God Knows Me...

In Sunday School this week...we have been studying Revelations...but we referenced to I Chronicles 29.  As I was reading there, a little side note in my Bible that read something like this. 

When God "tests" a heart, it is not to shame or manipulate, but to liberate and empower.  God wants to coach us into becoming the generous, teachable, honest and joyful people he designed us to be.  He is delighted when we live intentionally, choosing to cultivate a willing and happy attitude and behavior that demonstrates integrity and truthfulness.  Friends, family or associates may not take time to understand us - our vision, passion, spiritual desires or motives.  But God examines our hearts, and he knows the real you and the real me.  And even more remarkable, he loves us.

The life I want to live...I want to be generous, teachable, honest and joyful in all I do. I want to have a willing and happy attitude and behave with integrity and truthfulness for others to see.  Yes, my family and friends may not take time to understand me...truly know me.  But, GOD KNOWS ME!  He knows every aspect, ambition, love, failure and fear that I have.  Whether anyone else knows me GOD KNOWS ME!  God ...knows... you!  He knows every part of you inside and out!  He knows every thought and every action!  He sees you when no one else does!  I want every aspect of my life to be for his glory and his honor.  I want him to be a proud Father with everything that I do.  How about you?  I want my boys to know that no matter what happens in this life...God knows them...every hair on their head!  He is always a dependable force in their life!  Just say it out loud...God knows ME!   God loves me no matter what!  Am I going to mess up?  YES, every day probably! But no matter what I do in my life, no matter what happens each day, no matter how many times I mess up, no matter what...NO MATTER WHAT...God still loves me! God knows you...whether you want him to or not!  Let him be the dependable force in your life! 

Mason turns...9!

What a great few weeks we have had celebrating birthdays.  I can't believe that my Mason is 9!  Where did nine years go to.  Mason is my sweet, tenderhearted, very content child.  It was like pulling teeth just trying to get him to tell me something he would like for his birthday. That is just Mason ...he really just didn't want anything.  I finally came up with a few things to get him and then he will have some money to spend!  When all else fails...they like money and gift cards at this age!  We had been to Chucky Cheeses the week before for some birthday fun for both Mason and Dylan.  This weekend they went to a movie and then we had a little family combined birthday party for the two of them!  I think they had fun!  Sunday we had a house full of boys...oh the noise!  It was good noise but it was loud!  They had the biggest time! Mostly with nerf wars in the basement!  There were 7 boys here...not including Noah and David...that makes 9...I am REALLY outnumbered!  Noah can be as loud as they are...he feeds off their energy!  He was a little mad he couldn't participate in the nerf wars with the big boys...but it won't be long! 

I feel very blessed that God has allowed me to be Mason's mother for the last nine years!  I hope to cherish every moment that I get to spend with them and to never forget they are just on loan...they aren't really mine...they are God's precious gifts to me for a time!  I better enjoy every minute of it!

Always doing tricks on the trampoline...he is like a monkey!

Mason the mime...for Halloween!

Such a cutie!

Rock Island fun! 

Being goofy!

Lego man!

Some wintertime favorite treats...

Here are a few recipes that I love for wintertime.  I am all about making sweets and treats so here are a few!

Wassal (spelling...not so sure)

1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
boil these three...I usually finish mine in the crockpot then
add 1/2 can cranberry juice cocktail
and 1/2 can pineapple juice
This is one of my favorite drinks of winter!!

I also make a lot of candy and goodies so here are a few you might like to try out!  Super easy of course!

Crockpot Candy

1 can unsalted peanuts
1 can salted peanuts
1 bar german chocolate
1 12 oz milk chocolate chips
1 chocolate almond bark
1 white choc. almond bark

Layer in above order in your crockpot.  Cook on high for 1 hour and DO NOT STIR.  Turn on low and stir every 15 minutes for about an hour.  Drop onto wax paper!

LuLu's White Trash

2 c. Mini Pretzels
2 c. wheat or rice cereal
2 c. peanuts
1 c. mixed nuts
2 pks. white bakers bark

Mix above ingredients minus the bark and spread on large wax paper lined cookie sheet or two small ones.  Melt bakers bark and pour over ingredients on cookie sheet...let it harden and break apart into desired size pieces.

Haystacks

5 oz. chow mein
12 oz. butterscotch
2/3 c. peanut butter
Melt chips and peanut butter over low heat.  Stir in your chow mein noodles.  Drop by teaspoons on wax paper until they harden.

Tiger Butter

1 white bakers bar
12 oz peanut butter
12 oz choc. chips

Melt all the above ingredients and pour onto wax lines cookie sheet...let it harden  in refrigerator and break apart.

Oreo Balls

Mash up 1 pack of oreo cookies and roll into balls...refrigerate for one hour and then dip with a toothpick in chocolate or white almond bark...A kid favorite!

Hope you enjoy!

New Years...

I am not big on New Years resolutions...mainly because I never keep them!  But, there are several areas I would like to work on in my life and I vow to make these areas better in 2012.  I plan to study harder in God's word and to gain a deeper understanding of what I do study!  If you have any suggestions for studies I am always open for a new one!  I have just started reading Beth Moore's Praying God's Word.  Sometimes I feel like I read but then I don't know what I have just read!  I want to change that!  I bought David a MacArthur Study Bible for Christmas...I must say I think I am a little jealous and will have to sneak it away from him!  He has really enjoyed studying in his new Bible!  I would also like to serve more in church.  I am not sure where or what I would like or what God would like me to do but I am sure with prayer it will come to me.  Our Loaves and Fishes is going to start a soup kitchen one day a month. I would LOVE to help with this.  I am hoping I can work my schedule out so that if they need me I can be there for sure.  I am really excited about VBS.  Just got the call today that our pack has arrived and I cannot wait to get started on it!  VBS is tons of work but it is what I love! 

I am trying to get into better shape...isn't that everyone's New Years thing.  I plan to lose the rest of the baby weight and work as hard as I can at becoming physically fit.  I would love to run but with my back history it scares me a little to even try!

I guess my last area I want to work on which I feel always has room for improvement is being the best wife and mother that I can possibly be!  Spending more time with the kids and doing more fun things.  With four kids my days at home are often spent cleaning and doing laundry.  I am sure I am not alone!  I want to work on not being so much of a pain to my family about the house being just how I want it.  it needs to be clean but it doesn't always have to be perfect. Most days it isn't anyways!  I also have been working on a particular verse over the past year!  James (one of my favorite books) 1:19-21  My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

I will leave you with this:

James 3: 13-18

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.  But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth,  Such "wisdom" does not come down from the heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.  But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

Dylan turns 11...

 My boys!

 Dylan loves legos...he wants lots of pieces! This one had about 900 I think!  Thinking it might take him a few days to put it together...no...he had it together within a couple hours of starting it on Christmas Day!

 Love him!

Running!  Mason and Dylan have started running in 5K's this fall!  They seem to really like it!

Funny guy!

What a wonderful time we have had this weekend celebrating Dylan's Birthday!  I have been so very blessed with this precious boy!  Dylan is very sweet, great big brother, very strong willed, very smart, but most of all a very sincere and kind boy!  He is precious to his father and I!  I will never forget New Years Day eleven years ago when we finally got to meet that little red headed boy!  It was a long day but I wouldn't trade it for anything!  Precious memories!!!  This weekend we started with a little trip to Murfreesboro...we had some things to exchange at Toys R Us and decided to surprise the kids with Chuck E Cheese's.  We then went shopping most of the afternoon and ended the night at P.F. Chang's (my favorite)!  I really thought they would make it to ring in the new year with their daddy...momma cherishes her sleep right now with Noah still being a restless sleeper.  I knew I would be better off and everyone would like me more today if I went ahead to bed!  I think they made it to around 11 or 11:30.  This morning we got up and Dylan opened his presents.  More legos and some board games!  We headed to church and then ate at Outback (Dylan's choice) for lunch.  We came home to a very long afternoon of Monopoly!  Very very long afternoon of monopoly...and Dylan beat us all.  I am so thankful for Dylan! I am thankful for all of my kids and I hope not a day goes by that I don't tell God how thankful I am to be there momma and that he entrusted me with these precious boys!  I also hope not a day goes by that I don't tell them how important they are to me.  The most important thing to me is that my children come to know the Lord..so far three of the four have trusted their lives to Jesus which is huge to me!  There is not a more joyous or special occasion than the day your child accepts Christ as his Savior!  I pray that God will give me the strength, courage and guidence I need in the upcoming years of raising four boys!  We get to do this again next weekend for Mason's birthday!! Yes, we have another birthday in only a week!  So, I guess there will be more to come!

Fear...

Tonight I have a child who is full of fear...fear of the unknown...fear of sickness...fear of dying...fear of just about everything.  We have dealt with this fear for several years.  We have spent nights up talking, reading, praying...trying to get to the bottom of these fears.  We have come a long way but tonight they have resurfaced a little and I shared with him what I am fixing to share with you.

One thing that I have struggled with in the last few years is fear/worry.  I would have to say this fear or worry increased after losing David's father to cancer in 2007.  The fear that another loved one would encounter this horrible disease or that I would lose a loved one I most cherished.  This has been an ongoing struggle of "what would happen if I got sick" or "what would happen if one of my kids or husband got sick".  I have worked hard at turning this fear over to God.  It is hard sometimes when all around you someone is dying or just found out they have cancer.  If you have ever seen someone die from this horrible disease you know what it looks like.  It isn't pretty, it isn't nice, it isn't peaceful! The funny thing is that I know that any number of my loved ones would be in a much better place if something happened to them ,or if something happened to me I know that I will spend eternity with my Creator.  So, why do we worry about things.  Why do we put ourselves in this turmoil and work ourselves up for the unknown or for things that haven't even happened.  How many times have we imagined things and made ourselves nearly sick thinking about them coming true...when it hasn't even happened.  I doubt I am alone!  I have been reading a Beth Moore book that hit this fear subject on the head!  "I need to stop praying "Lord, I trust You to..." and start praying "Lord I trust You. Period!".  I am going to share passages from what I have been reading.

From Beth Moore..."Of course, I realize God would prefer for me to refrain from rehearsing those kinds of fears altogether, but He also knows my weaknesses and how deeply and subconsciously I associate love with risk.  As long as I insist on torturing myself with these terrifying possibilities, He seems to suggest that I think them all the way through to the other side.  The prospect of losing a loved one is horrifying.  I cannot imaging enduring it, but because I know God is faithful, I must trust that somehow I would.  Can you bring yourself to believe that you would as well?"

"Romans 8:18 promises that the future we have coming is so glorious that nothing we've suffered will compare to the magnitude and splendor of it.  We must not let the enemy of our souls get away with convincing us that anything can utterly destroy us.  If we do, we will hand him an engraved invitation to attend our constant torment.  Over and over Jesus implores his followers, "Take courage!" as if His hand is outstretched and His palm opened with offered treasure.  It's time we took Him up on it.  Do we really want to spend our time rehearsing deaths of all kinds rather than engaging in the effervescence of life?"

"He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.  His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes." Psalm 112:7-8

"I don't think the psalmist meant that the person described had a lifetime guarantee from God that he would never get any bad news.  Hard things happen to all of us, and they often come in the form of "news." It's part of pumping blood on this fretful planet.  The psalmist meant just what he said.  She doesn't live in fear of bad news.  Why is she free from such self-torment?  Stay with me here, because this connection is crucial: she is fee because she knows that "in the end [she] will look in triumph on [her] foes." Translation? God will work all things - no matter how difficult or devastating - out to her advantage.  Her enemy will not triumph over her.  It may hurt in the beginning, but it's going to be beautiful "in the end."

God knows my weaknesses...and so does Satan.  Sometimes no matter what I do I still have a set back and fear will get the best of me.  I have to remember that I am not in control.  I cannot let Satan win the battle over me and let fear win.  If something does happen to me, my husband or my kids...as long as we are a child of God we are in a  "win win" situation.  No doubt there will be heartbreak here on this earth but the glory and splendor of what is to come is unimaginable.

From Beth Moore...

"I, the Maker of heaven and earth, will:"

perfect everything that concerns you (Psalm 138:8)
work all things together for your good (Romans 8:28)
contend with those who contend with you (Isaiah 49:25)
fight this battle for you (2 Chronicles 20:15)
equip you with divine power (2 Corinthians 10:4)
delight to show you mercy (Micah 7:18)
meet all your needs according to My glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19)
give you grace that is perfectly sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9)
be your power in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)
do immeasurably more than all you could ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within you (Ephesians 3:20)"

That is some good stuff!  So, there are all of the "what ifs" and things that I am uncertain of...the unknowns. But I am certain that if I turn this over to God and give him the authority and put my trust in him...HE WILL SUSTAIN ME!  "Take courage!" I don't want any of my children to have this fear of sickness or death. Although we all know death is fearful because it is the unknown and there is no way of knowing when or how it is going to happen.  We do know our Eternal Father has our back.  He loves us and will take care of us on this earth and in Eternity.  All we have to do is give our weaknesses to him and let him give us the strength we need!

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

One of my favorite times of year!  CHRISTMAS! For several years I have helped organize a project at church known as "The Mitten Tree".  For the most part it is an angel tree where we help needy families during the holiday season. We start helping at Thanksgiving by delivering baskets full of food for each family.  We then get information from the families on what the kids need and want for Christmas.  This is an exciting time!  I look forward to it every year.  It is A LOT of work but it is good work.  You see, that is what it is all about!  We can get and buy so much!  How much can we give?  How much did Christ GIVE for us?  It is often said to me that people abuse this and know how to work the system!  I am sure they are right but that is not for me to judge!  I know from talking to some of these families that they are truly hurting!  Some are fighting cancer, some have lost family members, some have lost their jobs and can't make ends meet.  It is encouraging for them to know that their is someone out there who cares.  So, it is not just about buying these people gifts.  We bring them in and feed them supper and share the gospel with them.  It is a chance for us to talk one on one with these families and listen to what is going on in their lives!  Please pray for us as tomorrow night will be our "Mitten Tree Dinner" with these families.  Pray that we can touch the lives of someone who does not know Christ as their Saviour.  Pray that we can show Christ's love as Christ has shown His love to us!  Help us to show love, patience, kindness, gentleness, and Chistlikeness to these families!  Pray that they will see peace in our lives and long to find that same peace! 

One thing that I have often noticed when we are doing a big outreach like this...satan always seems to creep his head in.  There always seems to be something that happens to cause dissension or a disturbance in the plans you have made. I pray right now that we can overpower satan and not let him step in and claim what is not his to have. 

I guess our Christmas festivities officially begin this weekend.  We have had family get togethers the past two weekends but we have been unable to attend because of prior obligations.  This weekend we will have David's family up for Christmas and then attend an extended family Christmas get together on Saturday evening.  I love having family together.  Unfortunately, we do not get together with David's family as often as we would like because of the miles between us and kids going in all directions.  Looking forward to spending time with them all. 

Christmas in my house growing up was always a big ordeal.  We always started the morning by reading the Christmas Story...the one in the Bible!!  It was always a special time at our house and definitely a fun time.  We have always done the same thing with our kids.  When we get up on Christmas morning we read about Jesus birth and talk about the real reason we celebrate Christmas!  No doubt the presents are fun and watching the kids is more fun than anything for me!  I fix breakfast and my mom and dad come down and eat with us and play with the kiddos for a while.  It is a day to rest and enjoy our family!  We celebrate Christmas with my mom and dad, sister and her family the day after Christmas!  We spend the day at mom and dad's!  They always make is special for us all!  Mom always has a huge spread for breakfast...with her infamous stuffed french toast with raspberry syrup...it is the BEST!  Too bad we only get it once a year...but it is well worth the wait and always something to look forward to! 

Celebrating the season of our Saviour's birth and giving him the glory and praise for all that we have and all that we are.  This Christmas will not come without a few heartaches...thinking of the family that has passed on and are not here to spend this Glorious holiday with us.  We do have the comfort in knowing that Poppy and my father-in-law are celebrating this Christmas Birthday with our Saviour in person! 

Praying that you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and truly remember the reason we celebrate!  It is all about Him...not so much about us!

Love you mom, dad & sis!  Thanks for being such a wonderful, loving family!  I couldn't ask for a better one!

The whole crew!

Aren't they cuties!

The LOVE of my life! My soulmate!

Love these pictures we had made a few weeks ago...hope you enjoy! 

Wishing you a very

Merry Christmas

from our house to yours!