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!

Birthday blessings

You are breath-taking!

Your beauty shows so intensely on the outside because of your beauty on the inside

I am HONORED to be your mom!

We have gone through some growing-pains and you have faced them head-on and have allowed God to use it for your good...

You are an amazing young lady!

Your heart is so open to the things of God

You are discovering that He has a plan for you and realizing that He is preparing you for your future one day at a time and that time is so important to dedicate it to Him now so His plan can unfold

I love how you see the best in others and can pull it out of them (even if they don't want it pulled out  at the time!)

Somehow a bad mood and attitude can be fixed by you!

A hug and a giggle later, all is better!

I love the way you are always planning ahead and oh how I LOVE your cleaning abilities!

(You and I could clean a hoarder's home in 5 minutes flat!) :)

It blesses me that you still come sit by me at the end of the day to lay your head on my lap or shoulder

(Don't stop!  We mom's need that sometimes!)

Your siblings look up to you and you have taught them so much!

I am so thankful they have you in their lives

I know you so well, you are a true joy!

Thank you for letting me into your heart!

You are a precious jewel in my eyes and God's!

Happy 15th Birthday my wonderful daughter!

You are a blessing!

Another Birthday

Happy 10th Birthday!

I love it when you...

Make us laugh

tell us how you love us

share your compassionate heart

take care of your little sister

open the door for your big sisters

talk about being a pastor

give all your money in the church offering

memorize verses

like to be with me

tell me how pretty I look

share with your brothers

give me hugs

ask innocent questions

call me mom!

I am blessed to have you as my son!

I love you!

To our Sugar-dia

Where has time gone?

I remember putting you down for nap and you would sing "Jesus Loves Me" until you fell asleep
Then wake up singing "This Little Light of Mine" until I would come to get you telling you it was time to get up

Now, you let your light shine to little African children this past year

while telling them Jesus loves THEM

You told me when you were 5 years old that God told you in a dream that you were going to be a missionary...

That same week, you told me God told you I was going to have a baby boy

I found out 2 weeks later I was pregnant

8 months later, your little brother was born!

God has done AMAZING things in your life and you never want any attention drawn to yourself and the things you do In Jesus name

However...

I am sooo proud of you and I am your mom, so I will let everyone know how AMAZING you are!

You give without expecting anything in return

You have no desires for things of this world

You understand that all things on this earth are temporary

You allow God to mold you and you trust Him with your life

(Even to travel across the world at 16!)

You are waiting on God and allowing Him to show you HIS plan!

He has great plans for you!

Plans to prosper you and to give you a hope and a future!

I know you will continue to follow Him wherever He leads and you have my word that I will continue to trust Him also as I watch His plan for your life unfold!

(Yes, even if that means sending you away again, to another country to show other's His love!)

You have shown and taught me so much and I appreciate the way you look at life!

What a blessing you are to me my sweet girl!

We love you and your family wants to tell you...

HAPPY 17TH BIRTHDAY!

And your dad personally wants to tell you...

Happy Birthday Fruitcake! :)

Foto Friday~ Welcoming summer

Brother's take time to smile for the camera

Little sister doesn't just sit watching anymore!

 God's beauty and "beauties"

Experiencing the new found freedom of walking in the great outdoors...

A world to explore!

The beauty is all around us!

Yep, he is as mischievous as this picture portrays!

Good food and cousins!

Can't wait to see what our summer memories will be this year!

Puppy thanks

After a very trying week last week, this week has been trying also but in a different way.  In the past, I should know by now, that whenever I have had been bombarded and overwhelmed, there is something over the horizon God is preparing me for.

 Today, I woke up feeling heavy and just plain burdened.  For my children, my husband, and those around me who have no hope.  I have also been dealing with guilt from not being the mom my children have needed me to be.  Do they struggle because I have not effectively been who I needed to be?  Sometimes it really gets to me!  I know all about the stuff that we are not perfect and God steps in the gap and our children learn to know God and trust Him no matter what we do.  Yes, I believe ALL of that!  I will NEVER be perfect and God's grace will see me through but I also know there are times when I have just been lazy and disobedient and those are the times that get to me.  I lay in bed at night praying for God's hand to be upon them and show them how much I love them and Him!

Later in the day, I had an opportunity that came up to be Jesus hands and feet.  It came out of nowhere!  We are now living in a neighborhood that is so lost!  We have had the blessing of witnessing to others and showing God's love by just accepting people for who they are.  The people directly next door to us, have a very sad situation and they have been on our hearts.  We have brought them meals, and just talked with them.  They have a little deaf girl and my 13 year old is learning sign language so that has been HUGE for both of them!  (The mom does not know any sign language so it has been good for her also.)  A couple days ago, the grandparents who lived there, just moved out one night.  It seemed peculiar but we let it go.  For days they have not been around, until today.  I was excited to see her and said hello and asked her how things were going.  "Not well!" she said.  She continued to share her heart and circumstances with me.  It was a very sad story!  My heart broke.  I asked her if I could pray with her and she said, "Please, I need somebody to!"  I took her hand with me on one side of the fence and her the other, and prayed with her.  I looked up and the tears were streaming down her face.  It was a moment I will not forget.  This family has needs and I was so humbled to know that God placed me, today, to care for somebody and their soul!  What a privilege and joy!

I sit in my comfortable home, with food, blankets and love!  I have heard it for years, but I am in awe of how many people around me are hurting and crying out to be loved!  It is real!  God desires to use His own to be His hands and His feet.  How far am I willing to go?  Will I always respond in obedience or will I take the lazy way out and ignore those around me because it costs me to much?  Will I focus on my needs or will I give up everything so other's can see the love of Christ knowing that God will take care of me? 

I can't just let it go anymore!  I don't want to look away anymore and not do anything making excuses and hoping somebody else will step in.  I know what it is like to be on the "need" side of things and maybe this is the way God is allowing me to give back what He so freely and gracefully gave us!  What ever it is, I'm in!  Please look around you and ask God to share the needs of other's with you.  There are so many hurting people!  My hope, no matter how bad things get, is in Jesus!  There are some who have NO hope, so they think!  I want to show them who their hope is!

Just for a fun end of the story...later in the day, after helping our neighbors, they came over and offered us a token of their thanks.  An adorable...Puppy!

  No, I don't want one!  We just got rid of one and trying to get rid of another dog.  How do you say "no"?  They have no money but they thanked us with something they could make money from!!  The look in her eyes was so intense and she said, "My husband wants to thank you for all you have done for us so he wants to give you our last puppy for free!"  I respectfully told her I would have to ask my husband but we probably would not be able to keep him!  I felt like a heel!  I think I will let my husband handle this one! :)

To be continued... 

Sand soap and noodles on the wall

Our home is overflowing with boys!  7 boys 11 years and younger to be exact!  Yes, we have 4 girls but my boys are leaving their mark/marks all over!  I say and do some things during the day that when I sit down at night I CANNOT believe I have done and said!  Here are a few:

• "NO!!!  PLEASE stop throwing your wet pull-up against the dresser!  Now go pick up all the pieces!"
• Speaking of pull-ups, it is NOT fun to cleaning up the contents of them after they have gone through the wash cycle in the washing machine!
• "Why do you have your brother's pants down?"
• Speaking of pants down, I have now changed a diaper in every place imaginable!  From the living room floor to a car floor and I have even changed one while they are sitting up in a stroller! (Although I don't recommend it!)
• While we are on that subject, I NEVER understand why I don't just wash a pair of boy's underwear when I am in doubt if they are dirty!  Smelling them first is just not the best idea! 
• "NO you cannot ride on that dog!"
• "Get your feet out of your baby's sister's face!  She does NOT want to kiss your toes!"
• Speaking of toes, I will never figure out how we are always looking for a "pair" of shoes as we are racing out the door and usually the match is not even located in the home when it is found! It's usually outside, in the car, a mud puddle or possibly hanging on the basketball rim!
• "No, I don't know what will happen if you throw that spaghetti noodle up to the ceiling fan!  No, I don't WANT to know!  Yes, you might think it would be fun but I don't!"
• It is always a mystery to me how a boy can be in a shower for a VERY long time and get out with knees, ankles and face still caked with dirt!
• Speaking of showering, how is it that I can shower for months, possibly years, and the shower curtain NEVER falls down, but when 2 brother's are in together, the curtain falls EVERY time!
• There are times when I have bought a brand new bottle of shampoo only to find it totally empty the next day with a HUGE soap scum ring up to the top of the tub!  Gives a new meaning to bubble bath!
• I have picked up the bar of soap at the bottom of the tub and start to soap off only to realize that it was COVERED in sand!!  Good for exfoliating I guess!
• "It is not kind to tell that man that his hair is messed up and a good thing he does not have much!"
• "We DO NOT hold each other down until they scream!  Why?  Because it is just not nice!"
• I am soooo thankful I do have 7 boys around!  We have on occasion, bats in our house and they are ALWAYS willing to slay them for me with a tennis racket!  For that I am VERY thankful!
• "Why is there underwear in the ceiling light?"
• "Get off the garage roof and get that ladder back NOW!!!"

There are days, I wonder if I will make it through!  I have learned to ask myself MANY times, will they be doing this 10 years from now and does it really matter?  (I have also come to find that I don't always like the answer!)  Lol!  My guess is some of these things they might still be doing 10 years from now!  *sigh*  So for now, I must take a deep breath and learn to laugh it away and remind myself that someday, I WILL miss this!  Life with little boys is always an adventure but I LOVE seeing their little innocent ways and how they bring me flowers (weeds)  just because they want to see me smile!  I hope they do grow up and call me "blessed" some day!  It will be worth the sand soap and noodles on the walls!