Fun Facts For Friday

I believe we have another musician to add to the family band!  Alethia LOVES music.  I think it is so awesome to see how the Lord matched her with our family.  He makes NO mistakes:)

Josh has been flying out to lead worship at Fellowship Memphis off and on for a while now.  This time they are letting me come!  I'm pretty excited to go.  I'll get to see some friends I haven't seen in years, so that's just an added bonus to the excitement.  Jude is coming with us and we have 3 shifts of friends/family coming in to help with the older four.  When you get beyond 3 kids it's funny how you feel the need to break up the mass of children or the amount of time for the loving individual(s) coming to bless you by watching your brood:)

Yesterday I did something that I don't think I've EVER done simultaneously.  I sat outside, watched the kids play and read a book in the sunshine.  Yup, I still had Chapatti to make for dinner and a floor to vacuum, but I decided to forgo the chores for a while to bask in the sun and enjoy my kids and a good read.  You may be laughing at how I consider that a breakthrough, but this is a big deal for this mama who obsessively cleans house and can't sit still, even to watch a family movie:)

That's it for now, as it's time to get the children out of their rooms.  The growling and squealing is getting a little out of control:)

Happy Friday ya'll!

Wisdom To Live By

This time in the morning that falls between 6:30am until around 8:30-9am is MY time!

It's kind of crazy, but I go to bed looking forward to MY time the next morning.

It is still dark outside, the house is quiet, nobody yelling "MOMMY!", no dirty booties to wipe, no meals to get ready, nobody fighting over squinkies!, the baby is still soundly sleeping and I have a BIG cup of STRONG coffee in my hands.

This is MY time to fill up.

I get to read, read and read some more.  No interruptions.  I get to just sit in silence.  I get to pray my heart out.  This is one of my "reading seasons".  I've talked about how I'll go through seasons where not much reading gets accomplished, but lately, I have been reading so many GREAT books to help mold me in so many areas that need refining and/or constant upkeep.

One of the books actually said that "everyone has something to teach you, if you will only be humble enough to accept it."

I love that!

So often I want to be the one with the great insight that everyone wants to gleam from, but how selfish and arrogant is that?!

I am such a slow learner sometimes:)

I am ever-so-slowly learning that I do NOT have all the answers and I truly can learn from so many others if I will just let my guard down and humbly listen to the people that God has placed in my life!

I met with a godly mentor of mine yesterday and she stopped me dead in my tracks!

At the end of our session she asked me how I was doing?  Of course I smiled and said that I was fine.  Then she looked me in the eyes and said, "no really, how are you doing?"

As I sat there I really had to think about that question.  Tears welled up in my eyes for no reason at all, except for the mere realization that I didn't even KNOW how I was doing.  I've been so focused on keeping my children clothed, fed, lifting both of the seats up on the toilet so as not to pee on the seat that mommy sits on, and somewhat happy that I haven't really worked on myself much at all.

I am very familiar with the two greatest commandments that Jesus gave His disciples.  I'm sure you know them as well; "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength" and the second is right along those same lines, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Whenever I see that second commandment I've always thought that it solely meant to love your neighbor...period.  I never, EVER, took into consideration the second half of that second commandment.  "As yourself" is actually key here!  If you are not taking care of yourself then you will most likely run low on what you need to take care of and love others.

I have 5 little others and 1 big other that God has entrusted to me.  How in the world am I supposed to give them what they need if I'm not getting in 3 square meals a day or taking time to process my life, my day or even the fight going on in the hallway over the squinkies!

This mentor will probably never realize the impact she had on me yesterday as she graciously poured into our family and into my life.  In one simple question with a very simple answer, she showed me that it is NOT selfish to take some "me" time to fill back up.

If you are not finding time to allow God to fill up YOUR tank you need to make that a priority now, before your tank runs dry and you are too empty to go any further.

Holy Week - 2012

In spite of my unrealistic "Holy Expectations" we did have a great Holy Week!  We did have a few fits and tantrums glitches and it was less than glamorous, but it was awesome to see the light turning on in Areyna and Zeke's minds as they remembered Holy Weeks past and helped teach their younger siblings the true meaning of Easter:)

I had several other fun things planned and even other things we DID do that I forgot to bust the camera out on, but lets face it, I'm lucky to get a shower in these days:)

Cleaning Day
Representing how we need to keep our hearts clean in preparation for Christ.

Resurrection Cookies
This is a fun activity to read out of scripture about the death and resurrection.
Poor Rainy learned first hand how much a beating can hurt when she smashed her fingers.
(I'll post the recipe you've been asking for soon, I promise:)

Planting Seeds
Representing the death and resurrection and NEW LIFE!

Jude Warren - 2 Months

12.4 lb

Our baby Jude is all too quickly becoming not-so-much an infant anymore.

He has changed so much over the past month!

Here's what he's been up to this month:

It usually takes him between 10-15 minutes to eat.

His last feeding is anywhere between 10:30 or 11:30 and he wakes up anywhere between 7:30 and 8:30.  It's been so nice to have a good 30 minutes with just him before the other kiddos come out for the morning:)

He doesn't like to play flat on his back much.  His favorite thing is to hold onto a couple fingers and pull himself up to a sitting position so he can see everything that is going on!

He is a full-fleged tummy sleeper.

And, unfortunately, a full-fleged thumb-sucker...*sigh*

He has started to smile and coo and it is SO stinkin' cute!

Eye contact makes him absolutely giddy!

We're pretty much all in love with this kid:)

Because I Can...And Because They Are Just So Darn Cute

The View From Here

Holy Expectations

Sitting at the kitchen table this morning I could feel my blood beginning to boil inside.

I was getting irritable and annoyed at the littlest things that the kids were doing.

I decided that it was time for a mommy time-out and locked myself in my room took off to my room for a minute of solitude (and steady breathing:).

I hate those days when I feel like this and can't pin point exactly what has triggered this onset of emotions and feelings.

As I sat there evaluating the reality of the situation (instead of relying on my inconsistent feelings, which is so often my tendency) I finally realized what the root of my problem was.

I had all these unrealistic expectations for Holy Week, especially today of all days, Good Friday!

I mean, don't these kids of mine understand what today is?  Don't they get what sacrifice God gave?  Don't they realize that this is the day set aside to reflect on Jesus' death?!

I want so badly to just sit in contemplative silence as I reflect on the significance of this day.  For my kids to quietly listen while we share the Easter story.  For them to eagerly do all the "fun" activities we've planned out for this special week.

In my perfect world there would be no arguing with me over doing creative Easter activities and no tears shed because they are "all done", even though I insist on capturing the moments on camera for all my eager blog readers to see (insert sarcasm).  No begging to eat the Resurrection cookies for breakfast or complaining that they don't WANT to clean today.

I just want so badly for my kids to "get it". To understand the gravity of THEIR sin and the sacrifice Christ made for THEM, as if my creativity were the only way to their hearts.

And then I come back down to earth and realized the reality that Christ has given me in this season of life.

The reality that I do, in fact, have 5 young children.  That I daily have to remind myself that God has not given me more than I can handle through Him.  That my kids are sinners, just like their mama.  That life throws us unexpected curve balls that make our neatly planned out schedules crumble apart.  That kid's don't always want to act out stories in the Bible and no matter how "holy" the cookies are, they will whine to eat them before breakfast!

Then I overheard the sweetest thing.  The littles were playing nicely together in the living room (which is a rare thing to come by these days) singing sweet songs about Jesus' sacrifice while Zeke told the others that they just couldn't think only about Easter today because they needed to think about Jesus.  He is more important and He is what Easter is REALLY about.

So maybe I'm not in a season where I can just sit and reflect on God's goodness and sacrifice all day, but I AM in a season where I am constantly reminded (mostly by the children given to me) of who He is and what He has done for ME, a sinful mama saved by His grace.

Story In Pictures - A Savior In This Place

I have this place that I like to go.

I like to think it was created just for me.

It can take a while to get there...

but I don't mind the hike.

When I arrive I feel as though I have willfully stripped

all distractions away...

I am free to be who I was created to be.

Sometimes I am afraid to jump in.

That's when He reaches out and grabs my hand.

He'll make sure I don't fall.

There are times on the journey where I just need to eat the bread He has prepared for me...

and other times when I am to just rest...

because I know that I am just preparing for the valley.

Sometimes I create the valley on my own accord...

being adventurous and foolish

Yet other times the valley is just an obstacle in our way,

meant to grow and stretch us.

But I know that He is with me in the valley and I don't need to be afraid.

But we are not alone!

Not only is He my strength, but He has given us others who

walk with us and help us carry the load.

Yes, you may slip in from time to time...

But you are NEVER alone!

He is always patiently waiting...

...waiting for us to come back to Him...

...waiting to snatch us out of the pit we have slipped into...

And when He does,

Oh the rejoicing that occurs!

And that, my friend, is why He sent His Son!

To save such a soul as me.

~Happy Holy Week~

The View From Here - Safe

I've got plenty of super heroes to keep me safe for the rest of my life:)