ScHooL DaYZ !!!

Probably not a good idea as a homeschooling mom that I purposefully misspelled my title! I just couldn't resist! Spices it up a bit don't you think?! As a bit of introduction....We have three in school this year. We began our journey of home educating with our firstborn starting 1st grade. He went to kindergarten at a private school where my baby sister taught. And I jokingly said that I wasn't gonna compete with her! She had quite the great reputation of being a verrry wonderful teacher! (uh oh...my words are very genuine and I only just now realized she will more in likely read this post! Sorta like when someone walks up when you're in a conversation with someone else and they respond with, "Oh we were just talking about you!" (and you're sure hoping it was something good being said!:) ) So we are excited entering our 7th year of school at home! Where did the years go?! I really love teaching the kids and experiencing the thrills of their learning right along side them.:) I will be posting pictures of our school room and KIT (Kids In Training!:) So be sure to check back! May God bless~  

A Gourmet "De`jeuner "




Just the other day (of course in my extended family that could mean months ago!) as I sat on our back porch waiting for the sun to rise over our horizon, I was surprised how chilly it actually was! I reflected how once the sun made it's grand appearance the chill would be chased away and it's warmth would permeate everything. Just like my life in Christ. Without God there's a chill and coldness of heart but with the rising of the "Son" comes warmth and blessing filling the whole soul. For my life I desire to spread that warmth and understanding to others around me. I get really excited!  "Oh, God, please fill me with all these good things!!" As I sat there caught up in the moment of expectation in my outdoor sanctuary, I sooo desired to be ALL that God planned for me to be-as a sweetheart wife for my Mike, as a  mommy school teacher~mommy counsellor~mommy doctor~mommy lawyer to our kids,and a ministering daughter of Jesus Christ as I help meet the Spiritual needs alongside my Mike in the lives of our kids. I was reminded of the song about helping light others' candles in this life....Wow..My prayer, "Oh, God, fill me with Yourself! Light my candle to a luscious glow and not a flickering waning flame." I wanna freely give as I have been freely given to of Jesus Christ! Can I allow God to touch me with the pain and hurt of others?! That staggered me.....to gaze on them with tears blurring my vision? And yet somehow spiritually I have clearer vision even amidst the tears when I allow Christ to use my eyes. "Will I give You everything, God? Or will I only give You part of myself?" In earthly relationships it doesn't go well if I keep part of myself selfishly. Whether it's in my relationship with my Mike or with our kiddos. Unless I selflessly spend my self meeting their needs and they meeting mine-well there's just awesome beauty in sacrificial love. One of the 6 graces~agape love. "Oh, God, fill my heart with agape love." God gently prodded me that early morning that I could only love so much but that HIS love could fill me! It's the kind of love that will reach out to "the least of these" and with Him looking out thro' my eyes I will see others as He sees them and they will become precious to me. Agape love- YES!! I want it! Oh that us mamas would love our kids with agape love....I can't think of a better combination  than pure unselfish mama love blended with agape love~ that's actually how I become absorbed with pure unselfish mama love! I love our kids but unless I let agape love filtrate every fiber of my being I can only love to a limited capacity with my sweet mama love. Jesus completes the recipe. and a beautiful aroma spreads thro' our home. Mmmm I love a strong scented candle burning...filling our house...seeping into every room...Oh that my love and life would be as that home sweet home and cinnamon scone Yankee candle....I don't consider myself a gourmet cook and possibly that isn't where my highest interest is, although I enjoy watching my family enjoy a good meal.... But if I can allow God to add all the necessary ingredients to my life in order to bring to fruition His love AGAPE LOVE....Oh  now that adds some serious gourmet flavor! And this stirs me and gets me excited!! :):)
 



    

"Beggar clothes to a Princess Wardrobe"



"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
 To Him be glory both now and for ever." II Peter3:18

 The sun now over the horizon....a cup of coffee cooling beside me....the sounds of nature tickling my ears....and the quietness. Ahhh.....quiet.. except for the gentle sounds of nature and the Father who created it. The open Word before me. I am faced with a choice. Jesus, ah, my precious advocate is here...Jesus gives me the picture of a beggar daughter being offered the royalty of a princess daughter.There before me a garment of pure white is laid...I am verrry aware of my tattered beggar clothes. I somehow cling to them with a false sense of security...afraid to let go. God reminds me this morning that I can't put new garments on over the old ones. The old garments must be rid of and along with the spiritual bathing that is taking place inside me I need the fresh, crisp, and of the highest quality, of  the new garment. Ahhh, my back porch becomes an alter~so precious. I realize keenly that that piece of my heart that needs healing takes from the other parts in its gasp for survival and now it is free to be filled with something new, something precious, something that I could now use from to give to my kids. Something that will give me strength instead of zapping my strength from me. A big difference! The song, "Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, here I am to say that 'You're my God!!' You're altogether lovely, altogether worthy, altogether wonderful to me...."rings from my outdoor sanctuary! And now I can be altogether lovely, altogether worthy...in Christ alone!! I am reinvigorated! Will I need an alter experience again? Probably so but for now I am enjoying that "freshly washed and dressed for the day" experience!:):) God has been a faithful Papa always! You know, He's  always ready to let me exchange my "rags" for riches. Sometimes it's very hard cause even tho' I'm not out looking for trouble it creeps up unaware. Like for me, sometimes it's dealing with an unjust accusation or an attack on our family and we are left to decide what to do about it. Satan is ready on site to justify me of my fleshly desire to hold a grudge or dislike that person. But then I am reminded that hate is murder in God's eyes and my dislike is probabaly hate in God's eyes. Wow...then I need a "beggar become princess" experience! And God faithfully sends one! Awesome Jehovah! Oh to love as Christ loves! And to see EVERYTHING as HE sees it! :)

"Our growing investment....God's way"

Sometime while I've been busy being this handsome young
 man's mommy,he passed me up in height!:):)
Psalm 144:12a,15 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth...
Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.

A down economy? Maybe this will encourage you:). A little over 13 years ago God entrusted Mike and I with His very important investment. Thankfully this awesome gift came with instructions~a whole lot of 'em. We were and still are jubilant to be entrusted with such a valuable gift!! Wow...Ours and the Lord's investment has been doing a lot of growing, both physically and spiritually. It's almost as if we can literally watch him grow! His facial features and smile is so maturing. And not to mention, his height! Oh, I just mentioned it didn't I?!:) Outward indications of the more serious growth process taking place. Again wow...his intellect (the ability to reason, perceive, understand), and the questions that because of it, that arises... Mike and I are spurred on to dig deeper in Scripture, seek out our Godly friends with our questions...It's all worth the effort, the sweat and tears and the praying, and the continued praying till God's Holy Spirit assures us He has a plan and He's gonna keep equipping feeble us to carry that plan out. The special thing is, God doesn't label us as feeble, but in actuality He lets us feel our need of Him tho'. In nurturing our investment one very important aspect has been to keep the Real Parent (Jesus Christ) constantly at the forefront of everything. I love webster's def. of forefront -the extreme front or the position of most activity, importance. And satan with his cunning, limited power tries to keep that from happening. He's so subtle, and that started way back in the Garden. A staggering tho't to us is how satan has had thousands of years to plan how to take us down. But we cry out in our need  that Greater is HE that is in us~JESUS CHRIST!!  Our firstborn child~Our son Michael (Known mostly as Bartholomew) is one of our 5 most glorious and valuable blessed investments! The only "REAL" treasures worth investing in! A hurt economy? Not God's. I'm sooo thankful. Jesus Christ and His map to victory is the same yesterday, today, and forever! Praise His Great and  Wonderful Awesomeness!

Old Fashioned Outdoor Summer Fun....

First it just started out, "Can we dig a hole for a pool?" "Sure why not."

Uh...then the next question, "Can we play in the mud?" "Sure why not."
 Now we are parents of little muddy buddies!!

The limbs from daddy trimming our oak trees. Makes a nice hideout.:)

We had several different tree forts:)!

Little gal going into the fort:).

Summer is fully upon us and with it comes that "need" to get wet! And there are many compromising ways to accomplish that! So......what started out as good clean wet summer fun.....well...the photos tell the story!!:) When I fail to remember the simple things that can add that extra "sugar and spice" to a little kids  life one of our children are quick to remind me, "Mom, remember the song 'Let The Children be Children' "! Wow! I need reminders like that . For example when I'm sleepy and they wanna try "staying up all night" or "eating cotton candy with a soda:( "....These cuties sure add sugar and spice to our life! We tease and say we don't need to go out for entertainment~we've got it within our own four walls!! We were laughing on the way home from Church today as one of the kids who had been reading a book out of the Church library quipped, "I read so much my stomach hurts!" And I mentioned how amazing that is, one of the others will complain their leg aches when they don't wanna finish their dinner! :) Strange...odd... or is it? Maybe my own excuses don't make any more sense then that.:) Maybe by looking into the eyes and hearts of our kids I can see myself. I hope. After all that's one of the great things Jesus taught that to enter heaven I must become as a little child...their deep trusting faith. Oh that's my heart cry...that I would trust my Father (Jesus Christ) the way our kids trust their daddy and I. And that I would desire to understand the Father's heart as we desire for our children to understand ours. To understand our great love for them.

Welcome to our family blog....

Ahh...the verse "You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence." (Acts 2:28 NKJV) How awesome! It is in His (Jesus) Holy Presence I am outfitted for this sweet and honorable calling on my life ~sweetheart for my Mike, mommy to 5 beautiful kids, and homemaker. I am excited to share stories with you that keep this journey we are on~called life~interesting! Like just now my little gal, Alaythia comes in from outside to interrupt my writing and haves me close my eyes...."Don't peek, don't peek...open!" ~flowers!! I find myself smiling at all these gifts of heaven we experience thro' our children:).