Just for fun!

Where I've been (Lynn)



Where the kids have been



Countries Scott has visited

Where a kid can be a kid...

We love the fact that report cards come 4 times a year!!!

My Night with a Super Hero

Friday night was the perfect night for a mother-daughter outing at the mall! Most of the town stayed indoors due to the snow, so we got to enjoy our time without a crowd!!! My time, however, was far from 'quiet' - I was on the listening end of a running commentary - and it was quite fun :)

"Mom, I like the mall. Instead of just one store, you can go to so many all at once! Really, I think the mall is just a huge toy room. Mom, can you think of a better night - ever? I really don't know why, but I just think that Chick-Fil-A is better than your food..... I like your food better than everything else, but Chick-Fil-A is really better than what you make at home. Excuse me - HEY LADY - Excuse me - I really love your pink purse. It's pretty. I love pink! My bedroom is pink, the walls are pink, the bedspread is pink, and I just got a pink sweater at Sears for $3.19.....etc....etc.....etc...."

We had so much fun and I laughed and laughed! I just love spending one-on-one time with the kids - they are such a blessing from the Lord! And I was SO proud of her. We went into Claire's - Rebekah's absolute favorite store in the world - to buy a pair of earrings for her. Now, all the signs said, Buy 2 Pair, get 1 free.... and the sales ladies both made sure we knew this little tidbit also! We talked about it, and I told her that we'd have to spend twice the money, which we didn't plan on doing, and that is the way stores try to get more money from you... and asked her if she thought she needed so many earrings! Here's her response: "Well, I'm already getting 3 pairs (on one card) and if we didn't spend $6 on more earrings, think of what we could do with the money. I mean, for just $5 you can make a pot of Turkey Chili and feed us a couple of meals, or we could have company over." (Now that's my girl!)

BTW, have I ever said how much I love being a mommy! Scripture says, "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3)" I am reminded of something Jacob said to Esau.... these are "the children whom God has graciously given your servant". (Gen. 33:5) The Lord truly is gracious to entrust us with such wonderful blessings. My children truly bless each and every day of my life and bring such joy!

Well, Super Boo and I ended our night snuggling in her bed and chit-chatting the time away until she finally fell asleep. I loved hearing her multiple remarks on what a wonderful night it was and how it is so much fun doing things together. We definitely need to do that more often!

This morning Scott went out to shovel the sidewalk. He slipped on his boots, but no coat, which is typical of him. He used to wear shorts all winter long... So, anyhow, Rebekah looked at me and said, "Why isn't daddy wearing a coat? It's freezing outside!" I said, "I know, babe, sometimes daddy's a little weird." She looked at me all serious and disappointed in me. "No mom, he's not weird. He's just out of his mind!"

(I think the interpretation in her little head was that he just wasn't using his brain to make a good decision - but I just died laughing!)

I've Never Been Sorry!

Ever since Jesus saved and pardoned I have been singing every day,

I've never been sorry that I trusted His name;

Through the dark shadows He is with me, leading me on the upward way,

I've never been sorry that I trusted His name.

I've never been sorry that I trusted His name,

Every moment I find Him exactlty the same;

My soul has been singing since the Savior came,

I've never been sorry that I trusted His name!

The Most Heard Phrases...

What are the most common phrases used in your household??? Scott asked me the other day where I see myself in 5 years - my answer was, "Well, I'll have a teenage boy, and an extremely emotional pre-teen girl! That about sums it up!!!" Then we were laughing about the fact that we will probably be saying the same things in 5 years...

"Rebekah, Control Your Emotions!"

"Danny, Please Go (and do whatever it was we already told you to do about 5 times)"
(((he gets sidetracked very easily :) )))

So, what are the things you find yourself saying over and over again?

This One's For the Moms!

Have you ever gone home on a Sunday feeling like you were so spent and tired, rather than being encouraged and fed..... Have you ever had to leave the meetings so many times to correct your little one and gotten so incredibly frustrated that they 'just aren't getting it'..... Have you ever left feeling like such a failure as a parent and like there was no end in sight.....

I have been thinking a lot lately about the struggles I went through while trying to get my children to learn to sit well in the meetings, and also been noticing that there are a lot of moms around who are going through that very stage now! I don't pretend to have answers - I'm actually very sure that if I had another child that I would go through the thick of it again, because all children (and me) have a sin nature... I seem to learn through trial and error... and both my children were completely different to work with...

But, I also have fresh in my mind the things that were encouraging to me through the whole process, and I hope they can encourage someone out there also!

*** I learned that the goal of disciplining my children was not to make them obey me so that things would be more convienent and enjoyable for mommy. As parents, our primary responsibility is to train up little disciples, or followers of Christ. (The Great Commission, Matthew 28:19,20) With that in mind, my conversations with my children took a whole new face when we had to take time in the bathroom during the breaking of bread! We are trying to reach our little ones heart for Christ - and yes this applies at every age!!! A huge effect this had on me was that I stopped being selfish, stopped being frustrated, and no matter how many times I had to leave the meeting, I could still keep my focus on the Lord :)

*** I was convicted that I had many selfish motives for going to the meetings of the church. I was wanting to sit, be fed, and have others encourage me! And I really felt like this was legit - I mean, it's tough being a mom - and the week would wear me out so much! But God was asking me to go and encourage others, be willing to serve the saints (even with kids in tow), and use my gifts for His glory. And you know, that's when I began to feel encouraged and I felt like I was an active part of the body of Christ again.

***I learned that every mom identifies with this, and it really helps to take advantage of that!!! God has given us the ability to really lift up one another with our words... no matter how simple. On one particular Sunday we had visitors and I think I had to get up at least 5 times with my daughter. After the meetings, the visitor came to me and just said, "This too shall pass!" Well, it seemed impossible, yet I knew she had gone through that also - and sure enough, her adult children didn't seemed to be 'messed up' like I was sure at that point that my children would be! And I started looking for ways to encourage others, which in turn encouraged me, and in a sense I found accountability in that. We could work together to keep our focus!

Of course there are so many other lessons that I learned, but I think those are the main 3 that helped me (keeping my focus on the ultimate goal in raising children: to make disciples; laying aside my selfishness and being determined to do my part in the body of Christ; and seeking to encourage others).

Every family chooses to implement these things differently, and I had to stop being paranoid that my kids were the noisiest and baddest ever and that everyone was noticing my every move and thought of how they'd do it differently! And I had to remeber that these are things that the Lord cares about deeply, and the trials are not just for our children, but for us also!!! Going through that stage of motherhood changed who I am - and I am thankful for the lessons I learned!

So, I don't know if this is encouraging or not - but it's good for me to look back on the lessons I learned, because now the trials are different - maybe easier in some ways - but the goals are the same.

And, of course, apart from the strength of the Lord, I WOULD fail miserably in these things, so I need to be in prayer before Him and feeding on His Word daily, or that selfishness creeps in very quickly!!!

"Train up a child in the way he should go,

And when his is old he will not depart from it."

Proverbs 22:6

"He will feed His flock like a shepherd;

He will gather the lambs with His arm,

And carry them in His bosom,

And gently lead those that are with young."

Isaiah 40:11

Not my will Lord, but Yours be done

The Good News! Actually, the Greatest News of All!

Today I went to Wal-Mart, which I think sometimes I do almost every day!!! (I need to be more organized.) Marilyn was checking out the gentleman in front of me, and it was obvious she was in a BAD MOOD!!! Now granted, the cash register was giving her a hard time, but still, no friendly Wal-mart smile or greeting came our way, just some grunts and snide remarks. I thought, wow, this lady needs a gospel tract.

Hold it! So, when people see me when I am grumpy, is that what they think??? Maybe yesterday Scott wanted to give me a gospel tract :)

The conviction comes that I need to be more organized with not only my shopping habits, but also my witnessing habits!

So I came up with a smile and said, "Hi Marilyn!" She checked me out while she grumbled, and then I gave her my new favorite - it says Thanks in big letters on the front, and I said, "Thanks, Marilyn. I appreciate your good service." She looked at it, and said, "I bet this is from church." I said, "It IS about the Bible." Marilyn: "Well, I go to church." Me: "Oh good, then you will really be able to appreciate what this says." Marilyn: "Well, I am going to read this on my break, then."

Thank the Lord that He can use my stumbling, bumbling, unorganized ways to bring the gospel to someone. Only the Lord knows if Marilyn is saved already, but I have seen how the words in a gospel tract can change a person's life - for eternity.

So, pray for Marilyn tonight as she takes a break from a tough day and reads the good news - actually, the greatest news of all!!!