Sunday, August 23, 2009

Scripture Sunday

Psalm 94:18-19 (New International Version)

18 When I said, "My foot is slipping,"
your love, O LORD, supported me.

19 When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought joy to my soul.



When the psalmist nearly fell, God made him safe, (verse 18).

When he was not happy, God made him happy again, (verse 19).
A better word for happy here is "confident". It means that you know everything will be OK


I like this whole Psalm but thought I'd share just a part of it. I feel like everyday I'm going to fall because of the daily stress but mostly the financial stress. Sometimes I don't know how we will survive, but I believe in my heart we will get through it. I try so hard to remain happy even when my heart is scared and stressed...I just stop and pray...it helps so much. Even when I don't know what to say to God - I just pray the Lords Prayer and immediately feel so good.

Peace and Love,

Few days off....

Sorry, mainly to myself because I didn't post in a few days and this blog is my little diary. Well, we had a very successful BBQ with our friends. We are so lucky we moved to a great place and made such great friends. I had a little too much and I'm embarrassed because I work with these people and my kids were here. Good news is my great hubby and friends took care of her while I eat bread and had lots of water to get back to myself.

Unfortunately we didn't make it to church because I slept till noon. In my own defense aside from the too many jello shot syringes last night...I haven't had good sleep in about 4 weeks.

This week school starts for Landon...2nd grade. Tomorrow is meet the teacher for Landon and Logan has his first gymnastics class. I now have officially 2 1/2 weeks till I go back to work. I'm ready and excited but kinda scared for the changes that are happening and who will be taking care of the kids. Hopefully, Logs will start Temple Baptist Pre-K on Aug 31st but we still are sure. I'm excited to think my parents will keep Linz but it makes me sad the reason they have to is because they have had to sell their house and pretty much everything...and come live with us. I can't believe how hard and sad that is to be in your 60's and lose your job and everything else you have worked so hard for.

Peace and Love,

Thursday, August 20, 2009

You Capture - Peace

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According to Wikipedia this is the definition of
Peace - is a term that most commonly refers to an absence of aggression, violence or hostility, but which also represents a larger concept wherein there are healthy or newly-healed interpersonal or international relationships, safety in matters of social or economic welfare, the acknowledgment of equality and fairness in political relationships and, in world matters, peacetime; a state of being absent of any war or conflict. Reflection on the nature of peace is also bound up with considerations of the causes for its absence or loss. Among these potential causes are: insecurity, social injustice, economic inequality, political and religious radicalism, and acute nationalism.


BUT what is Peace actually mean to you? Beth over at "I should be folding laundry" gave us this challenge. Go and see what brings Peace to others.

Peace to me:


Rain drops


Kiddos sleeping





The backyard



I am most at Peace when I am scrapbooking



Peace and Love,

Monday, August 17, 2009

Not Me Monday



Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.


Not Me...I love this

So, little 5yr old girl who I let hold my baby while at the pool today. I did not think rude little thoughts about you when you got mad at me because I wouldn't let you put my baby in her carseat or when you were yelling at me because I said I had to take my family and leave...I DID NOT, NO NOT ME, think evil thoughs as your Dad was right there letting you be so rude.


Not me, I did not feed my kids fast food twice in one day. I won't be so lazy or let my kids eat that crap twice in one day.


No, not me...I did not shoo my kid away because I wanted to play on Facebook...not me...I won't do that. I would not ever let my kid think the computer is more important than him...never.


I'm sure I didn't do a lot of other things but The Closer is on and I'm getting tired. Good Night...sweet dreams...

Peace and Love,

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Scripture Sunday

So, I'd like to take my Sunday posts to help me and maybe you learn about a certain scripture and share one story of how God worked in my life this last week.

This week it's Psalm 42 (New International Version)

1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?

3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"

4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.

5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and 6 my God.
My [c] soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.

8 By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.

9 I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"

10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"

11 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.


Now in English...what is the author saying...

Verses 1 - 2: The *hart, or male deer, is *thirsty. It is in a desert place where there is no water. It cries while it looks for water. The *psalmist says that he is *like the *hart. The *psalmist is the person that wrote the psalm. His enemy has taken him through a desert where he saw the *thirsty animal. The *psalmist is *thirsty too. But he is not *thirsty for water, but for God. His body is not *thirsty, but his *soul inside him is *thirsty. He is a hostage so that he cannot go to the *temple and see God. In the psalm, "not seeing God" means "not *worshipping God". He did not really see God, he only saw the place where he believed that God lived.

Verses 3 - 4: His enemies laugh at him and ask, "Where is your God?" They are saying, "God is not with you now". The *psalmist remembers how he *worshipped God in the *temple. There were crowds of people there. They all *worshipped God with singing and dancing. It was *like a great party or festival. But now he thought that his enemies were right: he had left God in Jerusalem.

Verse 5: The *psalmist tells his *soul that although he is sad and *restless he will still hope in God. Our *soul is that part of us that makes us feel happy or sad. It will still live when our bodies die. Jesus repeated some of these words the week before he died. They are at the top of the psalm. They are not quite the same because Jesus repeated words from the Greek Old Testament, not the Hebrew Old Testament. People made this about 200 years before Jesus came to the earth. Many Jews lived in Egypt where they spoke Greek, not Hebrew. So they translated their Bible (our Old Testament) into Greek. This is the Bible that most of the New Testament quotations are in. A quotation is when someone repeats words from another book. The words are not always the same in the Greek and Hebrew Bibles. Both sets of words are true!

Verses 6 - 7: In verses 1 - 5 the *psalmist was in dry country, what we call a desert. Now, in verses 6-11, we are in a different country. There is a river and mountains. Where are we? 200 kilometres north of Jerusalem is a group of mountains called the Hermons. Maybe they called one of the hills Mizar, we are not sure. But we do know that the River Jordan started in the Hermons. When it rained a lot the river ran over the rocks and made *waterfalls. In places, it was very deep. When he saw the deep water, it made the *psalmist think of his life. He felt that his enemy was pushing him along *like the water would push him if he fell in! The Hermons were in Israel, where Jehoash was king. Jehoash may have taken the *psalmist hostage in Jerusalem. Then he took him through the deserts of Judah to the hills of Israel.

If this is true, an interesting thing may have happened. In the chapter of Kings that tells us the story of Jehoash (2 Kings 14) we read about a man called Jonah. Maybe Jonah knew Psalm 42. He repeated a bit of verse 7 when the fish swallowed him. You will find it in the book of Jonah, chapter 2. Did Jonah learn the psalm from the hostage? Jonah did live in Israel!

Verse 8: This is the turning-point of the psalm. A turning-point is when something changes. You will see two important changes in this verse. First, he calls God by the name *LORD. Only God’s friends did this in the Old Testament. What happened to make him do this? Everywhere else he used the name God. We believe that what happened was this. He found God was with him in the Hermons. God did not only live in Jerusalem. God was everywhere!

Verses 9 - 10: But there were still questions. (A question is something that you ask.) He asked why God had forgotten him and why he was so sad. He asked why God let his enemies hurt him. And the enemies asked the same question as in verse 3, ‘Where is your God?’ But things are different now. The *psalmist is sure that God is with him and he hopes that things will get better.

Verse 11: So he repeats verse 5. But this time we think that he said it with more belief that it was true. Another way to say this is that he was more sure of it.

Verses 5 and 11 and verse 5 of Psalm 43 are all exactly the same. We think that this is a good reason for thinking that they are really two parts of one psalm.



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So, my story this week:

We moved to New Bern in January 2008. It took us a while to get settled and then we started searching for a Church family. We tried many different ones. In October 2008 we tried Temple Baptist. At first I didn't like it. I grew up Methodist and I only wanted to go to a Methodist church. Well, we just couldn't find one where we felt we "fit" in. In March 2009 we went back to Temple and when we walked thru the doors I had a feeling of calm and peacefulness...this was now home. I have worked thru my "must be Methodist" issues and have been loving Temple since. Okay, so we found a Bible Fellowship Group we love, we love to go to Wednesday night Awana's and I felt pulled to volunteer with the kids.

So, I am going to help Wednesday nights in Cubbies and on Sundays in the Pre-K class. I wasn't so sure Pre-K was right for me because Logan would be in that class. Usually it is not a good combination for me to be in the same class with one of my kids. I trusted that Robin was putting me where she really needed me and I had my first class today. It was great. Logan was so glad I was there but didn't cling to me or push my buttons. It was like he was so glad to be with me without Landon or Lindsey. It was special "alone" time with the two of us. Not that we are alone with 15 - 20 other 4yr olds but it was just us from our immediate family. I didn't realize how in only 4 short weeks he was already getting lost as the middle child. I praise God and Robin for giving me this gift of time with my Loggy.

Anyway, I'd love to hear how God worked in your life this week.

Peace and Love,

Saturday, August 15, 2009

You Capture - Motion

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Again, (okay..a few days late..we were outta town) a fun blog idea from Beth about capturing things in motion. Now this is so not hard for an amatur photographyer who really doesn't know how to work the camera that well. I have alot but I thought these two of the boys from this summer were so neat. We were in Southport for July 4th and they were waving around a lightsabre type toy before the fireworks.

Enjoy and now you go to I Should be Folding Laundry and see others along with joining in the fun.








Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Tired out Tuesday

I'm pooped.

That's about all I can say tonight.

I've taken great pictures to share but they will have to wait. I braved the heat and took the kids to the pool. They boys needed out bad so we went. Didn't stay too long because of the heat and Linz was really cranky. I don't know what's going on with her. She has pretty much cried all day. Projectile puke 3 times today.

My boobs hurt.

My washer has gone ka-poot. It's not draining.

My AC in the van is putting out heat in the back. Nice in 100 degree weather. Hopefully, it just needs freeon. (I have no idea how to spell that BTW)

I'm so excited to go back to work. I will probably be more tired after work and then running everyone to this and that...oh, don't forget we have to eat. Someone has to cook and clean that up. I'm really stressed about G going to nights. I will have to get myself and 3 kids up and out the door by 7 for work and meeting G at the hospital to trade off the kids. Right now it will just be Wednesday, Thursday, Friday morning but he is going to work overtime so that will probably change.

Well, I can barely keep my eyes open.

Peace and Love,

Monday, August 10, 2009

Not Me Monday



Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.



Not Me!! I did not just eat two yummy cupcakes while hiding in the pantry because I didn't want to share...no...not me.

No...I didn't...Not Me! I didn't take a nap instead of working on the 5 baskets of laundry that need folding...not me.

Not Me...I am not playing on the computer when I still need a shower at 2:46pm...so not me.

Well, what I AM going to do now is take a quick rinse off and (oh I hate to do this) wake the baby put all 3 kids in the Mother ship...go off to the store. I need egg noodles, lettuce and macaroni....oh and AA battery's.


Saturday, August 8, 2009

Imagine a life with no photos...

I got all this content from the Creative Memories website. I am not a consultant BUT I am a HUGE CM fan and love to scrapbook and usually use only CM products. I thought this was a great idea for journaling and needed a place to put it to see and thought I'd share it with you.

Power of 10

Life’s too short not to dig in and leave your fingerprints all over it. Scrapbook photo albums can forever remind the ones you love just what it is that you find so lovable. An album you create showing off your adventures today might someday prove to your children that you were – at one point – cool. An album tomorrow can lift you up and remind you of the things you had to celebrate today. Don’t wait. Don’t be afraid. Jump in and leave your mark. Let the world know that you were here. Find out just how much difference an album – and the process of making it – can make in a life! Try getting started by spending some time with a pad of paper and these 10 real-life prompts. Once you’ve answered all 10, you’ll have the framework for your very first real-life album. That’s all there is to it.



Tell us about a time in your life when you were…

1. Really happy. Was it just one of those days where
everything comes together? Or was it a special event?

2. Really scared. Fear takes many shapes. What were you
scared of? How did you handle the fear? How did it turn
out? Did you learn anything from it?

3. Really busy. There’s good-busy and then there’s just BUSY.
What kind of changes in your life created the time crunch?
Were you exhilarated or exhausted (or a little of both)? How
did you handle the pressure?

4. Really sad. Was it a loss? Were you hurt by someone
important to you? That kind of soul-gripping sadness is hard
to escape. Do you remember the steps you took back to
happiness?

5. Really amused. You’ve told the story a dozen times – to
anyone who’ll listen. And even if all you get back is blank
stares, this story just cracks you up. Take the time to get it
straight and tell it once for the ages!

6. Really angry. Even the most even-tempered of us has had
that moment. Were you proud of the way you responded?
Tell about it then, even more importantly, tell about the
moment you chose to let it go.

7. Really embarrassed. You know this moment. It’s the
one that still makes your gut tighten and your forehead
sweat whenever your mind accidentally stumbles across
the memory. But we all have that moment. (And you’ve
got to admit, it was kind of funny.)

8. Really lonely. On your own in a strange new place?
Or right at home…but without the one who makes it
feel like home?

9. Really proud. You did it! There were a few moments
where even you weren’t sure, but you came through and
no one can take that away. You should be a little proud.
(OK, that’s enough. Don’t go getting a swelled head.)

10. Really tired. Happy, sad, scared or proud, at the end of
the day, you made it to the end of the day. Tell all about
your longest day.

Use your answers and your photos to stitch together a
story of your real life. Keep it simple. Speak from the heart.
Embellish your pages or don’t. It’s your story.

You Capture - YOU

Okay, this is very cool. I stumbled across another blog the other day and she does very neat photo challanges each week. This week is about photographing yourself. I mean it's a great idea. As a scrapbooker I laugh because my photo is never in the books because I'm always behind the camera. So, even thou I actually posted pics yesterday because I just got my hair done...first time in over a year...LOL...I thought I'd join in the fun also.

So, come check out Beth and the rest of the bloggers capturing our beautiful mug shots.








Friday, August 7, 2009

My turn...finally my turn...

Okay, so just like other Mom's and Dad's we always spend money on the kids, the house, the kids, the car, the kids and did I mention the kids. Never on ourselves...well, I went and spent money on myself yesterday. I got my hair trimmed and highlighted. Now, I have to keep my hair long due to the fact the weight pulls the curls down so my hair isn't so HUGE and POOFY. I got some awesome big bold highlights done. I have never done anything like this and I love it. So I thought I'd post some before, which actually happen to be my preggo belly pics also and then a couple afters. Landon took the pics and we had fun...he love photography (at 7yrs) I think he will be a paparazzi.

New Hair...I don't even think you can tell...oh well:










@ 34 weeks:



Before the baby shower 6/27/09 @ 37 weeks:





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The boys finished up VBS this week Crocodile Dock was a HUGE success and they loved every minute of it. They ended up at the church down the street because our church had VBS in June when I was still working. It breaks my heart that all the churchs have VBS during the day. It was just God blessing that they were able to go this summer. I understand why churches have it during the day but I really wish we could have it in the evenings so the boys can attend other summers. Maybe I will evenually be able to switch to weekend nights.(that's what I really want) It will be hard with church on Sunday but I could suck it up because I love service and BFG. It would be nice to be able to send the kids to preschool and not daycare. I could also take Landon to school and pick him up along with helping at school. I just continue to pray that if that is what God wants for me a shift will open up.

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So, today Landon's friend Tyler came over after VBS and they had a blast. It was wonderful. Tyler actually lives right down the road so his Mom dropped his bike off this morning. Well, when we got home from VBS Landon and Tyler took off on their bikes while I was bring Lindsey inside....*mouth hanging open*...I almost had a stroke. I was walking the neighborhood with Lindsey and Logan screaming "Landon" "Tyler"....I was freaken out. So, low and behold they went to Tyler's...I could have knocked them out. They have to cross a MAJOR road to get there. UGHHHH...I thought Tyler's mom will never let him come back and it will be Landon's first and last friend visit. It all ended up just fine...thank goodness.

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I've been baking Beer Bread this afternoon...the house smells so good. It is from The Mommy Diaries Blog. Check it out...this lady can cook. I'm thankful all these moms post recipes in their blogs. It really can help a NONdomestic Diva with her cooking skills.


Thursday, August 6, 2009

All about the blessings....

So, it always seems to happen to me...when I'm feeling down or sorry for myself God shows me how lucky I am.

I was updating my blog this week and so I was also checking in on some of my favorite people and their blogs. I stumbled across my friend Kate's blog and was speechless and sick to my stomach. Kate, has a beautiful family and this year has discovered her 9yr old has a horrible disease called Batten disease.

An inherited, degenerative neurological disease, - Batten may affect persons of any age, but primarily affects infants, toddlers and school age children, beginning unexpectedly and leading to a progressive loss of brain function that later destroys bodily functions, eventually leaving the victim totally helpless.
--www.bdsra.org


You can read about this at her BLOG. It's very sad and eye opening. There is no cure or anyway to slow the disease from taking the life of a child. I pray for Rachel that she never has to be afraid of what is happening to her and I pray for their family. The young children who will have to deal with the loss of a sister and Kate...the loss of a child. How do you deal with that? Whether it is sudden or you know that it will eventually happen. You will out live one of your kids.

So, while many of us are dealing with money problem, our own health issues, the economy, the recession...whatever may be going on in your life. STOP and be thankful for all you have.


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I'm breastfeeding Lindsey and she has gotten thrush. Which BTW is nasty looking when it is all over their little tonuge. Now, it's like we just keep passing it back and forth to each other. The Nystatin is wonderful and works quickly but it is sticky stuff. This is annoying me but after 3 kids I finally feel like I have the hang of this BFing stuff. It has also truly helped me lose weight. I'm down 10 lbs from my pre-preggo weight.


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Also, check out The Meanest Mom Blogshe is really funny but she also has a great offer from Sears.


Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Time keeps ticking...ticking...ticking away...

So, I really gotta step up my blog. This is just pathetic. Alot has happened since March when I last posted. I'm going to see if I can do a quick catch up so maybe I can try to keep up.

March - Landon turned 7 and I turned 33. Good grief...
We had a birthday party for Landon at the skating rink and it was such a good time.
We had a house full of people that weekend and it was wonderful to be surrounded by family for a few days.


April - Landon and Logan went to spend Spring Break in Cary with my parents and had a wonderful time.
We had pipes break in our master bathroom...that was a nightmare. We moved everything out of the bathroom and bedroom to all the other rooms of the house.
We got a Rainbow vaccumn and it is WONDERFUL. If you don't have one you should check in out. Yes, it is very expensive but worth every penny. We use it daily and just the air purifier helps with the amount of dust.

May - Glenn graduated from nursing school. YEAH He started his full time job at Craven aka CarolinaEast Medical Center.
Landon and Logan finished up soccer and loved it so much this season.
Landon and Logan started playing T-ball and were so good. Logan is left handed so everyone had to adjust when he went up to bat. They are both so great at sports but Logan is the one who truely loves it. Landon isn't that thrilled about it but is so natural in his ability.
Landon really improved on his reading in school.

June - We finished up T-ball.
Landon finished up 1st grade and is so excited about second grade.
The Dr. took me out of work due to pregnancy complications.
Our amazing friends from the hospital had a baby shower for us and it was so much fun.

July - I'm getting HUGE.
We went to Southport for the 4th of July and had an amazing time. We got to see family and friends we haven't seen in years.
We took the boys out of daycare for the summer to save money but also to chill with me before the baby comes.
The boys and I spent everyday at the pool till the baby came and I have the best tan I've had in years. 8-)
Baby Lindsey was born July 14th.



And now we have come to August...yeah...I will try to update with pictures from these past events and do a better job of keeping this up to date with news and photos.