At Home

so, i've started another blog.... i thought this could be a fun way of sharing practical and maybe a few impractical ways of caring for our homes and families. check it out and let me know what you think... http://athomeministries.blogspot.com

blessings all!

sunday

justin's been reading to the girls every night from the New England Primer. it was the first school book for young children. it's based on old and new testament scripture and gives life lessons in how to live according to God's Word. i encourage you all with young children to pick up a copy. it's for sale on christianbook.com for $6.00 {not including shipping}. this is a treasured book in our home.

justin has been at the men's retreat this weekend and had the privilege of leading the men in a saturday morning devotional. he read from the Primer. i thought i'd share the same this morning.. i believe this speaks volumes.................

Have communion with FEW,
be intimate with ONE,
deal justly with ALL,
speak evil of NONE
- The New England Primer.

edited: even if you don't have small children, pick up a copy!!

convicted...

last night we had the pleasure of having a brother in Christ over for dinner. justin met him one night at church about a year ago and God has just brought these two men closer together. the interesting thing about our friend is that he's in the film industry and has recently finished writing a script for an upcoming movie, based on a true story. the story is one of forgiveness. justin and i have both had the honor of reading the script and it's a hard one at times to get through. through the past year, we've been praying for this film we both feel that it's an important story to tell and we've committed to coming alongside our friend to see this to the end. it was so awesome to sit and listen to his vision for the film and how God has been changing lives just through the whole process. that's actually a story of it's own.... as we were closing the evening, he showed me the inspiration for his film and i wept......

with a heavy heart and a huge pit in my stomach, i prayed myself to sleep last night. i prayed for each of my children and for their futures and for the fact that God has given us these priceless beings for a short time. i prayed that they would have a heart of forgiveness and i prayed that for myself. i prayed that i would not let bitterness, wrath, resentment well up inside of me, but forgive just as God has forgiven me. i needed the reminder tonight that only God knows the number of our days, and how unforgiveness can lead to a whole host ugliness, not to mention, disobedience. i also, want my children to see in me a heart of compassion and grace, someone who is quick to forgive and forgot. i so often get caught up in the record of wrongs, ugh... it's so yucky to live like that. there is freedom in surrendering.........

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the richest of His grace.
Ephesians 1;7

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

a new day

{ i went for a morning walk today and this song was on my ipod- thought i'd share the words, they spoke right to my heart.}

Full Attention

{words and music by Jeremy Riddle}

May your voice be louder and
May your voice be clearer
Than all the others, than all the others
And may your face be dearer
And may your words be sweeter
Than all the others, than all the others in my life

Please keep my eyes fixed on you
Please root my heart so deep in you
Keep me abiding, keep me abiding
Keep me abiding that I may yield fruit

And may your presence be truer
And may your presence be nearer
Than all the others, than all the others
And may your light shine brighter
And may your love move deeper
Than all the others, than all the others in my life

Please keep my eyes fixed on you
Please root my heart so deep in you
Keep me abiding, yes, keep me abiding
Keep me abiding that I may yield fruit

Please keep my eyes fixed on you
Please move my heart so deep in you
Keep me asking, keep me asking
Keep me abiding that I, oh that I may yield fruit
Keep me close to you, oh, right next to your heart
Right next to your heart, close to you.

oh Lord, that is my prayer that your voice would be clearer than any others. please help me to keep my eyes fixed on you. i want to keep abiding in you. in the midst of the unknown, i KNOW that you reign. thank you for a new day and for many blessings you so freely give. may i trust more, pray more, love more, give more, obey more, honor you more, speak more about you, serve more, know you more......................

a lovely morning

this morning I took L and S to the river to feed the ducks. the bummer was, there were no ducks. so, we decided to take a little walk into the bosque. we had a blast, laughing, singing, running-they were so fun. S loved running in the woods and looking at all the sticks. L is such a great sister, she walked closely next to S and made sure he didn't trip. we missed M so much, but i did enjoy just spending time with the two. i need to do this more often....





thank you Lord, that you blessed me with such a beautiful morning. the warm sun, the laughter of my children, the beauty of your creation. i'm in awe of how you know just what i need and when i need it. i pray that i hold onto this day and treasure the time spent, it was a wonderful gift.

yes, we know it's a week early

today we were invited to a hayride/trick-or-treating neighborhood gathering by sweet friends. the children got all dressed up and enjoyed riding from house to house to fill their bags. the evening ended by pizza and games/prizes at a neighbors home. halloween is not a huge event in our home, but we thoroughly enjoyed spending time with great friends. here are a few highlights from the festivities..

a family that bikes together.....

stays together! we had a fun late afternoon bike ride along the rio grande river {the kids call it the chocolate river because it's so muddy}. thought i'd share a few photos.

sending you to...

i just checked out my blogging friend S at Like a warm cup of coffee. please go to her site and click on Sunday's post.

please join me in prayer today as we lift up our country and pray that God would reveal His heart to those who will be voting in this election and more importantly to our candidates.

i woke up today with this verse on my heart.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you , live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge;I will repay, says the Lord. On the contrary; "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:18-21

mor

{mor on her 90th birthday, April 16, 2008}

Mor, means mother in Danish and Norwegian. Mor, that is what we call her. She is a sweet, kind, honest, gentle, giving, loving, tender, forgiving, beautiful, witty, faithful, peacemaker, wise, wonderful baker and chef, gifted at hospitality, lover of all and mostly a priceless example of a godly woman. She is my grandmother. I've been blessed with this woman, she has been my closest friend. I have been able to cry, laugh, and pray with her. She lost her beloved a year and a half a go and hasn't been the same since. She served him faithfully for 67 years. She has been my example of what God has called us women to be, a quiet and gentle spirit, a helpmate, and a true proverbs 31 woman. At times Justin says I'm exactly like her. There is no greater complement.

Since the passing of Far {Father}, she has longed to go be with him. She ends her prayer at night with, " Lord, I'm ready,take me". Her greatest desire right now is to be in the arms of Jesus and to be reunited with her Albert. My heart aches for her, in the quiet of the night, I find myself crying for her. There are few memories she has that don't include Far. They passed down a legacy of serving God, and one another. She recalls a time when her children were school age and she was busy making beds and she heard God beckon her. She knelt by her son's bed and surrendered her busyness and committed to never allowing the things of this world to come between her and God. I believe that she hasn't let a day pass that she hasn't served Him fully. I know that when her day comes, she will hear, "Well done good and faithful servant."

{she has a special relationship with all her great-grandchildren}

{Jesus loves the little children}

{the entire family gathered for her 90th-
she was missing her beloved, and still is}

Tonight, I find myself torn. Mor is in the hospital with some kind of infection, there is no clear picture as to what is the cause, but she's not well. I so desperately want her to close her eyes and awaken in the presence of our Lord and Savior and yet, I'm selfish. I want her to hold my children once again, I want to feel her soft cheeks and smell her sweet perfume. I want to hold her hand and kiss her as I put her to bed, I want to pray with her and listen to her share stories of her life with Far. My rest is knowing that I will once again see her, but, in the meantime my flesh takes over. Please pray for my sweet Mor {she would want you to call her that}, that what ever her lot, she will be able to say, that it is well.................

the pumpkin patch {or should i say pumpkin parking lot}

for the past 5 years we've gotten a kick out of the preschools annual pumpkin patch field trip. actually, it's just a walk across the church parking lot. at times i wish we were back east where the kids could enjoy the full taste of autumn, but God has placed us here, so we enjoy and make the best out of where we are.

{walking across the parking lot}

{daddy was able to join us}

{seth and lis- we missed mia {sad face...}

thank you heavenly father, that although we're in the southwest and our pumpkin patch is in a parking lot you were there. thank you that the kids had a great time and enjoyed picking out pumpkins and for justin who had the day off. i pray that the church's youth group is blessed by the sale of the pumpkins. i'm so grateful for the opportunities we have with our children, even though they look a little different from mine as a child. i praise you because you care even about the little details....

Jesus loves the little children

Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.

ALERT '08

Our church is hosting ALERT '08 a prophecy conference. Pastor Skip Heitzig, Tim LaHaye, LTG. William G. Boykin, and former terrorist Kamal Saleem will be speaking. Chris Sligh, former American Idol contestant will be leading us in worship. We are so blessed to serve in a church that is focused on speaking biblical truth and equipping us a believers to be better prepared for what lies ahead.

Check this out!

Calvary of Albuquerque- click on watch now! {i believe you can archive this}

{ps. justin went to the airport this morning to pick up Tim LaHaye- pretty cool....}

thank you Lord, that you have given Skip a heart for Truth, thank you for using Calvary to speak your Word and that there are ears that are eager to listen. i pray for protection on our campus, for those attending and for our pastors that are serving. i pray for those who want to harm us, Lord use us to show your love and to boldly stand for you. i pray that hearts are changed today and that we walk away better equipped to live for you.

sundays best

He has showed you, O man, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly
with your God.
Micah 6:8

on the lighter side..

justin has fridays off, and our project list was quite long, so a trip to Lowe's was in order. we all piled in the car {M was at school}, and stopped at our friends four-bucks. no trip to Lowe's should be without a grande mocha in hand. L kept asking if she could have a sip of coffee, if you know L, you know that she can be really persistent. after several attempts at trying to get her lips around the coffee cup, she eventually said, "i can't wait until i'm older so i can drive and drink coffee." we got a good laugh and it has kept us smiling through the stress of hinge/door handle decisions.

{side note about lis- most people think she's from boston or new york after hearing her speak. we have no idea where the accent came from- she's too much}

unrealistic expectations

i shared with you all a few posts back about being in the midst of the trial. well, news to report, it seems that the trial is over. let me share....... we decided after much prayer and agony to homeschool our 1st grader this year. last year she was in kindergarten and we knew her teacher very well from church and because of that we were confident in having M in her class. we tried to get Mrs. M to move up the the 1st grade, but after many pleading sessions, we quickly realized that was not going to happen. so, what do we do..... we were not confident in the school as a whole, let alone the school system. we researched and found a wonderful christian school in our area and we were really excited, but God quickly changed those plans when funding for justin's non-profit fell through. plan b- homeschool seemed like the only option at the time and i struggled with the decision, but was I was determined to make it work. as august 17th approached, i became more anxious, determined and overwhelmed. i spent that first week of school trying to come up with a schedule, lesson plan and most of all patience. many nights of praying myself to sleep. i know this is not unusual for new homeschool moms, so in many ways i felt a bit relieved. we went to michigan for two weeks and i tried to get M to buckle down and do her school work- it was nearly impossible with all the family around. most of my time spent in MI, i felt anxious and so nervous to get home. it was very difficult to relax and enjoy my time without thinking about starting school once we got home.

we finally arrived home on tuesday and when i opened the door to the house, i immediately felt this heaviness hit me. my demeanor changed and i become irritated, impatient, and not very loving. i knew exactly what it was.... wednesday, we sent our little L off to her first day of preschool and i was determined to have M study all morning. boy, how that failed.... it became impossible to get her to sit and not be distracted. {i'll speed up the story} our home has always been a fun place and to have her try and switch gears was a real struggle for me. she's a very quick learner and has really enjoyed learning. i thought that was going to be on my side, but in fact it worked against me. i wondered was she learning anything???

thursday, a dear friend of mine called to chit chat. i unloaded all the concerns and issues i had with homeschooling. after listening to me carry on, she mentioned a school that they had heard about. after getting all the details, i called the school and was told that they have one 1st grade spot available and that it might fill quickly. i made an appointment for that afternoon to look at school and called justin to fill him in. i picked justin up from church, {the school is only 5 minutes away from calvary}. when we entered the building we immediately had that small town feeling. i had been praying to either move back east or find a school that has a strong sense of community and parental involvement. after speaking with the director and administrative staff we felt such at ease with this school. i took the application and began filling it out, just as i finished the paperwork the secretary received a call about that open spot in 1st grade. whew! not open anymore..... as we were leaving this incredible peace came over and i just knew this was from Him. my only hesitation was having to tell M. when justin came home that night, we sat down with her and explained all our reasons for enrolling her in school and her response was "YEAH!!!!!". again another confirmation from God.

there is still a bit of a junk that i'm wrestling with and mostly it's my sense of failure. i wanted so desperately to make this work. i had such grand expectations of how i thought homeschooling was going to come together. and again, they were unrealistic expectations. i think that's always been my problem. UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.... ugh..... the biggest relief has been that my sweet husband has and still is so supportive of whatever direction we take. he said on our way back to church that day " let's be frank, i never wanted you to homeschool, but you were so determined, so i just let you go with it." he knows me so well.

we're two days into school and M just loves it. she's so excited and the only issue she has is the fact that she has to wear a uniform. "mom, i want to look pretty"- i think she was relieved to see that she wasn't the only one in khaki pants and an oxford shirt.


thank you Lord, that you allow us to go through the junk and that you know in the end that we'll be stronger because of it. thank you for providing options for us and giving Mia such an excitement for school. i'm honored that you allowed me to try homeschooling and that the way out was always there. thank you for my sweet justin who is so supportive and yet, convicting at the same time. what a beautiful example of who you are in my loving husband. i commit this new year to you and look forward to seeing what you'll do Mia's life. also, we're so grateful for the little christian school that Lis is able to attend, and that you have provided above and beyond to make it happen.


SIDE NOTE: sorry for the long post and i'm not much of a writer. i believe there are lots of run on sentences, yikes.

COUSINS

we're still in Michigan and having a wonderful time with family. my sister and her family live 5 minutes from my parents, so we've been together everyday. it's so awesome to see all the kids playing together. it wasn't always like this.... there are 6 kids under the age of 6, whew.... it's so interesting that God blessed us both with 2 girls and a boy. my nephew Shepherd just turned 2 and he's had quite a 2 years of his life. he was born with a cleft-palate, many surgeries, many illnesses, many late nights, lots of trips to the ER, feeding tubes, and many nights spent praying. he's a miracle, and it's so beautiful to see just how God has healed, they are not out of the woods yet, but positive that this year will bring about new growth for all.



thank you Lord, for little Shepherd and that you've brought him this far. we look forward to what your going to do in his life. i pray that these two sweet boys will have a great bond and that they grow into men after your own heart.

i interrupt this post....

for a special service announcement.....

i'm in Michigan for the next 2 weeks visiting my family! i flew alone with the 3 kids yesterday and let's just say it was a journal day......... i will post when i can, but the most important thing is for me right now spending time with my parents, sister and fam, 90 year old grandmother, and aunt.

not many pics right now, but, this was taken at breakfast this morning......

lis was praying over their bagels, blueberries and oldemor's coffee.

heavenly father, thank you that we're able to spend time in Michigan and that you made this possible. i pray that relationships are strengthened and that time spent will only glorify you. thank you for lazy days and quality time around the table.

going through it...

i knew it was coming..... here i go, through the trial..... but, God is SO good and His mercies ARE new every morning!

thank you Lord, that you remain faithful even in the midst of my chaos. thank you that you restore my spirit and that you hold me close and whisper to me that you will see me through. thank you for showing me your love in those around me. thank you for loving me and giving me glimpses of who you are throughout the day.

not a whole lot to say.......

God is stirring something in me and i just can't put my finger on it. lately, i've been a little on edge and grumpy... ugh {i've needed to ask forgiveness a lot} i've really been trying to be quiet and still before God. at times, it's a really beautiful time for me, but then i find there are times where i'm anxious and waiting for a clear voice, because i feel {see it's all about me} that i deserve to have answers NOW. i know that He's stretching me and i feel a real growth spurt coming on, but do i really want it.. no thank you..... however, i do know that i don't want to remain where i am, so that means i will submit and obey and go through the trial.

i'm always excited to see where God is leading and thankful that He's not through with me yet. so, i will be still and invite Him onto my boat and i will listen to what He's saying, i will try not to lead, but follow.......


dear heavenly father, i know that you have more for me. i know that you have stirred desires in me and want me to be obedient. Lord, i pray that i will set aside what i want and fully commit to your plan. please forgive me for being selfish with my time, i want so desperately to be about your business. continue to speak to me Lord, for i want to listen and obey.

relationships

heavenly father, i'm struck with how fast time is flying by. thank you for all the relationships in our lives and all the people that you have blessed us with. it's a treasured gift that can't be replaced. help me to be mindful of the time you have given us and not take a moment for granted. Lord, help me to be aware of my words and actions and to love like you have called me to love.