers.

Peek inside!

It didn't take long for Em to grab this out of my hands! Too cute!

Wordless Wednesday

Look what we found sneaking around our garden: a baby bunny!
To see more discoveries in our garden, visit Creative and Curious Kids!

Thanks- 5 Minutes for Mom

Christian Resource Review

Family Christian Stores is one of my favorite Christian retailers. I love looking through the variety of resources that are available to help me and my girls grow in our faith. Sometimes though, it can be overwhelming because of the amount of resources. Therefore, I'm hoping that my Christian Resource Reviews will help parents select great resources for their children. In no way am I an expert, but I'm hoping my reviews will be helpful. I am going to try to review a resource either weekly or bi-weekly. Recently, Family Christian Stores approved my site for their link.



The link will connect you to the online kids' section. Have fun browsing or shopping right from the comfort of your home. Keep in mind upcoming birthdays, baptisms, or holidays.

Please share any resource suggestions that you use with your children as well!

Blessings for a wonderful Monday!
Jen

Making Room for his Blessings

Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars, also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1: 16-19

"Look at the sunshine, Mommy," exclaimed Little Sis as we left for Preschool on Friday, "God gave us sun again, today!"

It is mentioned in the bible that we should have faith like a child. What a wonderful reminder that we can see God everyday in his creation! Later that day, I decided to share a Chris Tomlin video with Little Sis that I posted on this blog. I thought that she would enjoy listening to the music, but also looking at the beautiful pictures in the video. When the video ended, she looked up at me and said, "Mommy, I miss God."

I'm not sure if the music stirred up an emotion in her that she didn't know how to describe at her age. I told her that she doesn't have to miss God, because he is always here with her even though she can't see him.
"I better make room for him in my bedroom!" she responded. Too funny! I told her that even though her bedroom is messy, God will still be there.

Her comment reminded me that we all need to make room for God, maybe not in our messy rooms, but in our hearts so that we can see him daily in the blessing of his creation!

Dear Lord,
Help us to focus on you today and to be thankful for all of the gifts you have given to us. Please clean out the areas of our hearts that aren't pleasing to you, Lord, so that we can make room for you to dwell. We pray that you help us to have faith like a child and to see you through their eyes.
In Jesus' precious name,
Amen

Wordless Wednesday: 1st Day of Preschool

"Yeah, today is my first day of school!"
Little Sis yelling this at 5:30am in the morning: PRICELESS!

(Wordless Wednesdays- Thanks!! 5 minutes for Mom!)

Christian Preschool

Sending my daughters to Christian Preschool was one of the best decisions that I have made when it comes to my children's education. Not only did they grow academically, but also spiritually. It is so wonderful to watch your child's faith grow as they learn about Jesus. Little Sis will be starting Preschool on Wednesday. She is very excited, which is a blessing! Yesterday, I was discussing Big Sis's education with her and what she thought about being educated from home. Emmy piped in, not me. "I'm going to Preschool next week and learning with my friends. I don't want to be home!" I am so glad that she wants to be there and I am comforted with the knowledge that she will be in very good hands!

Trusting God

Today I am lifting up my oldest daughter and putting my trust in the Lord. She has had a difficult first week and asked me if there is any way that she could have another teacher. I was hoping that a strict teacher would be good for her, but she was so sad yesterday when she came home from school. She cried as she told me that the teacher told her she wasn't a good example for the class when she knocked some books off of a bookcase. Then she told me that the teacher also told her to mind her own business when she shared that a boy at her table was saying something inappropriate to a friend. I disagree, because I feel that if something said makes someone feel uncomfortable than it is their business. Talking has also been an issue for her, as well. I know that she needs to take responsibility for her behavior, but I also pray that the people in her life will guide her in a positive way. We prayed together this morning that she would have a better day and that Jesus will give her strength to be a good student. She wants to be a good example for others, so I know that the comment made really hurt her yesterday. This morning on the way to school, she asked me why first grade isn't fun like Kindergarten. I'm just hoping that it gets better. Being anxious won't help the situation, so I am putting trust in God that he will take care of her today and help guide me as a parent.

Wordless Wednesday

Giving our children wings- It is hard to let them grow up! Here's my peanuts first stages of independence!!
(Wordless Wednesdays- neat idea! Thanks 5 minutes for Mom!)

We're Thanking the Lord Today!!

Yeah, the sound of the nurses voice brought sweet joy to my ears!! The tests results came back normal. What a blessing! Our next step now is physical therapy for her tippy toe walking and to continue with her migraine medicine for the headaches. If you happen to stumble across my blog and have any information on childhood migraines, please share!! Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers!!

First Day of School Prayer

Dear Lord,

Bless our children as we let them go into the hands of others. Please let them feel your presence and provide peace when they feel anxious. Guide our children as they make new friends and to be a shining light towards others. Lord, I pray that you help our children to be confident in their abilities as they learn and to appreciate the gifts that you have given them. Thank you so much for our precious gift- our children. We lift them up to you today.

In Jesus' name,
Amen

Finding Strength from Up Above

"Anxious mother!" are the two words that I would use to describe how I've been feeling this week. My faith at times seems so strong, so why would I be anxious when I know who is in charge? Well, this is something that has been a personal struggle for me, especially during medical emergencies or when there is a big life change. This week my little one was scheduled for an MRI of her brain and lumbar spine. She has been having frequent headaches and also is known for her "tippy toe" walking. Sedation was the word that was scaring me! Throughout the week, I tried my best to be positive, especially around little peanut. "You're going to take a little nap and get your picture taken." I would tell her. When we arrived at Children's Hospital, we went through the usual paperwork, and then I met my angel! The nurse who said,"Did they discuss having her watch a movie during the MRI?" I'm thinking-"How can she watch a movie, she is supposed to be sedated?" She continues to ask me if anyone discussed this option with me. I told her that I wasn't aware. She proceeded to inform me of the other option of her having an IV with four different medications and an oxygen mask. I looked at her to see what she thought about staying still for so long. "No pinchies, Momma," she pleaded. So, a movie it is!! I was thrilled, but also knew that she only had one try. She had to be willing to lay still in a strange place for a very long time. The nurses were wonderful and so patient with her. In order to view the movie, they taped on a mask type goggles and attached ear phones for her to hear. She also had a little microphone to talk to them through while she was in the MRI chamber. Next,they let her sit on the MRI table and watch the movie to help ease her own anxiety about going inside this strange machine. She looked at me with sad eyes and told me that she was feeling afraid. For a moment, it appeared as though she wasn't going to go in and she wiggled as though she wanted to get off of the table. I looked at her and asked her-"Who gives you strength, sweetie?" She looked back and said,"God, does." She then proceeded to lie down. I reassured her that I would be right beside her and hold her leg during the whole procedure. She did it!! Was I proud that day? Oh, yeah! My four year old relied on her Father in heaven for strength and was such a brave little girl. She didn't move in that machine for at least an hour and a half! Now that this is complete, we are now praying that the results will be positive ones- we are hoping that the headaches are allergy related and that the tippy toe walking is behavioral. Please pray for her that this will be the outcome. Many Blessings!

Philippians 4:6-7 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Love God More than Money

Right from the mouth of babes! As we drove home from dinner this evening, my four year old was lecturing her older sister about how God is more important than money. Big Sis' was commenting on how she loved money and was disagreeing with me as I was reminding her of the importance of relationships over things or money. (She loves to get Mom riled up!) Little Sis' saved the day with her thinking and her wonderful comment-"God is more important than money." So wise for such a young age!

It is not surprising that the mention of money is written repeatedly throughout scripture. My hope is for my family to not get caught up in obsessing over money or things. I want us to focus on appreciating what the Lord provides for us and to put him first in our lives.

You must choose for yourselves today
whom you will serve...
as for me and my family,
we will serve the Lord.
Joshua 24: 15 NCV

Helplessness

God is not waiting to show us strong in his behalf, but himself strong in our behalf. That makes a lot of difference. He is not out to demonstrate what we can do but what he can do. VANCE HAVNER

My poor little peanut was stung by a bee today in the toe. Now you may be thinking- all children get stung at least once in their life- big deal. But for me today, this was a very big deal. Helplessness. This is the word that comes to mind to describe how I felt as my 4 year old cried in my arms. Everything that I tried wouldn't stop the crying, shaking, and pleading for the pain to go away. After a 1/2 hr. of crying, I called my mother. "What should I do? She won't stop crying? Is this normal for a child to cry so long after a sting?" The advice my mother gave, I already found on the Internet and tried! After 45 minutes, I called the nurse at our pediatrician's office. Again, I asked if this was normal. She exclaimed, "Bee stings hurt." Well, I knew that because I had been stung before; I just couldn't remember it hurting for such a long time. She suggested a baking soda paste, more time on ice, and a cold rag. I pleaded for her to please keep the ice or the cold towel on her sore toe. After about an hour of crying, tears welled in my eyes and I started praying over her for God to please, please take the pain away. Next, I went upstairs to find my older daughter. She was too stressed out by the whole scene and spent most of the hour in my bedroom watching TV. I asked her if she would pray with me. She said that she had been praying for her little sis', but that she would really like it if I would pray with her. So my six year old and I prayed as we heard the cries from below. I came back down stairs and held her as she fussed. Gradually, her crying subsided and I tried to encourage her by letting her know that it would continue to get better. Was it our prayers or was it the medicine kicking into her system? Whether God chose to comfort her or not, he was there for us when we were feeling helpless. He cared that she was hurt and he is there to listen when we feel like there is nothing we can do to help our children. We are his children and he wants to help and love us always.

Look for the Blessings!

What do you do when a day just doesn't go as planned? You look for the blessings! Amen! Today, the girls and I were supposed to have a fun summer day at the Wave Pool. After we arrived, we were standing in a long line only to find out that someone had put glass in the pool. We weren't sure how long the wait would be while they looked for the glass and I wasn't so sure it was a good idea to go into a wave pool that may still have glass in it anyways. Well, we decided to pack up and go to another pool. We made a quick stop at home to pick up Emmy's swimmies and jumped back into the car. Just a block away and the car started to make a funny sound. "Uh oh! I've heard that sound before," I thought. I was on E!!! How did I not notice that I was running out of gas? My husband lectures me all of the time about this, because he cares about our safety. So back home we went- barely making it as the car sputtered. The girls pouted because for the second time in one day- no swimming!! Abby was pretty mad about this. "We packed up for nothing she complained." I told her that I guess it wasn't God's plan for us today to leave home, so let's make the best of it. She pouted some more until I mentioned the two words water balloons. Finally, I saw a little smile! We decided that after water play, we would scooter to the video store and pick up a pizza. The day was getting better, but then we had a difficult time trying to cross a busy street. Both of the girls came way too close to being hit by a car. Luckily, we arrived home safely. A big scare for all of us! It was frustrating how people didn't care to slow down at the cross walk to let my family get across the street safely. So tonight, I am counting my blessings. Even if the day didn't go as planned, my two precious darlings are at home safe, sleeping in their bed. What more could I ask for?

My girls when they were babies!!