The difference between men and women

Well, we know there are several, but since my husband gets the kids ready for school, their hair is always a mess. And I recently bought several cute outfits from Gymboree for the girls. He put the girls in one new outfit on Friday. I did laundry over the weekend and found out at pick up line on Tues that he had put one in the same outfit from Friday! So I'm forced to either wait at least a week to do laundry or lay out outfits the night before! I've also bought lots of headbands for them to do their own hair, but they always seem to forget. Oh well.

God's mercy, love and forgiveness

I have always felt a bit sorry for Judas. I mean did he really have a choice to betray Jesus? Was that his destiny and he had no control? Of course he did. Jesus knew he would betray him but it was Judas who made the decision. What hit me recently though was that it didn't have to be the end. Many of the disciples betrayed Jesus or denied him. Peter famously denied him 3 times yet still was the rock from which the church was built. If Judas had repented, wouldn't the Lord have forgiven him? What sets him apart from the other twelve is his lack of acceptance of the mercy that was offered. He could not seem to repent and accept God's amazing grace. You are never too far gone to be accepted into the family of God. If we only understood how great His love is for us.

Amazing Love

"The cross redefines God as One who was willing to relinquish power for the sake of love. Power, no matter how well-intentioned, tends to cause suffering. Love, being vulnerable, absorbs it. In a point of convergence on a hill called Calvary, God renounced the one for the sake of the other."

Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew

Pride - the respectable sin

I'm about half way through reading The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey. I'm enjoying it and seeing Jesus through new eyes. Today this hit me hard...

"the more unsavory the characters, the more at ease they seemed to feel around Jesus. In contrast, Jesus got a chilly response from more respectable types....the Christian church now attracts respectable types who closely resemble the people most suspicious of Jesus. What has happened to reverse the pattern...?"

This is another reminder to me of how dangerous it is to be viewed as successful in the eyes of this world. Dangerous because we are tempted to feel that we don't need a savior at all, that we can take care of ourselves. The blatant sinner can't hide his need, but the respectable folks hide our "respectable sins" very well. He quotes C.S. Lewis, "Prostitutes are in no danger of finding their present life so satisfactory that they cannot turn to God: the proud, the avaricious, the self-righteous, are in that danger."

Is anyone reading this?

I wonder if anyone reads this. Leave me a comment if you do.

Floss Picks

Ok, I've always heard that you should floss every day. But who really takes the time to do it??? I get on a kick but it never sticks. But the girls' dentist really wants them to floss, but we can't get our large fingers in their mouths. So I bought floss picks. They really aren't expensive, you can get about 100 for $3. They are wonderful! Everyone should use them. It makes flossing so much fun and easy! Now we all floss every day! I've heard that people with the healthiest gums live the longest. So now that I floss every day and drink Shakeology, maybe I'll live to 100!

Live NOW

God has been reminding me of something lately. That he is in the business of character building. He cares much more about who we are becoming rather than where we're headed. I'm trying to stop living for that someday... someday when I can quit my job and be a stay at home mom... someday when my kids won't be so messy and my house will be clean... someday when I'll have time to exercise... someday when I can focus on my marriage. Life is to be lived NOW! Lord, help me to stop focusing on what I don't have that I desire and focus on all the blessings you've put in my life. Help me take steps today to meet the needs of others, love my kids, love my husband, and look for your hand on my life. Amen.

I hope you use every moment you're given TODAY!

Summertime Summertime Sum Sum Summertime!

Can it seriously be August this week? Where has the time gone? I have really enjoyed this summer... Heading to the beach with my family, swimming with the girls and my friends when I can swing it, and the slower pace of life. I still can't believe Campbell will start school in 2 weeks from tomorrow! I'm excited for her to learn to read and experience school. We've already got our supplies and our new backpacks ready to go. I think it will be much easier this time around with an older sister to show her the ropes. I'm also excited for the routine that comes along with school and fall. Hope you all enjoy these last 2 weeks of SUMMER!

One Child

The girls went home with my mom to KC this week so it's just been Shane, Baylor and I. Quite a change from the usual chaos. However, you forget how you become "the playmate" when you have only one child. So I've been spending a lot of one on one time with Baylor. He was asking where the girls were a lot at the beginning of the week. But I don't think he's mentioned them in the last few days. I think he's enjoying being numero uno. And it seems like Shane and I have gotten to spend more time alone as well. I pick them up tomorrow and am excited to see them but this week has been a nice change of pace. School is only a month away, and I've got to start getting the girls ready. Hope you enjoy the last month of summer!

Beach Trip

We just returned from our week at Destin with my extended family. I love a beach vacation. It seems much more relaxed than going anywhere else. We just alternated between the beach and the pool all week and had a great time. I finished a great book and got to work out every day with my sister! We did try to have our pictures taken by a photographer one morning and it did not go well. It was BLAZING HOT and Mallory and Baylor were crying! But here are some of the better ones. We also got to celebrate Mallory's 7th birthday! We had a party at the pool and the Hanna's drove down from Seaside. It was a great time. Hope you find time to relax this summer!

We are still waiting for the full mattress we ordered 3 weeks ago! So you'll have to wait a little longer before I unveil pics of Baylor's new big boy room. Still working on a bedside table, lamp and stuff for the walls. But my sister-in-law gave me a bunch of great ideas today and my friend Beth agreed to paint a canvas. Whoohoo!

I also just finished reading Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges. I felt convicted more than once while reading about the sins most of us Christians tend to overlook... judgmentalism, discontentment, pride of achievement and moral superiority, worldliness and sins of the tongue! Ouch! It was a good read and I recommend it!!

I also just started a facebook page to promote a fit and healthy lifestyle. Check it out. It's called Beachbody Fitness. One of the respectable sins I read about is self-control. And I'm glad to have more self-control with my body. It feels good to take care of what God has given me and hopefully be an example for others.

Big Boy Room

I've been working on turning Baylor's room into a big boy room. I've had the same nursery for 7 years and I'm sooooo sick of it! I painted the room, painted his new bed and dresser, bought a new rug and hung new shades. Once we get the mattress, a new lamp, and night stand, I should be set. Look for the final pics to come soon!

Fairy Tale Ball

The first graders at Dogwood had a Fairy Tale Ball last Friday. They had several stations that the kids rotated through. It was very fun and the kids looked adorable. Here are a few pics.

The Big One

Campbell's dance recital was tonight. She did a great job! She remembered the dance and kept smiling. We were so proud of her! She is a natural! She even got to wear make up. Notice our friend Ava on the back left and our friend Maggie right behind Campbell. Way to go girls!

Season Finale

Ok, I'm so embarrassed that it's been over a month since my last post. I guess I just haven't had a lot to say. I will say that Cinco de Mayo has become one of my favorite holidays! Things are pretty hectic with school winding down and summer fast approaching. I'm looking forward to it and only pray that soon I'll be able to spend summer at home with my kiddos! Campbell's dance recital is Monday night so maybe i'll have pics to post next week, and Mallory has Fairy Tale Ball at school so I'll have those as well.

For now, the tv season wrapping up is my big news. I thoroughly enjoyed the finale of LOST and can't wait until next season! The Private Practice finale was almost too horrifying to watch and Grey's Anatomy finally pulled off a great season after a few meager ones. But my favorite so far is American Idol! I just can't believe how great the singers have been this season. Adam and Kris have been my 2 favorites and I can't wait to see them in the finals this week!!!

He is Risen Indeed!

HAPPY EASTER!!!

A Whole Lot of Baking Going On

With Campbell's birthday party tomorrow and Easter on Sunday, we've been doing a lot of baking today. First I made a Barbie cake for Campbell. I used fondant for the first time and probably the last. I think it tastes awful and just don't think it's worth the trouble. We'll probably peel it off before we eat the cake. Then I tried cupcake pops from Bakerella to take to Popsy's for Easter. I think they are adorable and not too difficult although mine don't look as great as Bakerella. But that's what you get when you let a 5 & 6 year old help.

First Soccer Game

I've been encouraging Mallory to try some extracurricular activities. I thought she'd get to know some girls better and find some confidence. I finally got her to try tap/jazz for 3 months last fall. I had to drag her to the recital in tears. When I returned an hour later for the performance, she was all smiles and the leader of her class. However, she didn't want to do it again. So when 2 of her friends signed up for soccer this spring, she wanted to give it a try. Her first game was Sunday and they lost 11-1. But she had a great time!

Lots and lots of rain

Our yard is lined with tall pine trees on both sides. The trees must be at least 30 years old. It has also rained here probably every other day if not every day for the past 2 weeks. The ground has become so soft that one of the pine trees couldn't stand any longer. Glad it didn't land on our shed or the playset!

Wild Goose Chase

I'm currently reading Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson. I think Mark captures so well why I feel that Christians today fall so short of God's plan for our lives. Mark outlines 6 cages that keep us from living the life I think God has called us to live. They are the Cage of Responsibility, the Cage of Routine, the Cage of Assumptions, the Cage of Guilt, the Cage of Failure and the Cage of Fear. He starts by talking about how bored Christians have become. We are looking to fit God into our lives rather than molding our lives around Him and His purposes. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something more. What an incredible God we serve. I think we would find unimaginable joy if we'd only come out of our cages. Do we really think he has called us to be safe and comfortable? I'm ready for the chase!

Wedding Bells

Popsy married Barbara Freels today. We wish them a wonderful life together! It was a beautiful wedding. The girls had a blast at their first wedding and did a great job as flower girls.

Let the Madness Begin!

I grew up in a family of college basketball fanatics and can't remember a time when I did not watch the NCAA March Madness selection show. No matter where we were, even on a layover between flights, we'd find a tv. I love the excitement and the fact that unheard of teams get a chance to win it all. After all, any team can win on any given day. So congrats to all the teams who made the Big Dance and I'll be tracking it all from my computer! Go Jayhawks!

Pictures from the Aquarium

We were ready to move on from the very first exhibit, but this boy could not take his eyes off the tank filled with "Dory" fish.


My camera battery died after the first 15 minutes. Go figure.

Good Mother or Godly Mother?

I read this the other day on a blog and found it so true. This is an excerpt from "She's Gonna Blow" by Julie Ann Barnhill.

I wish I could wave a magic wand and make the term “good mother” disappear forever. Not because it’s wrong for us to want to be the very best we can be, but because I believe we as mothers have allowed ourselves to be sidetracked by an impossible standard of “good”.

We keep a checklist of mothering perfections, yet overlook one ironic fact - which is that God doesn’t ever really call us to be “good mothers,” at least not as we tend to define it. Instead, He calls us to love Him, to become more like Him - that is, to be “godly” mothers.

God doesn’t want us to be “good mothers”; He simply wants us! He wants us to be His children, to draw on His strength, to learn from Him what it means to be a successful human being.

Isn't it so true how easily we believe the lies of the Deceiver? That we are never good enough? I have to fight daily to not fall into self-pity of not eating healthy enough, not reading my bible enough, not loving my family enough and on and on. But isn't that the best way to keep me from living in victory? I will never be good enough and that is why I need a savior. And Jesus Christ in his loving mercy, erased my sins and will give me the power through the Holy Spirit to do all he asks of me if only I will receive it. May we not believe the lies of Satan but only "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."

What A Weekend!

Well, my husband had a grand idea on Friday to head to Chattanooga this weekend and visit the aquarium. I knew our kids would enjoy it and I needed to catch up on reading and thought it would be good time to practice all the communication we learned last week at the marriage conference (which was amazing by the way). So we threw a few clothes into a bag and headed out around 6pm. We spent the night in Murfreesboro and headed to the aquarium the next day. The light drizzle wasn't enough to dampen our fun. We hit the Ocean Journey building first and everyone seemed to enjoy it. Then we headed to a little Mexican restaurant nearby to grab a bite. It didn't quite live up to our expectations, but I was happy to be eating something other than Lean Cuisine so I wasn't complaining. Next we hit the River Journey building and were thoroughly exhausted afterwards. We decided to just head home Sat afternoon and try out the Children's museum on our next visit. We tried to stop at Cheesecake Factory in Nashville, but of course it was an hour wait at 4:30. Crazy! So we settled for Panera and then got back on the road expecting to be home around 8:30pm. Well, just north of Jackson it started to snow. By the time we got to Jackson, so many cars were stuck trying to get up the exit ramps that it didn't seem like an option to stop. We had no idea snow was even in the forecast! It was 60 degrees on Friday. We trekked on but the highway stopped about halfway between Jackson & Memphis. We were in the same spot on the packed highway for 11 1/2 hours!!! Luckily the kids seemed to not mind and all slept relatively well from 11-6. Shane and I however didn't fare as well. We maybe got 2 hours. The highway finally started to move this morning around 7:45 am. There were SOOO many cars stuck and actually buried in the snow! Where we were I'm sure it was more than a foot of snow! I was thankful that we weren't one of the ones off the road, thankful that we had enough gas, and thankful that my kids fell asleep! Going to the bathroom was another story that I won't go into now, but we all made it safely home around 10:30 this morning! And now I need a nap!

Changes

Just wanted to update everyone on my 2009 resolution to become healthier. I have been doing Chalean Extreme now for 5 1/2 weeks. I LOVE it!!! That is weird for me to say... love working out??? I love getting up and doing my weight training first thing each morning. I love my clothes fitting better and feeling better about myself. I love that I'm seeing my body change while only doing cardio twice a week! I still hate the cardio, but oh well. I have never done weight training before and I'm finding this is how to change your body. It has become a part of my routine now. I'm happy to show my kids a healthier way to live. And I want to tell everyone that this is doable. If I can do it, you can too. I hope you won't recognize me in a another 6 1/2 weeks!

Mid 60's in Feb

There's nothing like enjoying an afternoon out side in February!

Lost

One of the things I was looking forward to in 2009 was the new season of ABC's Lost. It's one of the few shows to premier in January. Last season was a bit of a letdown. Too many loose ends and moving between the U.S. and the island. However, the cliffhanger last season was a good one. The first 2 episodes this season left me a bit bored. Even more loose ends and switching now between the U.S., the island and time travel. I did enjoy the episode this week however. I'm ready for the gang to just go back. Enough of the misery in the real world. My favorite characters are Charlie and Desmond. You don't see much of them these days. I have to watch alone as my husband is trying to catch up. He has been watching the episodes online, starting with season one. He is finally in season 3, but who knows if he'll catch up before this season is over. His favorite part so far is when Rose knew that her husband was still alive even though no one knew about the back of the plane survivors. She mentions that there is a fine line between faith and denial. Isn't that so true? The world makes us doubt so much of our faith and can cause us to question if we are just in denial. I am thankful for God's promises in His word and for those who live out their faith even when others may think they are just in denial.

25 Things Cont.

Ok, I'll give it another go.

16. I'm terrible about interrupting people.
17. I love road trips but prefer to be a passenger rather than the driver.
18. It's hard for me to make new friends, but once I have em, I keep em.
19. I LOVE getting Christmas cards with pictures or letters.
20. I enjoy living in the South.
21. I never hit snooze.
22. My favorite shows are Brothers & Sisters, Dirty Sexy Money and LOST.
23. I love everything in the Ballard Designs catalogue.
24. I hate shopping by myself.
25. I got engaged on the Empire State Building.


RELIEF!!!

25 Random Things About Me

Everyone is posting 25 random things on Faceboook and tagging all their friends. I enjoy reading them about others, but it stresses me out a bit trying to think of 25 things about myself. But here it goes....

1. I can touch my nose with my tongue.
2. I love holiday m&m's.
3. I like to be on time.
4. I like others to be on time : )
5. I am a doer rather than a thinker.
6. I enjoy the national news but HATE local news.
7. I love reading blogs!
8. I usually pass out when giving blood.
9. I hate even talking about blood!
10. I still keep in touch with several friends from kindergarten.
11. I prefer email or im over talking on the phone.
12. I love my Samsung Instinct.
13. I love Guitar Hero!
14. I like to eat licorice while at the movies or traveling.
15. I like to have access to a nail file at all times.
16. Starting to have trouble... can anyone help me finish off the list???

Eat Your Veggies!

I have never been fond of vegetables. Well, with the exception of the potato. Can you really call that a vegetable? My mom made a salad with dinner every night but rarely a vegetable other than potatoes. Occasionally we had peas which I swallowed as if taking a pill, or green beans straight from the can. And sometimes broccoli smothered in cheese sauce which was my favorite. But I never recall seeing most of the stuff you see down here in the South: squash, okra, greens, asparagus or brussel sprouts. Anyway, along with my weight loss/health resolution I've been trying to make healthier meals for the family and even attempting to offer a vegetable every night! So last night, was our second night with steamed broccoli. And to my surprise my son loves it! He downed an entire bowl of broccoli. Of course my daughter C loves all fruit and vegetables, so she has really been enjoying this new routine. But M cries if a tiny piece of broccoli touches her mouth. We also had squash and zucchini this week which I found I love too! I'm going to go for asparagus tomorrow night. I will never come around to brussel sprouts or greens though. They look and smell too gross!

New Year Resolutions

I have many resolutions for 2009. To pray more specifically for my family, to spend more quality time with my children, and to love my husband more selflessly. But what I'm very excited about is the weight loss challenge that me and 7 friends started last Saturday. We've all committed to exercise and eat healthy for three months. The person with the greatest percentage weight and body fat loss will win! I've lost weight before and know how to do it. But I'm excited this time to try to tone my body and build muscle. I've ordered the Chalean Extreme workout videos and will start next week. Hopefully you won't believe your eyes when you see me in three months : )