Preparing for rain...

Nope, not for the showers that are forecasted for Saturday morning (but not Sunday--YAY!), but for God's rain!  In one of my most favorite movies, Facing the Giants, the main character talks about preparing for rain, after praying for it.  He was praying for his football team to succeed, for his family to grow, to overcome infertility, he was praying to grow closer to God.  He talked about getting ready for God to rain down mercy and blessings!  I need to keep focused on staying ready for the rain!  I am ready...well...almost...I need to vacuum and mop before our buyers come in for a peek...but I'm ready!

It has been so nice to have a break from work this week.  I've been able to have quiet devotional time in the morning, been able to keep up on laundry (well kind-of), and have been able to sit on the floor with Asher and just play a little bit.  It has been a much needed break!  (THANKS SABRINA!)

He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.  Isaiah 53:5

I am just not worthy of this great, great love, that Jesus had for me that day on the cross.  Even if I were the only one, the only person to die for, he still would have done it.  Each time I think of that, I'm completely humbled.  He loves me...HE loves ME! 

How priceless is your unfailing love!  Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.  Psalm 36:7

This morning I am just so thankful for God's unfailing love!  He loves me when I'm happy, when I'm down, when I make poor choices, when I make great choices...and all of the times in between.

We're struggling a tiny bit here in the Alexander abode.  We have shown our home 3 times in 2 weeks, and have no offers yet.  I keep wondering what I am doing wrong, is it not clean enough?  Is it ugly?  But I know those things are just S trying to get us down.  God has a plan, he has a perfect plan...perfect timing...that's so comforting.  I need to keep reminding myself of his unfailing LOVE and his unfailing PLAN!

We are just so excited about our new home!  It's so pretty out there...so peaceful and comfortable.  I am just so excited about decorating, gardening, and transforming it into the place we call home.  I have so many ideas about decorating, but I am having trouble deciding on a paint color for the kitchen.  It has no direct natural light, only indirect, so I'm thinking it needs to be a lighter color.  I really want to include barn red, sage green, and creamy white, because I just love those colors together.  Just need my mom's help, I think!  These are some pictures of decor that I love...just random things!

Janna Wilson (I think!)

These are from some of my favorite blogs, linked on the sidebar.  I have just been filing them on my desktop, so I don't have all of the sources listed.  All of these ladies are so incredibly talented!  I would love to have a natural decorating ability!

Jesus, Jesus
Lord to me
Master, Savior
Prince of Peace
Ruler of my heart today
Jesus, Lord to me

We sang this chorus in church yesterday, and I just love it...so simple...I just want so much for it to be true.  I really want to allow HIM to rule my heart...to have the whole thing.  I just need to let go.  Lord, help me to let go, and take hold of you today.

I'm smelling coffee...

"I'm smelling coffee, birds are singing just outside, here comes your mercy streaming in with the morning light!"

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; GREAT is your faithfulness."   ~Lamentations 3:22-23

Well, I am smelling coffee, and drinking it, but the birds haven't woken up yet, and it's still dark outside, but in a little while they will, and I will be here at home!   Yay, I have the day off, and tomorrow and Wednesday too!  So excited, I have been needing a break to just be home.  Last week was very difficult, I feel so much relief that it's over.  The only place I would rather be than here at home is at our new home.  We had another family come and look at the house last night, but we haven't heard from them yet, praying that TODAY will be the day!  We would just love to have a contract!  We went out to the new house yesterday, and it was just so beautiful...so peaceful and the sky is just so amazing!  Everything was budding out, there are so many pretty plants and flowers still left from when Marilyn had her beautiful yard...can't wait to freshen it up and see what will grow!

God's Mercy is NEW every morning!

Thank you Lord, for this beautiful sunshine, and for your forgiveness and completely unconditional love!

Colossians 3:23-24 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving."  I think God knew that we were trying to do the right thing by painting the office the pretty, warm yellow!  It probably made him smile, just for the 24 hours that the paint was there.  It's just paint though.

The other thing I learned from this was also from Colossians 4:6, "Let your conversation be always be full of GRACE, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." I know that I need to learn when to be quiet.  Sometimes my strong opinions and hurt feelings get the best of me.  I know that I need to just need to pray sometimes, instead of verbalizing what I'm feeling.

I feel so much better today, God is good...all the time.

This morning I turned in my Bible to Proverbs 31.  I wanted to read again about what I am supposed to be.  I truely want to be God's servant, his child, just his...but I keep getting in the way.  The parts of P-31 that stand out to me were these:
She brings her husband good, not harm, all the days of her life.
She opens her arms and hands to the needy.
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come (my study Bible says that means she is free from anxiety and worry).
A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Um...well, I am failing all of these.  Satan is working hard on me these past few days.  He has filled my heart with worry, hurt feelings, anxiety, and fear.  Maybe tomorrow will be better, but it's only 6:45 this morning...a long day of battling with S ahead.
I guess this is the part of my blog that the kids will see my "not so great" side. 

Running out of steam...

Things have been really busy at church...really busy...and stressful.  I am just the type of person that gets my feelings hurt too easily, and I make impulsive committments too easily...not a good combination.  I just feel like I've gotten in over my head with "church stuff".  It doesn't do any good to do all of the "church stuff" if you don't have time or energy to read the Bible and pray.  I have really been stuggling with this.  I am just not sure what to do about it.  I need to learn to say no...but is saying no to "church stuff" like saying no to God?  Is it? 

Snow!

It's been snowing since early Saturday morning, we have about 8-9 inches on the ground...in MARCH!  It's pretty, but I am READY for spring!  Just cannot wait for warmer weather!

We are showing the house today at 4:00!  The house was on the market one week!  Praying so hard that they will LOVE it!  I've been cleaning like crazy cakes, just trying to get ready!  Going to pop some chocolate chip cookies in the oven around 3-ish, to make the kitchen smell yummy...just can't wait to hear what they think, and if we will have an offer!  God answers prayers!  We are so excited to move to the country and be nearly debt free.  We just can't wait to see what God can do with us when we are not tied down to debt anymore.  It's something we've struggled with since we first got together...debt.  We just feel like there is going to be an amazing freedom once things are clear!  It will be awesome! 

Thursday we went to the Oklahoma Aquarium.  The kids had a good time, but it was VERY crowded, and I am not sure we will try to go there again on a holiday/spring break, or a weekend again.  We had lunch and then went to Bass Pro Shops.  We got Asher some little Camo overalls for turkey hunting season coming up.  They are so cute!  Katie picked out some binoculars of her very own!  They were on clearance, she is a bargain hunter already! Then we got shakes from Steak and Shake and headed home.  We stopped at Goodwill in Bartlesville on the way home and I picked up a couple things for VBS.  It was a good day!

Friday we went to Grove, to see Meme and Papa.  Asher was a total ham for Meme, and Katie got to spend some time with Bryce and Megan.  It was a beautiful day, in the 70's!  I picked up some decorations for VBS for cheap!  I'm starting to get excited about VBS this year!  We decided on a Holy Land Adventure format, and we're visiting Joseph in Egypt.  The kids were crazy about the Holy Land Adventure VBS we did 5 years ago, and we had the largest attendance that year. 

I think that's all for now!

Spring Break!

Katie is out of school this week for Spring Break, and Kris took a week of vacation!  I still have to work at the church three days this week, but we're looking forward to having Thursday-Sunday together.  I think we're going to try to vist the Oklahoma Aquarium, and go to Grove to see Meme and Papa.  We're looking forward to a little time away. 

We listed our house on Friday, so we're hoping that we will have some appointments for showings soon!  We know God has a plan!

God helps stupid people (this we know!)

This was a quote from my mom this morning (except she had added 'I hope' to the end of hers).   I changed it to 'this we know' because HE blessed them so much today!  (Not that they are stupid-mom's words, not mine!  Ha!)  Anyhoo, long story, but they really received a blessing today, and it's just amazing how God works, even though we are weak and don't always make good decisions!   He still  loves us and is just so good (all the time)! 

Today has been a good day! We all got up early and had breakfast, then Kris and Katie headed out with a picnic lunch to go shed hunting.  Asher and I went to Wal-Mart and got some things we needed, and we stopped by the Dollar Tree to get some birdies and moss.  We came home and played with the puppies for a little while and then Ash went right to sleep for his nap.  He was so tired from playing with his cousins last night!  I just put some chocolate chip cookie brownies in the oven...they smell really good.  You just mix up brownie mix like normal, spread in a 9x13 pan, then drop big dollops of CC cookie dough all around in the brownie batter.  Smoosh them down a little and bake for 28-30 minutes.  The good part is if you use a regular sized refridg. cookie dough, there is a little left at the end of the tube that you can secretly eat without the kids knowing!  So easy, so yummy!

Today I bought some plastic eggs and robin's egg blue acrylic paint.  I am going to attempt to paper mache some eggs and paint them light blue and maybe splatter paint them with some brown.  They are more chicken sized eggs, but I think they would look cute tucked in a round clump of spanish moss.  We'll see how they turn out! 

Today!

This morning I heard Kris playing "Ninja" with Katie, and they were laughing and giggling, and then later I heard him reading "Melmo" to Asher...what a great dad he is...and this was all before 7am!  I am just so blessed to have him.  I know that God had a great plan for us being together, even when we first met and were living lives that weren't pleasing to Him...He still knew...that someday it would come down to a good morning kiss, Ninja and Melmo (who Elmo is affectionately known as at our house)...

Photo, itsjust4me.com

We have a busy day today.  Our realtor is coming at 1:30 to list the house!  Yay!  We all cleaned like banshees last night and this morning, and I think we are pretty much ready.  Kris and I both have a peace about this, we're not anxious about "when" we'll sell the house, or if we can afford it until  then...we just know that God has a super great plan for our family! 

We are also having my Dad's birthday get together this evening at our house!  Crystal called last night and we decided on Frito Chili Pies and Cake.  Kris was already making the chili this morning before I left for work!  He's just great!  Anyhoo...it's Friday, and I am so very blessed!

Photo, Seattlest.com

Favorites!

I just want to share a little about my 35 year old self, so that some day the kids (kids-I just said kids...I have two of them...can you believe it???) can look back and see what I was like. I love hearing my mom talk about when she was a mom to young kids, and I have lots of memories of her doing things for us and sometimes being stressed because of us!  Ha!   I want my kids to have memories and know what I was like as a mom in my 30's.  I want them to know the good and the not-so-good, but for today, I just want to share some things that are just fun!

My favorite color is red!  I love all things colorful and crafty.  I love scrapbooking, sewing (a tiny bit), and hot-gluing (you didn't know that it was a craft?!?!).  I love Crocs!  I know they have kind of gone out of style, but I just think they are ultra comfortable and cute!  The red Crocs below were on sale for $19.99 at crocs.com but they don't have my size.  I have been looking at things to decorate the new house, and I found these pillows that I love, but I don't think I can afford more than one...ha!  They are $19.99 each (on sale!)   I was looking for red stuff for my kitchen and found a website that is called, "Red and White Kitchen", but they only sell wholesale, so I won't be getting that cute cherries tote bag...so all in all...these are just things that I like, not things I have or will be getting! (so really...totally pointless pictures...but they make me smile!)

Crocs from crocs.com

 

Pillows from Lands End

Tote from RedandWhiteKitchen.com

VBS, Puppies, Selling, Moving, Birthday Parties...YIKES! What have I done?!?!

I must be insane...truly!  Tonight during our Sunday School board meeting we were discussing the dilemma of VBS for this summer.  We had planned on having a WONDERFUL children's evangelist come back this year, but because he didn't have any other bookings in our area, we could not afford to have him come.  In a moment of sheer faith and nuttiness (is that a word?) I said, "I'll do it!"  So there you have it, I am now going to direct VBS for this summer!  Ohmygoodness...it will be ok!  I volunteered to do this about 5 hours ago, and already the Lord is stirring my heart and giving me hope that it will be ok!  I've been looking at curriculum, and there are just so many to choose from!  I think it will be fun, stressful, faith building, and patience increasing all at the same time.

On another totally insane note, we adopted two baby labs last week, yes, TWO.  They are precious, and wonderful and the have the sweetest puppy breath!  They are roly-poly adorable, and the kids love them!  Their names are Jake (white lab), and Hoss (yellow lab).  They have already grown so much, and we are just all in puppy love!

We are also still in the process of getting our house ready to sell.  We're hoping to have the realtor come Friday to list it.  We are really looking forward to what God has planned for us in the country, very nearly debt free.  We have always wanted to be in the country, but we never dreamed or imagined we would have a view from our front porch of the sun coming up from behind the trees (and cows!), and going down accross a vast horizon of rolling hills.  It's stunningly beautiful.  We feel so incredibly blessed to have this opportunity. We just can't wait to see what God is going to do!!!

The kid's birthdays are coming up in April and we're praying we'll be moved to the country.  We are not sure if that will be the case, and either way, it will be fine!  We'll have them together, so we're trying to think of a fun theme for them to share.  Katie just wants to have a sleep over with her two cousins, Rylee and Megan, and two friends from school, Kinsey and Meagan, I don't think she really cares about a theme, as long as there are friends, cousins and nail polish!  :o)

I also just want to say that today was an AWESOME day at church!  Our interim pastor, Mark Hamilton, is just great...he is getting to know our hearts here at Indy Naz, and knows just what kind of message we need to hear...we will miss him...because we got GREAT news that Pastor Darren Melton has accepted the call to come to our church!  I am so excited to see what God has in store for Indy Naz and for all of Independence and our community!  We also had AWESOME evening church tonight with Bill Knight...that man has Jesus way down deep...and you can just feel it...the love he has for our Savior!

Thats all for tonight...

Once there was a pink giraffe named Lemonade...

http://www.oopsydaisy.com/

Katie was telling Asher a story to calm him down yesterday, and this was the first line of the story...too cute!  She went on to tell the story of the giraffe who wanted his binky, etc.  Asher loves listening to Katie's stories...he calmed right down to listen.  They fight, and Katie has successfully taught Asher how to fend for himself (through experience!) but they love each other.

I (((heart))) Alice.com

I just added a little button over there <----- for Alice.com, because I love it!  I have ordered twice, and I am amazed at the prices, FREE shipping, and variety of things they carry.  I ordered the items I needed to make homemade laundry soap, and spent about $10, the soap recipe will last 6 months!  I'm so excited!  After you spend $50, they automatically give you a $10 credit, and you can earn 3% commission on orders that your referred friends place.  I think what I love most about it is that I don't have to lug all of those things in from Wal-Mart.  The nice UPS man brings it right up to my front door!  Yay!

Zephaniah 3:17

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with his love,
He will rejoice over you with singing!"

Can you just imagine our Heavenly Father comforting you, singing to you? I received this verse in a devotional from Proverbs 31 http://www.proverbs31.org/, and was just so encouraged by it! I tried to memorize it, I read it to Kris (twice, I think!). Then Katie came home singing her Bible Verses that Miss Beverly taught her, and it was one of her verses to memorize...I think God really wants me to hear that verse, and engrave it on my heart. Sometimes I just get wound so tight, with anxiety, worry, and insecurity, that I just need to be quieted...kind of like a child who is upset, and the best thing to do for them is just hold them. I can imagine just running into God's arms, and letting him comfort and sing to me, can you?