MUD BUTT!

We all went hiking by a creek last weekend.  Enjoying the sunshine with our kiddos...especially in January!  We had a great time.  My sweet, dear husband....aka city boy.....got in a little over his head and on his attempt to go down a bank to a creek bed to join our boys.....he slipped and fell.  He tried to grab a tree or such to catch himself and what does he grab?  A thorn bush.  His poor hand was so torn up and thorns were sticking out of his hands.  It was horrible.  HOWEVER....when he finally found the will to get up and walk away....well that my friends was priceless!  The kids dubbed it mud butt!

Have a great Wednesday!

SAY YES!
"And you will be hated by all for My name's sake, but he who perseveres and endures to the end will be saved." ~ Matthew 10:22

As a young boy in school, Henry Ward Beecher learned a lesson in self-confidence that he never forgot. He was called upon to recite in front of the class. He had hardly begun when the teacher interrupted with an emphatic, "NO!" He started over and again the teacher thundered, "NO!" Humiliated, Henry sat down.

The next boy rose to recite and had just begun when the teacher shouted "NO!" This student, however, kept on with the recitation until he completed it. As he sat down, the teacher responded, "Very good!"

Henry was irritated. "I recited just as he did," he complained to the teacher. But the instructor replied, "It was not enough to know your lesson; you must be sure. When you allowed me to stop you, it meant that you were uncertain. If the entire world says, 'NO!' it is your business to say, 'YES!' and prove it."

The world says "NO!" in a thousand ways. And each "NO!" you hear has the potential to erode your confidence bit by bit until you quit altogether. You just need to be bold enough to say "YES!" when the world says "NO!" God is for you, and with Him on your side you absolutely cannot lose.

TODAY'S PRAYER:
LORD, I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE AT MY SIDE. BECAUSE YOU ARE FOR ME, I HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO SAY "YES", KNOWING THAT I CAN'T LOSE. AMEN.

(The Confident Woman Devotional - Joyce Meyer)

WEEKEND IN REVIEW

Another beautiful weekend!  I am in shock that it has been so sunny and warm....IN JANUARY!

Saturday morning I made breakfast of homemade biscuits, scrambled eggs and bacon. Minus the second degree burn on my arm it was great! I have been making homemade biscuits for a while now.  It was something passed down in my family.  My MeMe probably made well over 5000 biscuits in her lifetime.  I can remember her calling me and saying "Krystal Masha I made some biscuits.  You better come see your MeMe and get some biscuits." She knew how very much I LOVED her homemade biscuits.  It's just one of the many things I have missed since loosing her.  She was extraordinary...to put it mildly.  I have tried to duplicate her recipe to no avail - I don't think it can be done.  Only by her!  However, I have gotten pretty good at my own and I am happy I can make homemade biscuits for my family now as well.  At Christmas, my parents gave me a special gift.  I had been asking for a biscuit cutter for a while.  You know how there is something small you want or need that you just never buy yourself....that was how it was with a biscuit cutter for me.  On Christmas morning I opened a small gift that included a biscuit cutter that looked well worn and a note from my parents.  I had been given my MeMe's biscuit cutter.  The one she had lovingly made biscuits from for years and years.  I couldn't help myself. I totally broke down and not just a little bit.  Nothing could have meant more to me.  I will treasure it always.

After breakfast I spent a little time on pinterest.....I AM OBSESSED! Then we packed up some snacks, bikes and kids and headed to Clear Creek Elementary for some much needed family time outdoors! The kids played on the playground, rode their bikes and ran around.  Aaron and Joe played some basketball.  I sat ALONE on a picnic table away from everyone and read and wrote in my journal (Ahhhhhh me time!).  Then we all took off on a hike.  We found a HUGE creek and went walking along beside it.  The boys got to throw rocks and sticks.  We followed deer tracks and picked up feathers and other unique finds. Joe fell and reached out and grabbed the first thing he could....ended up being a thorn bush.  The result wasn't pretty.  All in all though....it was a great time! That is one thing about our family....we LOVE being outdoors!

Saturday evening Aaron wanted to watch WAR AND PEACE.  None of us have ever seen it and I have the one starring Audrey Hepburn.  WOW...it was LOOOOONG and needless to say won't be something I will ever have the desire to watch...EVER AGAIN! The only thing that came from watching that was to be able to say I have seen the movie! 

Sunday was church.  We missed early service but made it (barely) to the 11:00am service.  As always it was great!  Nothing better than being at church. 
Aaron brought Kayleigh and Eli back home for a few days unexpectedly and it was great to see them.  We basically laid around and did a bunch of nothing but it was still nice.  We got involved in the Steelers and Broncos game.  I LOVE my Packers and Bengals but I LOVE me some Tebow too!  Such a great guy and PROUD Christian!  The game was GREAT!  SUPER EXCITING!  Tebow pulled out an amazing win...amazing what you can accomplish with GOD on your side!  CONGRATS BRONCOS and TIM TEBOW!

So that is my weekend recap.  How did you spend your wonderful weekend?


Funny thing....while I was sitting her working on my blog, my mom was sitting beside me watching the TODAY show.  They were talking about their weekends. Kathy Lee was talking about a book she read over the weekend .....ONE THOUSAND GIFTS.  The same book I am reading now.  She said what I have heard others say....the book will transform your life.  I have not gotten very far into but already it is the most powerful book I have ever read.  I strongly suggest you read it!

BE EXTRAORDINARY

My fame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret (and) intricately and curiously wrought (as if embroidered with various colors) in the depths of the earth (a region of darkness and mystery). ~ Psalm 139:15

Celebrate the fact that you're not exactly like everyone else.  You are special!  You are unique! You are the product of twenty-three chromosomes from your father and twenty-three from your mother. Scientists say there is only once chance in 10/2,000,000,000 of your parents having another child just like you. The combination of attributes that you have cannot be duplicated.  You need to explore the development of your uniqueness and make it a matter of high priority.

It does not increase your value when you find that you can do something that nobody else you know can do, nor does it diminish your value when you are with people who can do things that you cannot do. Our worth is not found in being different or the same as others, it is found in God.

Thousands of years ago the Greek philosopher Aristotle suggested that each human being is bred with a unique set of potentials that yearn to be fulfilled.  Don't settle for "average" or "getting by".  You may have some limitations, but you can be extraordinary if you decide to be.

TODAY'S PRAYER:

LORD, IT'S A JOY TO KNOW THAT MY OWN WORTH IS FOUND IN YOU AND THAT I DON'T HAVE TO COMPARE MYSELF WITH OTHERS. I CELEBRATE THE FACT THAT I AM UNIQUE, ONE OF A KIND, AND THAT YOU HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR MY LIFE. AMEN.

LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN......

Well we are six days into a brand new year.  2012 is here! So hard to believe! I am and never have been one that tries to make New Year's Resolutions...just not my thing.  However, there are things that I want to improve upon, things I want to accomplish and things I want to become over the course of this year. I just don't think I would term them as New Year's Resolutions necessarily. Therefore, they are going to be

MY STEPS TO A BETTER ME

 

I've been thinking about my life in general more than usual lately and I have realized.....




WAIT FOR IT......

 
Hard to believe isn't it?  (Wink! Wink!)

Although I know that I can NEVER be PERFECT...one thing I know for sure is that I want to be BETTER!

I've been attending First Baptist Church lately.  I seem to be there every time the doors are open.  I rededicated my life to Christ a few weeks ago.  I have volunteered and gotten involved.  I have felt GOD working in my heart and soul and in my life.  I am seeing His work and His blessings everyday.  I can actually FEEL Him guiding me and pulling on my heart strings.  For the first time in a VERY LOOOOONG time, I am
LISTENING
AND
OBEYING!

I see the positive changes in myself every day.  I feel Christ in my heart all the time.  I feel at peace. I feel calm.  I feel JOY! It's AMAZING and it's all because I am following my LORD and Savior!  I am LIVING the life not just talking the talk!

I am reading ONE THOUSAND GIFTS by Ann Voskamp.  Soon I am going to be starting my list of One Thousand Gifts and I am VERY excited!  Our journals from MOPS were for this cause however I am also going to use my journal mark the steps I am making to become a better me.   A place I can make my accomplishments, discoveries, joys, sorrows, and everything in between.  I am beyond ready to start down this road and to become a better person: a better wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend and most importantly a better Christian. 

A year from now I will have my journal to read and to go back and see just how far I have come! 

Next Friday I will start back with my "Favorite's On Friday".  Hope everyone has a WONDERFUL weekend!

WITH GOD'S HELP

"For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion?" ~ Esther 4:14

One of the most confident women we find in the bible is Esther, who rescued her people from certain death at the hands of an evil and hateful man. Though her beauty didn't hurt, it was her character and quiet confidence that helped her find favor with the king, Xerxes. she took a great risk when she made her way to Xeres' inner court uninvited. But God honored her and the prayers that the other Jews were praying, and Xerxes receiver her warmly. In the end, Esther saved her people from perishing.

Confidence is holding on to a strong faith in God, a faith that is backed up with a complete knowledge and understanding that with god's help you can do anything. Fear brings a lack of confidence in God and in you. It is a destructive, debilitating belief that "you can't". As a woman, you can do amazing things, but you'll have to become confident. Replace your fears with confidence and watch what God can do. God always does His part, making seemingly impossible things possible!

Today's Prayer:
Lord, with Your help, Esther saved her people, and with Your help, I can do the impossible. I look forward to the great things You are going to do in my life. Amen.

The Confident Woman Devotional - Joyce Meyer

WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE!

Last night I loaded up my boys, 2 of them anyway, and headed off to church.  Andrew is having some anxiety issues when he isn't with someone he knows so I couldn't get him to come with us. That is something we are working on and I PRAY it improves soon!

I've been getting very active in church recently and I can't tell you how much I love it and how thankful I am to be back "home". My family has gone through so much over the last 6 years and we are just now getting into routines and putting church at the top of the list!  It's a GREAT feeling and I am seeing GOD's blessings in my life each and every day!

So last night I got to visit with 2 very dear friends of mine during dinner. It's always great catching up with your friends.  My new and old friends are such a JOY to me!  I am so fortunate to have them!

Caden and Landon were a little nervous about going to Mission Friends.  I was hoping for the best but expecting the worst.  Imagine my shock when I took them to class and they went right on in and waved good-bye to me as if they had done it forever!  I was so proud!  (And a little sad they left mommy so easily.....catch 22 huh?).  I knew they were all settled and good to go so off I headed to my new class.

This is a group I had just recently learned of and couldn't wait to join.  It's a group of mom's that get together once a month to worship, do crafts and basically spend time together, support one another and get a break from life as mommy.  I was a little apprehensive since I was the new girl (so THAT'S how the boys feel leaving mommy (their comfort zone) and doing something new with new people!) but all the ladies were so welcoming to me that I felt right at home.

We had a very fun time and made a GREAT craft which I will be sharing a little later.  (Having camera issues!) Julie Shepherd was our guest speaker and lead our craft as well. She was WONDERFUL! I am looking forward to becoming more involved with this group and getting to know all the other moms a little better each time.  My only fret is that I wish it were more than once a month!  :-)

An hour and a half later I went down to get the boys from their class.  I peeked in and they were playing and have a grand time.  It made me smile. Once they saw me they overwhelmed me talking about everything they did in class and how much fun they had.  It fills me with JOY that they are LOVING it as much as I am!  I was raised in church and I want that for my boys as well!

I am so excited to see where this new year will take me and my friends and family.  I am so excited to be dedicating this year to the Lord and to see where he leads me and the great changes HIS influence will have on my life!  I can't wait to continue meeting new friends at church.  It's going to be a GREAT year!

TODAY'S DEVOTIONAL

CRACKED POTS
"We possess this precious treasure (the divine Light of the Gospel) in (frail, human) vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves." ~ 2 Corinthians 4:7

God works through jars of clay, or what I often call "cracked pots." This means we are flawed, so when people look at us and see amazing things happening, they know it must be God at work because it certainly could not be us. I believe anyone who really knows me does not have any difficulty realizing the work I am doing on earth today certainly must be God at work in and through me. They give Him the glory, not me, because they see my imperfections and know my limitations. God chooses the weak and foolish things on purpose so no mortal can have pretense for glorying in His presence (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

Imagine a pot with a lamp in it and a lid on it. Even though it may be filled with light, no one can see the light within it. Yet if the pot is cracked, the light will shine through the cracks. In this same way, God works through our imperfections.

Can you love a cracked pot? God can! It is godly to love yourself in a balanced, healthy way. It is ungodly to reject and despise yourself.

TODAY'S PRAYER:
Lord, You and I are both well aware of my imperfections. I ask YOU to shine Your light through my life, and know that YOU get every ounce of glory for it. Amen.

(The Confident Woman Devotional - Joyce Meyer)

BIKE CLUB

I can hardly believe the great weather we had all during December!  That was true last weekend when we took all 6 kiddos to Clear Creek Elementary to enjoy their new gifts from Santa!  Other than the insane wind...we had a GREAT time!  Santa outdid himself this year.....

ELI DIDN'T WANT TO RIDE HIS TOY BUT HE SURE HAD FUN RUNNING AROUND IN HIS SISTER'S TOBOGGAN!

CHECK OUT OUR BARBIE GIRL WITH THE WIND IN HER HAIR!

SOMEONE HAS WATCHED TOO MUCH PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE (THANKS BUBBY!)

IT SURE WAS A GORGEOUS DAY!

EVEN AN OOMPA LOOMPA SHOWED UP TO PLAY!

AND A COX FAMILY POW-WOW WAS HELD......

NOW THIS IS THE LOOK OF PURE BLISS!  LOL

“There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.”

TODAY'S DEVOTIONAL:

BELIEVE IN YOUR VALUE
"Because you are precious in My sight and honored, and because I love you, I will give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you." ~Isaiah 43:4-5
Take a minute and look into your heart. How do you feel about yourself? If you answer does not agree with God's Word, I encourage you to begin today renewing your mind about yourself.
See yourself as God sees you. Study God's Word and you will find out that you are precious, created in your mother's womb by God's own hand. You are not an accident. Even if your parents told you they never really wanted you, I can assure you that God wanted you. You are valuable, you have worth, you are gifted, you are talented, and you have a purpose on this earth.
Not only must we ask God for things He has promised us but we must receive them (John 16:24). If you feel unworthy, you probably won't ask, and even if you do, you won't receive by faith. Don't let feelings rule you anymore. Take a step of faith and start improving your quality of life today. Believe that you make good decisions, that you are a valuable person with a great future, and something good is going to happen to you today!

Today's Prayer:
Lord, I ask You to imprint Your love into the depths of my heart. I believe that You have a great future for me and that I can walk in Your purpose for my life. Amen.

(The Confident Woman Devotional - Joyce Meyer)

A New Year!

WOW!  I can't believe I haven't blogged since Nov 2!  Right after Halloween and now it's January 3 2012!
Time has flown right on by and life has been busy as ever....hence the lapse in my blogging.  My brother has had his kids a lot so there have been 9 of us here in our home a lot of the time.  I didn't have peace, quiet or energy to blog!  Also we have been busy with holiday festivities and family time.  I can't complain about that.  All 9 of us were home for somewhere around 14 days together after Christmas.  It was nice to have 2 extra helpers during the day.  A girl could get used to that!  Today is just me and my boys....pretty nice too!  We have had a BIG country breakfast this morning and just enjoying being the 4 of us again.  I have also started on a new journey with my faith.  I have rededicated my life to the LORD and I am officially dedicating 2012 to Him!  Time to get my life on track for me and for my family!  I will be putting devotionals at the end of my blogs each day.  I got a new devotional book by Joyce Meyer and I am SUPER excited about it!  I will catch you guys up today and we'll be on track for the rest of the  year to come! I am happy to be back and happy about the direction my life is taking!  GOD IS SO GOOD!

Here is a little of what we have been up too lately....

 There is still more stuff I don't even have uploaded yet!  Is it any wonder why I haven't had time to blog!!??

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

HAD ENOUGH?
"And Peter answered Him, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." Matthew 14:28

When I tell you to join Peter and get out of the boat, you may wonder what your boat is. Your boat may be a lot of different things. What is your place of comfort, safety and ease? It could be a place of misery, but yet, somehow or other, you've gotten comfortable in your own misery - so comfortable that you wouldn't do anything about it even if you could. You may have gotten addicted to dysfunction. The sad thing is that most people yield to the fear and remain stuck in life.

Maybe your boat consists of people whose approval you crave, who rule all of your decisions and who bind your life to their lives. If they approve of it, you do it, and if they don't like it, you don't. You may be so addicted to getting your approval from other people that you let everyone else run your life, and you're too afraid to confront them and stand up to them. Are you going to sit in your miserable little boat for the rest of your life and be unhappy? Or are you ready to say, "I've had enough of this! I am ready to step out with confidence and follow God fully!"

Today's Prayer:

Lord, I need to see You and hear Your voice over and above the storms in my life. Help me to break free of anything that is holding me back from doing Your will. Amen.

(The Confident Woman Devotional - Joyce Meyer)