update during the "Dog days of summer"

No, I have not melted away but it's hot here!  WAY to hot for WAY to long!  I HATE summer for those of you who don't already know that!  For those of you who do, I STILL hate it!  I have not changed my mind!  HOWEVER, I am thankful for central air and at least it's a dry heat!  Ha! 

I have not blogged much!  Other things are begging for my attention!  Like:

• The book I am FINALLY writting!
• my 15 month old cutting her molars
• still schooling during the summer
• trying to adjust to some more detailed in-home structure
• preparing and having yard sale...yes in this heat! (When you need money, it makes no difference how hot it is even for me!) 
• free bowling at the local bowling alley!  (Some good laugh, stress relief has come from those weekly ventures!) 
• swimming and picnics
• visit's to and from grandparents
• realizing that my due date would have been this week...that is still hard to muddle through!
• keeping in touch with my oldest who has flown the nest for the summer
• preparations for my oldest daughter going to Guatamala for mission work
• really, the flat out truth is, I have 12 kids and it is summer, need I say more?!

It is busy but as long as I can stay cool inside or by the water, I'm good!  However, I really do look forward to fall! 

I am going to be starting a new blog once my book is finished but for now, please continue to check in.  I will be here less frequently but I will continue to leave my hand-print every now and then!  I hope you are staying cool and enjoying your summer!

Happy Birthday America!

It's all good

I cannot believe all that God has done this week!
 (I am really in awe of that every week!)
He showed up at our annual church campmeeting
He has given our family a direction for Him
Lives were forever touched and changed for eternity
I miss going this week
The new bedtime was 3 hours later than normal ALL last week
The new waking time was about 2 hours later than normal
It was nice but ready to get back on schedule

I had 2 kids away at grandma and grandpa's all week
One got TERRIBLY homesick
It was hard on me
He survived
So did I :)

It has been so grossingly (new word)  HOT
If you know much about me, I DO NOT like summer
I think it's going to be a long one!
I am thankful for my home with central air
Actually my kids are thankful because...
I am a GRUMP when I can't cool off FAST

I have a slower week planned
Music lessons and fun activites
I will NOT be taking part in the fireworks
Why?  It will be 98 degrees that day
My kids would like to ENJOY them
Not possible with a grumpy mom

I have let go of my oldest son since he has left
Maybe a little too much I am finding out
Nothing better than learning you are missed by your child
It gives me warm fuzzies
I realize that all the work of raising a child pays off
I get to realize that 11 more times :)

Getting ready for a garage sale
It is SO time consuming
Hoping it is worth it!
I can't believe how much 'stuff' accumulates
Getting rid of most everything
We don't want to pay for our storage unit any longer
Last week, my hubby and I went through EVERYTHING one by one
It was actually fun being together and going over memories
Wondering why I saved some things

Nothing monumental in our lives have changed
We are more content and at peace than we have ever been!
It's been quite a journey
I would not trade it for ANYTHING!
It's ALL good!

Prayer walk

This group covered our city in prayer on Saturday

We walked over 3 miles!
Some prayed out loud and some just walked quietly in sweet communion with their Savior

Prayer changes things!  We are asking for the oppression to leaveand the lost to be saved!  We believe it WILL happen!  Where two or more are gathered, He promises to be in the midst of them!

ALL ages contributed!  My bookend daughters made it to the end
together!

My little guy made it the ENTIRE way walking with those sweet little legs!  He helped me sing "This Little Light of Mine", "Jesus Loves Me", and MANY more!

It was an amazing time of togetherness!  My heart was touched! I can't wait to see what God does during our annual Campmeeting Revival this week!  We are expecting AMAZING things and lives
to be changed FOREVER!

Have a GREAT week!

Birthday's are not a big deal you say?

A couple weeks ago, my oldest daughter turned 17. 

The week before she had stated to me that birthday's were not a big deal so I took that as my cue to make it a big deal! 

I called a couple of people and they helped me out.

 They came early on her birthday morning and surprised her by waking her up. 

We snuck upstairs, (well as quietly as you can with 7 brothers, 6 girls, 1 dad and 1 mom!)  yelled HAPPY BIRTHDAY, sprayed silly string and placed an air horn in her ear. 

(I will not post pictures of that ordeal because she might not like pictures of her in her jammies)

However...

I did want to share a little bit of the beauty of friends and memories!  

She was SO surprised and I doubt she will say birthday's are not a big deal anymore!  

Out to lunch at Pizza Ranch

Friends in Christ are friends forever!

We ALL enjoyed your special day and you are special to us!!

We love you!

This is my life!

Boys will be boys! 

AHHHHHHHH!!!!! 

I told the boys the other day that they could play in the sprinkler, soooooo I look out and the pond that we are GOING to fill in was being used as this....

My first reaction was GET OUT!!!!

I turned around and thought,

"Why not?  This is what being a kid is all about!  Let them do it!"

(I talk to myself often!)

So I did!

And I don't regret it!

(Well, the clean up of the clogged drain and disgusting bathtub AFTER they hosed off outside FIRST, did put a small damper on my "fun" decision!)

They won't remember the filthy tub or the plunging

This is what they will remember!

I'm learning to let go and let boys be boys!

(But once in the mud pond was enough!)

:)

Full of...

Our summers are always full of activity!  Come to think of it, my LIFE is full of activity during every season!  But these are some things we plan on doing in the coming weeks:

• reading books for fun not to include reports!
• making meals for others with hectic lives
• playing outside for countless hours
• MANY baths daily!  (yes with 7 boys under 11, they require many daily!)
• annual church campmeeting  (our evangelist is Chris Owensby...Check out his websight here)
• joining in a prayer walk around our city to release the power of the Holy Spirit in our town
• swimming at Grandma's
• bible school
• having a neighborhood bible school in our yard
• playing at our local YMCA
• birthdays...always birthdays!
• playing at the park
• having a garage sale
• bonfires with hotdogs and s'mores
• continually, hopefully reaching our neighborhood for Christ!

God has placed us in a neighborhood that is so lost!  We have had the chance to minister through pray, giving our time and sometimes just a smile!  It has been amazing!!!  I wondered many times when we moved here, what God was up to!  I now realize even more, how desperate people are to hear and feel the love of Christ!  It is so exciting and humbling to be used to introduce Jesus to the lost!  My children are changed forever!  It has taught us not to judge other's because of how they dress, how much money they have or even attitudes they may have!  Everyone has a past and needs love and acceptence!  We have stepped out in faith and it has not been easy but God has shown us how people need His love!  He wants us to be His hands and feet! 

Will you help us spread the love of Christ where you live?  The world is dying spiritually and everyday that passes, is one day less that we have! 

Summer is filled with exciting things but the only thing that will last forever is a heart changed for eternity!  Give your summer to God and ask Him to lead you to the lost and watch what happens!

Please pray for us as we minister to our neighborhood!  God is doing amazing things!  We are so thankful for the opportunity we have been given!   

The white flag of surrender

Motherhood has not been easy lately!

(In fact, this picture was taken right in the middle of all the chaos!)

I have gone through some "issues" that have brought me to my knees A LOT!

It seems the questions have no anwers and there are SO many of them!

My reactions have been quick and my tongue has not been bitten much!

(I am realizing it would be better to feel the physical pain of that than dealing with the regret of harsh answers!)

I have had these times before but this time it has had a twist I can't explain

I feel like I should beable to hold everything together

Now realizing I just can't!

The other day,

I had it!

  I looked at my boys and said,

"You win! I wave my white flag!  I surrender!  I have nothing left!" 

They looked at me in confusion and a blank look but continued on as if nothing happened!

 HA! Surprise, surprise!

Suddenly, I heard that sweet voice from my heavenly Father,

"Why don't you surrender that white flag to ME!  You were not meant to carry it anyway!"

Oh yeah!  I forgot that! 

 I began to see I was searching the file cabinet of MY wisdom looking for the anwers! 

He was reminding me that it just does not work that way! 

HE is the way, the truth and the life! 

That is why I was at the end so to speak!

I was thinking of MY way, MY truth and it was sucking the life right out of me!

So I gave Him the flag, got on my knees and let Him do the rest!

Are there still questions?  Yep!

However, I have found rest...

A place where I can be still and know that He is God!

Someday, my 2nd greatest desire is that my children rise up and call me blessed!

(That is not from a motive of selfishness but born out of desire to know that my children must see Christ in me!)

The first desire is that they are sold out for Christ daily and will enter the pearly gates!  But I do think they coincide!

It is not possible if I am doing it on my own but God's grace and love, will carry me through these years of MANY messes, attitudes, ungratefulness, meals, running errands, and repeated training times that I wonder if anything is really getting through!

As a mother, there is so much enduring! 

But I can choose to look at it as drudgery OR look at it as an honor that I have been called to be Jesus hands and feet at this time in their lives. 

To help form their hearts in love and mold their hearts to seek and search for Christ!

How is that done? 

Not sure totally!

I do know, that giving up that white flag of surrender to Him, I am guaranteed He has the answer!

Do you need to wave your flag or are you carrying it all yourself?

Let it go!  He will amaze you!