"He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:29-31

There are times when we want to give up. We're exhausted, weary, and through with all the hooplah we endure day to day... God promises us that He hears us, He never leaves us! That one day He will give us wings and we will fly like eagles, walk and not faint!

I encourage you to not give up! Be patient and wait on God's timing! His timing, although we will never understand, is always perfect....

I'm ready for my wings Lord! I'm ready to fly!

Love ya'll! Strive to be different!!

ATM

Today we created an ATM for pretend play!

I got the idea from pinterest and had to make it!

The kids have had lots of fun using their

play credit cards and going to the bank:)

I find comfort in His word

as I face adversaries and want to give in.....

"The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know what to say to all these weary ones. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me, and I have listened. I do not rebel or turn away. I give my back to those who beat me and my cheeks to those who pull out my beard. I do not hide from shame, for they mock me and spit in my face."

"Because my Sovereign Lord helps me. I will not be dismayed. Therefore I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will triumph. He who gives me justice is near. Who will dare to oppose me now? Where are my enemies? Let them appear! See the Sovereign Lord is on my side! Who will declare me guilty? All my enemies will be destroyed like old clothes that have been eaten by moths." Isaiah 50:4-9

I am weak but thou art strong;

Jesus keep me from all wrong

I'll be satisfied as long

As I walk, let me walk, close to thee...

Brighter Days Ahead!!

Post Office

A little pretend play today...

I had so much fun creating these mail boxes out of cereal boxes for the kids! One for the "post office" and one for Maggie's "house" in her room. So far they've been playing for hours so it must be a great hit!:)

Oh, and I also created little handmade felt stamps that are reusable with Velcro backing:)

Maggie loves them!

A little imagination... hours of fun!

Created using a cereal box, painted black with white, felt letters

Handmade felt stamps with velcro backing
Our little pretend post office

Love ya'll! :):):)

Oh.... if only... my dreams.... were what really mattered....

Seems silly to post an old, run down, rickety house as your dream home, doesn't it?

But, oh, how often I dream of this place...

how often I long for.... simpleness

"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing."

"Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you many ask any request you like, and it will be granted! My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father."

John 15:5-8

Just to update you...Our little talk went wonderful today!

Maggie wants to be a produce stand worker and Nate wants to be a baseball player and a dad:)

Love ya'll! Strive to be Different!!

God has layed a special message on my heart for our childrens' Bible lesson tomorrow before we begin a "new year" of school.

You know I've said many times before that at night when I pray over our children, that I pray for God to protect them from drugs, alcohol, boys, girls, anything or any temptation that could lead them astray from what the Lord has called them to do. I pray that they will come to know Him at an early age and that whatever He calls them to do, will be for All for His glory! That they will live their lives boldly and courageously for Him!

Which leads me to the lesson tomorrow:)

God has asked me to talk to them about "what" they want to be when they grow up:)

Seems a little premature, but I'm not arguing with the Big Guy!

Which we all know what they're going to say....

A baseball player, a singer, a mommy, or Maggie's latest, "Justin Bieber...." (Yes, I know, she's a girl and all that, we've tried....)

But, in all seriousness, I believe God wants me to talk to my children (well, I like to call them "our" children because they belong to Him first, right?:) about their future in a more depth approach.

While it's true that school and academics, colleges, and careers are all wonderful and important things in our life....

I believe the most important message God wants me to instill in them is to Love the Lord our God with all their heart, their soul and their mind!

And, His message on my heart for them is clear...

that "whatever" they choose to do or "be" when they grow up...

it should be All for the Glory of God!

Nothing more, Nothing Less....

Pray that their little minds will soak up this "simple"

but, oh so powerful message and not only hear it, but live it!

I am so Blessed......

Above all Else... LOVE

It's very rare that I get to visit with my mom these days without one of my children hoarding all of her attention!

Which in one sense, I find it truly amazing that they love her more than life itself, but in another... I get a little envious of their time together; and I long for some of her undivided attention myself!:)

Well, today, I left the kids at home with their daddy and I got to spend some quality time with my mom... not an all day ordeal mind you, but just a couple of hours.... just she and I talking and sharing the ups and downs of our lives. I was in udder bliss:)

As we began talking and sharing some things, I began to quickly realize what we were both struggling with in our lives... LOVE

And I'm not talking about the love shown between eachother (mom and I) or in our family and so forth... although I am quick to realize that there are times in our lives that all families struggle with showing love for eachother and fail to treat eachother with the love that God expects of us, but it saddens me to say that I'm speaking of the love that we are to be showing one another as, Christians. (notice I set that word apart... because as Christians we are supposed to be set apart from the world and not be "of" the world..we are supposed to be different.)

I think as Christians, living for Christ, we forget sometimes, I know I do, that above all else, we are to LOVE one another.

God says in 1 John 3:18, "Dear Children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions." He goes onto to say in chap 4 verse 7, "Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God-for God is love."

God also says, "the greatest commandment is to LOVE."

I think the human side of us wants to skip over that part. As I was sharing with my mom, I was wrestling with the fact that people can be sooo mean (and I'm not excluding myself from that statement!) We forget that as Christians, our obligation to one another is to build eachother up in Christ! So why do we spend so much time hurting one another and tearing eachother down?

I, for one, am going to work on this commandment that God has given us...

1 Thess 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build up one another just as you are also doing."

So, as you go to work, school, church, or wherever this week.... I want to encourage you to LOVE one another and build each other up!

Despite anyone's faults, wrong doings, or whatever it may be that you don't like about someone; they're still your brother and sister in Christ and God tells us to Love. Besides; we have WORK to do! There's no time for all that!:)

Love ya'll! Strive to be Different!