from our front porch lookin' in...

'Cuz we've been doin' a lotta this lately...

2012-02-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

;-)

~Love & Grace~

Hit & Miss

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

That's an adequate title for my blogging ability lately, at least... ;-)

But it's also a pretty good description of how things have been going here lately... ::Sigh::

I think it's the winter doldrums... the blues... seasonal affective disorder... whatever.

This is what it's looked like here for ddddaaaayyyyssss on end...

The kids have been stuck inside quite a bit. Cabin fever has caused them to be unable to focus on their schoolwork like normal... which causes my ADD to kick in & pursue other things while they're lost in their make believe living room fort.

And in the midst of all of that... gently pursuing them to keep up with school... helping them try to get out the wiggles without going out to muddy a week's worth of laundry... picking up after the rambunctious "prisoners..." {Now don't get me wrong... they have ventured out! And we visited the local Mall's playground... and Discovery Place... still, they've been much more confined than is usual.} ;-)

...yes, in the midst of all that blessing... my precious little Internet time has been spent in research, info hunting, and discovery.

I thought I'd share a little bit with you...

~A coupla blogs that I've discovered

Rivera Douthit's - http://riveradouthit.wordpress.com/
Bonita Lillie's "Reality Homeschooling" - http://www.realityhomeschooling.com/

~Something I've been researching

Classical Christianity - http://classicalchristianity.com/
Orthodox Wiki - http://orthodoxwiki.org/Main_Page

~Which was sparked by this blog post

Father Andrew Damick's "Roads from Emmaus" - http://roadsfromemmaus.org/2012/01/12/why-i-love-true-religion-because-i-love-jesus/

~And I have spent hours in mild turmoil over Sammi's most recent struggles with math. :-/ We are currently using Singapore Math and I'm in the midst of trying to discern whether or not the entire Singapore method is a bad fit for her, or whether she is just in the midst of a temporary struggle. Because I'm leaning towards the latter... I'm been scouring the web for resources for extra practice...

Math is Fun - http://www.mathsisfun.com/index.htm
Khan Academy - http://www.khanacademy.org/
Math-U-See Free E-Sources - http://www.mathusee.com/e-sources/
Homeschool Math Online - http://www.homeschoolmath.net/online/

~Despite her math troubles, she is in love with Latin... which we just began a coupla weeks ago

Visual Latin - http://www.visuallatin.com/
Learn Latin Online - http://www.learnlatinonlinefree.com/

Oh yes and I've also rewatched the whole first season of Downton Abbey, in preparation for the second season, which started this month... and thanks to my Amazon Prime membership that came along with my Kindle Fire {Christmas present from my lovely in-laws,} I've also enjoyed Bleak House and Wives and Daughters.

And Downton, which has become quite the hit here in the States... has also led to the latest in my long line of Englishmen crushes: Dan Stevens who plays Matthew Crawley. He succeeds Hugh Laurie, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Ralph Fiennes, and Christian Bale! LOL {All of whom I still adore, mind you...} ;-)

::Sigh::

So... as you can see... for whatever reason there may be... the season, the dreary weather... my worry, or my current immersion in English dramas {?!} my mind is a bit all over the place.

Though some that know me best...

..may readily offer that this is not extremely out of the ordinary for me. ;-)

~Love & Grace~

Christmas Here

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

Our Banner Hung with Care

Christmas Morning Glory

Lunch at Poppy & Grammy's with the Extended Fam

A "Few" More Gifts ;-)

A little toddler "I-opened-that-present-it's-MINE!" broo-ha-ha... ;-)

A Little Afternoon Fun... Enjoying New Treats and Time Together :-)

Sammi changes into a new outfit and serenades Poppy with her "Jingle Bells"

Ellie gives Sammi's new cat a little love...

Emme is thoroughly engrossed in Grammy's Christmas Train

And in all of these pictures, you would never know that a vicious stomach virus was making its rounds throughout our family, one person at a time beginning on Friday night the 23rd! :-(

Still, we were incredibly blessed to share a beautiful Christmas together with our family and extended family here in North Carolina.

We hope that the same is true for ya'll! {The sharing of a beautiful Christmas part... not the stomach virus part!} ;-)

Love & Grace~

Jingle for Jesus!

2012-01-12T21:00:00.000-05:00

That's just what the kids did with their Youth Group friends at our Church on December 18th!

They've been working on new songs to sing, to ring handbells to, to play with the boomwhackers, to perform with their God Rods too... and the girls learned a beautiful new liturgical dance to "Silent Night." Sammi also got to showcase a little more of her ever-improving piano skills by playing a "Jingle Bells" solo!

It was a lovely evening, topped off by cookies and a visit from a famous big guy in a red suit! ;-)

Love & Grace ~

Reflection, Revision, Renewal...

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

We just got back from an eight day vacation with family in Virginia late last Thursday evening.

The weekend was crammed with laundry, reorganization, and dedecorating from Christmas. Oh and preparing to get back to our schoolwork...

I thought about blogging, but couldn't... or... maybe more honestly... just didn't.

The frequency of my blog posts is not something that ever bothered me before this past year. If you look back through the archives, there were years where months passed without so much as a peep from me here.

But as followers have come... and folks have "Liked" the blog's Facebook page, I've begun to feel a since of commitment.

I don't mean for that to sound like it's a bad thing... because it most certainly is not. Still, there is no denying that with the idea of "followers," "readers," an "audience" of any sort... there's also room for guilt to creep in. Guilt about disappointing them... letting them down... discovering that they don't agree with you... and on and on. Even when the reality of the situation is that I'm just one of those little blogs that no one really notices hasn't been posting lately, but when a post does pop up in the reader they think "Oh! She's been kinda quiet lately..." LOL {I've totally done that before, so I know ya'll do it... don't pretend you don't...} ;-)

While away from home, I purposed to seriously cut WAY back on my social networking time. There weren't many Facebook status updates... I didn't blog... I didn't even read (other) blogs... and I think all of my tweets were Instagram pictures. Of course, it helped that we stayed busy while we were away. I don't have a fancy phone with that always-connected 3G/4G capability, so for me to do all those things, I have to pretty much be in front of a computer, away from everyone else. Which I don't really dig...

It also made me pause and think, though...

"I'm a homeschooling Mom to four children... if I'm so busy here at my in laws that I don't have time to commit to social networking like I do when I'm at home... what is it that I'm not being BUSY about there???"

And upon our return home, I made a disturbingly long list of the things that I often push aside so that I can veg out online. :-/ {I would like to add a disclaimer here that my husband and children were not on the list... but things like, sorting through outgrown clothing... mending... decluttering, and actually opening & using the cd storage boxes I bought from Ikea in August, were...}

So as lists often have a tendency to do, this list-of-things-I need-to-do-and-haven't-because-I've-spent-too-much-time-in-front-of-my-computer, spawned a new list: Things I Need to Do to Cut Back on Social Networking. And this list {because it's less embarrassing than the one that spawned it} I'm sharing with the blog-o-sphere...

#1. Take the Google Friend Connect widget off my blog.
My Wordpress blogging friends are gonna be losing it soon anyway, so this can be both an act of solidarity with my comrades and a way to remove the constant reminder of people who may be {but probably actually are not} waiting on me to post something. Folks will still be able to "Follow" me through that feature on their end, 'cause I have a little button at the top of my sidebar for it... and perhaps most importantly, I don't blog for followers. ;-)

#2. Stop posting controversial/political links on Facebook.
The ensuing discussions are TIMESUCKERS from the same family as the Langoliers, I'm convinced!

#3. Stop commenting on controversial/political links on Facebook.
Though I have had some wonderful discussions... I have also been seen ugly debates that just made me sad & occupied my brain matter for far too long. The hard, cold reality is that I have never... not once... in the history of my time on Facebook, been successful at changing anyone's opinion on any hot button issue. Maybe I'm just highly ineffective when it comes to persuasion, but I will leave that gig to real life attempts only, from now on.

#4. No computer time before lunch {unless absolutely urgent} and if we're having a rough school day, none until schoolwork is done.
This one does have a small caveat... You *may* happen to see me sneak in a quick link, update, tweet or comment here and there, because I was given a wonderful little Kindle Fire for Christmas... and I've found it quite helpful during our school time... I have the Bible on it, it's great for showing the kiddos a quick YouTube video on any given topic we're studying... and I won't lie that while they're occupied with something momentarily, I may sneak a peak. BUT #2 & #3 above should serve me well in the not-getting-sucked-in department... it's not exactly the easiest thing to type on... and it doesn't provide for quite as many rabbit trails as the ol' ball-and-chain desktop does. ;-)

#5. Schedule time for blogging.
This last one is a biggie for me. I love writing... I love blogging. But I don't want to feel weighed down by it. I want to continue to love it. So for me, Tuesday & Thursday nights will be my blogging time. That's all. They are my least busy evenings... and if I get enough posts done to fill up a whole week, that'll be great! But if I only get one BIG post done {like this one tonight!} that'll be cool too. :-)

Do I think I'll ever be a "big" blogger? Nah. Did I start this blog with the aim of ever becoming a "big" blogger? Not at all. In fact, when I did start this blog there were maybe 3 "big" bloggers out there that I'd ever even heard of. And I had to explain to every. one. that I told about the blog, exactly what a BLOG was!

I blog as a way of sharing. I blog to inspire. I blog as cheap therapy. I blog because I think of topics in the shower and need somewhere to write them out of my head... I'm not blogging for money {though I have absolutely nothing against that.} I'm not blogging to be "discovered." And I'm not blogging to be popular.

I am blogging for me. And ultimately for the glory of God.

Thank you to those who continue to muddle through my sporadic and spontaneously "deep" and brooding posts... I may not ever know why you read, follow, or "Like..." but I hope I've served you well in some way.

Love & Grace~

Photos courtesy of my budding photographer, Sammi during a shopping trip when I entrusted her with my camera. :-)

Christmas Pictures & Cards

2011-12-20T20:00:00.000-05:00

I am not a photographer.

But..... I think photography is fun.

And...... we cannot afford the session fees of most of the amazing photographers that we know.

So....... I am learning as much as I can about my DSLR and just snapping away. :-)

A coupla weeks ago, we ventured down the road a piece to a beautiful little nestled lane on a local nature preserve to try to capture something cute for our Christmas cards.

Here are some of the "outtakes..." He he he!

As you can see from these... our 2 year old, Ellie, is NOT a fan of modeling! :-/

Fortunately, we were able to get a handful of cooperative shots... and eventually {with a lil' editing,} this one...

...turned into our Christmas card:

{It all looks so effortless when you just see the card itself, doesn't it???} LOL

We wish you all the merriest of Christmases and the most blessed of New Years!

Love & Grace~

Christmas Goodies

2011-12-15T23:00:00.000-05:00

What is it about Christmastime that seems to lure us into the kitchen to bake special things that we save just for this time of year???

I just love making treats this time of year!

Of course, I also have another slight motivation...

Our ladies Circle at Church sells cookie trays as a fundraiser. This means that all the members of the Circle must make the cookies to fill the trays. In the amount of 25 dozen each.

Nope. No typo there. 25 dozen. 300.

Sound daunting? Eh... I 'spose that would be based on how much you like or dislike baking. I happen to love it, so I really tend to enjoy it! Especially if I pick some recipes that allow the kids to help me, instead of hovering over me begging to try everything! ;-)

This year I tried a coupla new things... and some new twists on old favorites...

Hershey Pies {Recipe}

Christmas S'mores {Recipe}

Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies {Recipe}

(Fruity Pebbles) Rice Krispie Treats in a Mini Muffin Pan {Inspiration}

After all that, we pack up our goodies and meet up at the Church on a Saturday morning to fill the cookie trays.

Everything gets lined up then we work our way down the table filling up each tray with 4 dozen cookies!

The trays then get wrapped in cellophane... trimmed up...

...and then a pretty bow!

When they're all done, we hang around chatting, sharing recipes, taste-testing leftovers and waiting for the folks that pre-ordered their trays to come pick them up. :-)

So much fun... and really, an easy way to raise a fairly significant amount of money! Our Circle uses the funds to support various mission-minded activities in our Church and community.

How's your Christmas baking going? Are you baking for a purpose or purely for pleasure?

Love & Grace~

Wordless Wednesday: One of the Things You Do During a Blog Break

2011-12-14T23:00:00.000-05:00

Date Night with Hubby... ;-)

Linkin' up...
Wordless Wednesday
5 Minutes for Mom
Mama to 4 Blessings
Better in Bulk
Naptime Momtog
live and love... out loud
And Then, She Snapped

Love & Grace~

Ahhhhhhhhhh.....

2011-12-13T23:00:00.000-05:00

Well hi ya'll!

If ya'll have been anywhere near as busy as I have been, then you haven't missed me at all! ;-)

After 30 straight days of posting for the 30 Days of Thankfulness in November, I decided to take a little blogging respite.

And it has been good.

I've learned several things... realized a few more... and had a LOT of fun doing all sorts of things to blog about!

First of all, I learned that I am not cut out for blogging every day... I loved doing it for November but by the 30th, I was really looking forward to a break. I love blogging, so I don't ever want it to become something that I have to do. That just seems to take the joy out of it for some reason.

I once read on another blog {that I haven't been able to find since...} that some bloggers "Blog By Inspiration..." meaning that they don't post on a specific schedule about specific topics, but rather post when the mood strikes! That is definitely me. :-)

So just what have I been up to???

For starters, we are fortunate to live in a city that is also home to one of the Operation Christmas Child distribution centers. So, I had the opportunity to join a group of folks from our Church that were going down to volunteer in the distribution center.

There are all kinds of tasks that need to be done in order to process all the Chistmas Child shoe boxes that come in to the distribution center from all over the region. In fact, there really and truly is something for everyone {over the age of 13, mind you} that wants to volunteer.

{Mr. Summers, for instance, is on oxygen and cannot stand for long periods of time, but even he was able to serve by bagging up donated candy that would eventually make its way into boxes that didn't already contain candy!}

It all starts with a short training session... and then a brief wait for task placement.

This day, our team was placed on two lines for shoe box processing and packing!

Each line starts with careful inspection of the shoe boxes.

This seems to disappoint some that believe once their box is all packed up that it goes directly to a child. But actually, this is an important step that volunteers do... They make sure that there are no liquids in the boxes that could potentially ruin the rest of the box's contents... no chocolate that's going to melt... and they "fill out" boxes that may be slightly lacking. Don't worry, if any item is taken out because it's not allowed to make the trip, it is always replaced with something that is allowed. ;-)

And you know... honestly... shoe box inspection can be a blessing too. Getting to see how much love is packed into these small boxes gets to me every. time. I've done this. My eyes puddle up quite easily... especially when you come across notes handwritten by 6 year olds... or boxes like this one...

...someone painted beautiful gospel scenes on all four sides of this box!

Then the boxes get wrapped in shipping tape. {This was my job for our session...}

After taping, the box gets passed along to be packed into a larger shipping box with up to 20 some other shoe boxes... BUT, if it's one of the new "Follow Your Box" boxes, it gets scanned first.

Then it gets packed into the bigger boxes... separated by gender and by age group.

After a box is filled, it hits the conveyor belt.

...and then gets palletized.

It was really a thing of beauty to see all those boxes lining the walls of the distribution center... just knowing that they will be delivered somewhere in the world that needs to experience the love of Jesus Christ. And that we... whether by simply packing our shoe boxes... donating financially... or volunteering in the distribution centers... get to be a small part of that amazing mission!

I'll be honest, it is truly a blessed way to kick off the Christmas season!

Love & Grace~

{Pssst... just in case you're reading this in a reader... I thought I'd let you know I finally updated our blog header with a more recent & seasonally appropriate picture of the kiddos! LOL}

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 30! Inspiration...

2011-11-30T23:45:00.000-05:00

These 30 days have been relatively easy for me, in terms of listing for you the things in my life for which I'm most grateful to God.

But I wouldn't say that this has always been the case for me.

I was, at one time, like many of you may be today... The kind of soul that longed for a deeper sense of connectedness to my Father God... one that would allow me to effortlessly pound out something that I am thankful for in a small Status Update box of my Facebook profile, as I try to keep up with everyone else participating on the {30 Days of Thankfulness} bandwagon.

And the reason that I longed for that was because, there were days that I would sit there and hesitate to write something. Was it because there wasn't anything I was thankful for? Was it because I'd been too busy to really notice all the blessings surrounding me? Or was because I was listing those things with a hypocrite's heart?

Listing... daily... the most general of things... My salvation, my husband, my children, my health, my home, etc. for my friends to see.

For my friends to see.

And then, the heart-rending, stripped honest message of the amazing gift of thankfulness came into my life.

As I read and re-read... the mind bending passages pricked me but seemed hard to make stick...

"As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible."
"...the only way to be a woman of prayer is to be a woman of thanks."
"Eucharisteo always, always precedes the miracle."
"Life is not an emergency."

...and these... just within the first four chapters... I have highlighted. Many, many more follow...

So I, not nearly as brave as Ann, take the dare as well. Diving into the Word and living fully in every place that I am. And I start the writing...

Slow at first, I was. Then more open... more receptive... more aware.

Offering these things... not for my friends to see... but God. In secret.

She is right... "this daily practice of the discipline of gratitude is the way to daily practice the delight of God."

As I compare my 30 blog posts of this month with the 1 summary blog post that I made last year... the similarities are there... many of the things that I was thankful for in that season of life, I am blessed that they remain. But the differences... are beautiful. The greater depth of my soul-words. The honesty of the gratefulness for the simplest of things that I had tripped, overlooking before. Not that I am proud of these advances, lest you misunderstand me... no, I am humbled by them.

I fling myself at the foot of the Cross where grace abounds and plead for more. I am merely awestruck at the powerful workings of Christ in the stubborn, fixated heart that beats inside my chest.

For all this grace....... I offer eucharisteo. And yet not nearly the amount that I hope to someday be able to give.

I thank God for the inspiration He gives, through willing servants like Ann Voskamp, to grow deeper in our understanding of Christ and to reach ever higher toward the Throne on which He sits.

Love & Grace~

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 29: My Favorite Bible

2011-11-29T22:40:00.000-05:00

I really have an obscene number of Bibles.

I mean, especially when you consider how many people all over the world don't have one at all.

But I won't lie... it is nice to be able to peruse through different variations {KJV, NKJV, NIV, The Message, RSV, Amplified} and different languages {French, Spanish, Greek} to see how various passages are represented.

Some are study Bibles... some are designed for reading in 90 days... and some are designed for note taking...

Many were gifts {Mom's Devotional Bible, The Message, Parallel Bible, Cambridge Wide Margin KJV...} a few I purchased myself {Thompson Chain Reference Study Bible, NIV Archaeological Study Bible...} but no matter which shiny new edition finds it way onto my desk the most recently, there is still one Bible that I always seem to favor.

It's my KJV Scofield Study Bible that my parents gave me for Christmas in 1997. I was a senior and would be attending a Christian college the following year.

I started jotting down important events that occurred in my life...

I asked preachers & Christian speakers that I was privileged to hear to leave a little memento for me...

I've tucked many slips of paper with special words on them into special places with life-altering passages...

And there have been notes scribbled in haste during sermons that I tired in vain to commit to memory.

Maybe it is for all of those reasons that it is my favorite.

Or maybe it's the way it lays wide open so effortlessly... and pages flip lithely because the gilt that used to keep them stuck to one another has worn away...

Whether it is for all of those reasons together... or one specific one of the bunch... tonight, I am praising the Lord for sending me His Word.

Love & Grace~

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 28: The Prince

2011-11-28T21:03:00.000-05:00

I call him that for two reasons.

The first being his name.

Lawrence.

We gave him this first name in honor of my Dad. His name is actually Larry, which is considered a derivative of Lawrence. {And I was already partial to the nickname "Lawrie" from Louisa May Alcott's Little Women...}

It means "crowned with laurels."

And he really kinda was. Our firstborn son. The one that will carry on his father's family name.

The second reason I call him that is because he is our only son. {For now?}

And as the only boy, he definitely holds his own with these girls.

I believe that he is one-of-a-kind, though I've been told by multiple members of Danny's family that he could be Danny's clone.

He is fearless... adventurous... aggressive {although we're working daily to harness that quality for good rather than mischief...} smart as a whip... joyfully boisterous... He is all. boy.

But he is also tender, empathetic, caring... fiercely protective of his sisters and me... He has a giving heart and a Spirit that desires to make people happy, even if he doesn't always go about it in the best way. ;-)

Yes, he is what many might label as my difficult child. He "has ADHD..." my temper... and can be as stubborn as an ox. But tonight, I am so thankful to God that He sent Lawrie to me.

I have learned more about myself looking through his eyes... and I have grown more as a Mother than I ever thought possible directly as the result of being his Mother.

All of these qualities that he possesses lead me to believe that he will someday be a great leader.

So I will continue to fight for him... to advocate for him when others choose to give up on him... and will not settle on others' "labels" for him or give up on believing that his future is worth every sacrifice I will ever have to make for the betterment of his life.

For,

“I am content to fill a little space if God be glorified.” ~Susannah Wesley

{Wesley is, without a doubt, one of my role models of Christian motherhood...}

Love & Grace~

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 27: Waiting...

2011-11-27T22:22:00.001-05:00

Thanking Him tonight that the best things in this life... are worth waiting for...

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 26: Our Church

2011-11-26T21:35:00.001-05:00

I was not one of those girls that'd had my wedding planned out in my mind since I was 10. So when Danny asked me to marry him in March of 2000, I only knew two things: I wanted to get married in my hometown and at the time, my family didn't really have a "Church home."

Now Danny's family thought it quite strange when I shared with them that I was "shopping" for a Church for us to marry in... but it didn't take long to narrow it down to two... Hopewell Presbyterian and Trinity United Methodist. {And I was raised Baptist... go figure!}

My family had close ties to both Churches; two of the oldest in our County. One of my Great Aunts attended Hopewell... and my paternal Grandparents had been members at Trinity at one time and are buried in Trinity's cemetery. {They actually left Trinity to help charter Garr Memorial Church.}

In fact, we really still had ties to both. My sister and I'd grown up with kids that attended either one or the other and we occasionally attended events hosted by both.

I chose Hopewell. It had {at the time} a beautiful hunter green interior and the building itself, built in 1831 just has an incredible feeling about it. I chose it because by then, we'd agreed that our flower would be the sunflower and our "colors" would be hunter green and yellow {gold.}

But upon seeing both Churches for himself... Danny chose Trinity. Which at first caused me to react with an "Are you serious?!" kinda reaction. Built in 1815, it is adorned with beautiful stained glass windows and exudes that same "stepping back in history" feel that Hopewell does. But it seemed smaller, the altar area less roomy... and was covered in blue. "Why couldn't he have just picked the same one as me?" I thought to myself.

Danny, who'd been raised in the same Church his whole life, was struck by the sentimentality of it being the place my Grandparent's had originally joined and where they were laid to rest.

How could I not defer to that?

And so in the dealings with Trinity, as we prepared to hold our wedding ceremony there, we got to know their Pastor at the time... reconnected with several "old" friends... and came to feel very at home there.

Although immediately following our wedding we moved back to Danny's hometown, where he was still employed... my Mom and sister began attending Trinity regularly. So when we moved back to this area in January of 2002, there really wasn't much hesitation as to which Church we would be visiting.

We joined just weeks after being back in town and have been members since.

Trinity has been through its ups and downs. Danny and I have served in many capacities through those times. We don't agree with every. single. stance of the UMC... and at times I think we're viewed as a little "strange" because we tend toward a more conservative, neo-orthodox {even though I don't really care for that term...} doctrinal stance {likely the result of our Baptist upbringings.}

However the beautiful thing about Trinity, as a Church family, is that it far surpasses any of those individual issues. They have blessed us beyond measure. They have delighted in our willingness to serve Christ with them... they have supported us when we've endeavored to deepen our faith... and they have celebrated life with us as we've welcomed each of our children into this world.

Tonight, I am grateful to God for His leading us to the Trinity United Methodist Church family.

~ ~ ~

This morning, we enjoyed working with some of our Trinity family on decorating our Church for the Advent season...

Love & Grace~

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 25: Rest

2011-11-25T22:00:00.000-05:00

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

~Matthew 11:28

We took the week off from school work. Danny had an extra day off this week. Things just weren't the hussle-bussle that they can be most of the time.

We were blessed to be able to spend time with family. We took the kids to see a movie with some of our dearest friends. And... I slept in TWICE this week! {Ahhhhhhhhhh.......}

The beautiful thing about respites in life like this that the Lord provides us with, is that even in times of rest, He is still working on us.

This week, even though we were enjoying physical rest, we haven't necessarily been enjoying Spiritual rest.

Money has been tight recently.

Don't get me wrong... we have everything that we need, but there just hasn't been much leftover for anything "fun." In fact, the only reason we were able to go to the movie altogether as a family, was because I'd just sold one of our strollers that we no longer use!

But because we are still weak in this area, Spiritually speaking, we tend to panic...... instead of praying

This week, He revealed to us something in Scripture that we'd never really noticed before.

Philippians 4:13 is one of the most famous verses of Scripture. It says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." {NKJV}

But immediately preceding that verse of never-ending encouragement are a couple of verses that show us why Paul felt soooooo strongly that he would be able to "do all things through Christ..."

Philippians 4:11b-12 says this:

" ...for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need."

That is why Paul was so sure of his ability to do all things... because he had learned to be content with the provision of the Lord! Wow.

This is exactly the encouragement that we needed to hear at this time!

How beautiful is the promise of the Lord's words..."I will give you rest..." Today, I am thankful to know that God promises that He will truly deliver us to a peace-filled rest for the things that trouble our soul, if we are willing to bring those things to Him. <><

Love & Grace~

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 24: Family

2011-11-24T21:41:00.001-05:00

Thanking Him today for this wonderful family that He placed me into. I feel certain there is none other like it in the world! ;-)

{Adorable banner Shelly made...}

{Some of the goods!}

{Prayer time.}

{"More sweet tatoes!"}

{Abby's 1st Thanksgiving}

{"You want blocks???"}

{Daddy's hands...}

I pray that you enjoyed a holiday as abundantly blessed as we did... and gave thanks to Him for it. <><

Love & Grace~

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 23: Family Fun

2011-11-23T23:00:00.000-05:00

{A few shots from some fun we had earlier this month at the skating rink with my sister's playgroup...}

Thanking Him tonight for all the fun He allows us to have in this life.

Love & Grace ~

{Linkin' up...}

Wordless Wednesday

5MinutesForMom

And Then, She Snapped

Live and Love... Out Loud
Better in Bulk

Mama to 4 Blessings

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 22: This Man...

2011-11-22T23:12:00.001-05:00

...that I met as a freshman in college.

(February, 1999 @ Bob Jones University}

Married.

{August 13th, 2000 - Reception in Hampton, VA @ Bethel Baptist Church}

Finished growing up with.

{Fall 2000, visiting Great Aunt Mary}

Lived and worked with.

{2001 @ Aunt Robin's}

Had a baby with.

{2002, Sammi}

And another...

{2005, Lawrie}

Graduated with.

{2006}

Had another baby with.

{2009, Ellie}

And another 14 months later...

{2010, Emme}

The man that, for all these years, I have lived for...

{Christmas, 2001}

Laughed with...

{Fall, 2003}

...and loved.

{Summer, 2009}

I am never at a loss for words to gush about him with... here are a coupla my favorites from the blog from June of this year and January of '08.

Tonight I am thanking God for this man. This one He created for me to share this life with. This one that He created me to help through this life. This one He created to show me His love for me......

Love & Grace ~

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 21: Winning!

2011-11-21T20:00:00.000-05:00

For the most part, I agree with my cousin Renee when it comes to blog giveaways...

...but...

I gotta admit, I love 'em when I win something! ;-)

In fact, in the midst of hosting our own little giveaway here on our front porch, I was the lucky duck winner of a dishmat giveaway via a Twitter party! {Don't worry, I'll be sure to share how much I like/don't like it... and whether or not it really lives up the hype...}

So because I'm betting that ya'll kinda like winning too, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank God for allowing our family the opportunity to host the giveaway for the Adventures in Odyssey Imagination Station set of 6 story books, by Tyndale House Publishers.

AND to announce that the WINNER of our giveaway is.............

Adam & Kristi Lee!

Congratulations! I cannot wait for you to get your set of books & let us know if you love 'em as much as we do...

Thank you to everyone that entered... Tweeted... and shared both our giveaway and our blog! And to those of you who've just "discovered" our family, WELCOME!

It's great to have ya'll all gathered here on our front porch. ;-)

Love & Grace~

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 20: The One We Begged For

2011-11-20T23:31:00.000-05:00

{Photo taken Saturday, November 12th @ the Trinity Christmas Tea}

She was so desperately wanted.

Though she wasn't exactly eager to get here...

Still I know, in my Mother's heart that my world... my life... my purpose in this world, would not be complete without my beautiful, tender, sweet, rambunctious, bold, adventurous little Melinda.

We are truly enjoying getting to know this little evolving person... and while so much of watching her grow and develop reminds us of Sammi, we have no doubt that Ellie is gonna be her own girl!

Today, I'm thanking God for my precious third child... my lovely second girl... for all the wonderful joy she brings into our lives!

Love & Grace ~

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 19: Prayer

2011-11-19T20:54:00.001-05:00

This morning I got to join some of my sisters-in-Christ around a table at our Church and work on creating a prayer shawl for donation to one of our area hospice facilities.

I completed one back in 2010. I've been working on my second one since then...... :-/

But something that struck me this evening as I picked it up again to work on it a little more with Sam, while she's working on a scarf... was how truly and wonderfully blessed we are to even have the privilege of prayer.

Does our God, as Mighty as He is, really need to hear from us?

Today, I am thankful that I serve a God that wants to hear from me. So much so that He even gave us specific instructions in His Word on how to do it.

~~~

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, "Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?" ~2 Samuel 7:18

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. ~Romans 12:12

...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ~Philippians 4:6

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ~James 5:13

Love & Grace~

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 18: Being Able to Give

2011-11-18T21:44:00.001-05:00

We do not live a life of extravagance.

We live on one income. Our home is old. Our cars are paid for. We shop at Aldi for groceries. The majority of the kids' clothing comes from consignment sales and Goodwill and we make our own laundry detergent. Our cell phones only make phone calls and text. We only have basic t.v. channels.

Nearly all of the "extravagant" things that we do have were given to us... our Wii... or won... our iPod Touch.

But the sobering reality of our reality is that, while we would likely be qualified as "lower middle class" here in America... throughout a large portion of our world, we would be considered wealthy.

Income. We have one.
Home. We have one.
Car. We have two.
Food. We usually have leftovers.
Clothing. I often get behind in the laundry.
Cell phone. We have two of those too.
Television. Yep, we have two of those too...

We may not have the money to purchase every desire of our hearts on a whim, but there really is no doubting that we live a life of abundance.

So today, I am ever grateful to God that we have been blessed to be able to give.

One of our favorite ways to do just that during the holiday season is to pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.

If you've never heard of Operation Christmas Child, take the time to read a little bit about this wonderful ministry {by clicking the link above} and consider taking a small portion of your time... and a small portion of your abundance... packing it in a shoebox and sending it off with some prayers.

Love & Grace~

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* * * Don't Forget * * *

Click here to go enter the giveaway for a set of 6 of the new books from Adventures in Odyssey... The Imagination Station! Hurry! Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm TONIGHT!!!
And... if you haven't already voted for The Homeschool Post's 7th Annual Homeschool Blog Awards, please consider throwing a vote our way in the category of Best Homeschool Variety Blog! {Voting for these ends tonight too!}

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 17: Mixin' It Up

2011-11-17T21:15:00.001-05:00

He couldn't wait.

On Christmas Eve, last year, my sweet husband came bounding in the door from a late night of work with my Christmas present.

I know, I know. Some think it's terribly UNromantic to give wives household appliances. But, my Danny knows me better than that. ;-)

I'd been trying to score one of these puppies on a super-huge-deep discount promotion that Lowe's had been offering on their Facebook Page. Alas... luck was not my friend.

Danny worked his retail magic though... and made my Christmas Eve.

I know it's pretty simplistic, but I thank God for my wonderful mixer!

It really makes my time in the kitchen so much more productive. It is my right hand man. Just today, for instance it was used THREE times!

At breakfast, for beating eggs. At supper, for mashing my potatoes for shepherd's pie. And again tonight...

...for whippin' up some peanut butter cookies to help me round off the night! ;-)

{Yes, they were deeelishus...}

Love & Grace~

----------------------------------------
* * * Don't Forget * * *

Just a little more than 24 hours left to enter the giveaway for a set of 6 of the new books from Adventures in Odyssey... The Imagination Station! Click here! Hurry! (Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on Friday, November 18th.)
And... if you haven't already voted for The Homeschool Post's 7th Annual Homeschool Blog Awards, please consider throwing a vote our way in the category of Best Homeschool Variety Blog!

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 16: My First

2011-11-16T22:07:00.001-05:00

I never envisioned myself as a mother.

I wasn't a girl that spent hours playing with baby dolls.

Children were never particularly drawn to me when I was around them {they were drawn to my younger sister...} And frankly, the feeling was mutual.

I don't think I ever really wanted children of my own.

Then, I married.

I married a man that loved children. And children loved him. So, after a whole year of marriage, we got pregnant... and I started down a path that would see me forever relinquishing the use of words like "never" and "always." ;-)

Samantha is my first born...

There really isn't enough time left in the day for me to do her justice in describing all that she brings to my life.

She is, without a doubt, the best parts of her mother and her father combined into one person. {With very few of the "bad" parts.}

Warm. Compassionate. Empathetic. Kindhearted. Tender. Nurturing. Self-sacrificing. Diligent. Helpful. Friendly. Content. Happy. Cheerful. Thoughtful. Inquisitive. Imaginative.

These are just the first words that come to mind about her.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to claim that she is the perfect child... she's all of her 9 years. FULL BLOWN "tweenager" at times... attitude, sarcasm and ALL.

But...

She's the reason that I came to love children.

And for that, tonight, I thank God for sending Sam to me. For blessing me so mightily with the privilege of calling such a rare human being my daughter and for granting me the honor of raising her and walking with her during her time in this world.

She has taught me more in the past 9 years than all the hours of classes I worked through for my Bachelor's degree. She has pushed me to see Christ more clearly and forced me to work harder daily to be more like Christ than all the professors I sat under in my time at Seminary.

And while I've had more than a few people compliment my parenting in the midst of complimenting Sammi... the truth is that she is so beautifully special that I am not nearly half the mother that she truly deserves.

She already far surpasses me on many levels...

...and I will be forever wonderfully happy to sit in her shadow and applaud.

{The pictures included here are from Sammi's very first piano recital on Saturday, November 6th, 2011. Her teacher, Miss Elizabeth, has been so wonderful with her and we are grateful to her for sharing her talent with Sam!}

What's that you say? You wish you could hear her performance?? Well... since you asked...

Love & Grace~

----------------------------------------
* * * Don't Forget * * *

Click here to go enter the giveaway for a set of 6 of the new books from Adventures in Odyssey... The Imagination Station! Hurry! Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on Friday, November 18th.
And... if you haven't already voted for The Homeschool Post's 7th Annual Homeschool Blog Awards, please consider throwing a vote our way in the category of Best Homeschool Variety Blog!

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 15: Being Tired

2011-11-15T23:00:00.000-05:00

I dunno about you... but I'm tired tonight. Not just, "Oh I think I'm ready to hit the sack" tired... I mean t.i.r.e.d. tired. ::Sigh::

But tonight, I am thankful to God that I am past-the-point-of-exhaustion tired... because it means that today, I lived! I lived busy. I lived things that had to be done. I lived things that I loved to do. I lived meals and laundry and organizing and searching and putting away. I lived school books and worksheets and copywork and math questions. I lived.

Then tonight, I lived friendship and fellowship. I lived smiling faces and beautiful things. I lived laughter and joy and fun.

And I came home and lived stolen kisses from already sleeping children... chocolate chip cookies... and a foot rub. I lived.

Now I sit here in front of the unforgiving glow of the computer monitor... bleary eyed... aching for my bed... and I praise Him earnestly, for giving me all. this. living.

Love & Grace~

----------------------------------------

* * * Don't Forget * * *

Click here to go enter the giveaway for a set of 6 of the new books from Adventures in Odyssey... The Imagination Station!
And... if you haven't already voted for The Homeschool Post's 7th Annual Homeschool Blog Awards, please consider throwing a vote our way in the category of Best Homeschool Variety Blog!