Life is funny sometimes:)

Big Daddy got laid off last week (yes again, he was laid off last September from the last company he worked for) and we are trying to figure out what to do! I mean its not the we are worried about money, it has nothing to do with the money part. Its more about what direction we should take our lives.
God has been increasingly adamant that we should start a family run business. But the problem is that we are not quite sure what "type" of business to start. Or if we should do a ministry instead. Decision decisions!
We did order this and got it in the mail yesterday. Have watched 3 dvds and already it has been such a blessing!!
Can't wait for Russ to get home so we can watch another!
Thankfully he never seems to be bored when he is without a full time job, he is out installing garage doors today with a buddy from church. God is so faithful, it is so humbling!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And to round this post out, I leave you with a pic of the boy:)

I just purchased two Ebooks that I think are going to be good:) The first is one that I hope can enlighten me on how to get my suddenly disobediante newly 4 year old girl to OBEY! Its called conveniantly enough- Getting your Children to Obey and its by Kelly at Generation Cedar. If you don't know about this family and their current situation. Please hop on over to A Wise Woman Builds Her Home and read about how God is Mighty to Save!!!

The 2nd purchase I made this morning is 31 Days to Clean by Sarah from Like a Warm Cup of Coffee. Iv already paged though it and I think that this will be a real blessing for my home!

Okay, I'm off to do some reading! Please pray for all those who have lost life and homes in the ravaged states in the South. And please be generous with the blessings God has given you by passing it on to those in need.
     Feed the hungry,
      and help those in trouble.
     Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
      and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
      The LORD will guide you continually,
      giving you water when you are dry
      and restoring your strength.
     You will be like a well-watered garden,
      like an ever-flowing spring.
Isaiah 58:10-11

Sense of Community

Where has our sense of community gone?? I mean really this has been bugging me so much lately. Let me state first off that I am not, I repeat NOT a social person naturally. I have to really try to put myself out there and deliberately take action to interact with others outside of my little family. I know though that the Lord wants us to be in community with each other and this is something that He has been working out in my life. So I guess it makes sense that He has sparked this desire in my heart to see people come together.

Recently my grandmother said these words to me..." I never see you guys anymore and I feel like I'm being pushed out". Wow that cut me. Why, regardless of her own motives in saying that to me, should my children not be seeing their GREAT grandmother on a regular and frequent basis??? Most people I know never even knew their great grandparents.
And then the other night Big Daddy and I were talking and he was saying how he'd like to see more frequent potlucks at our church.
Then I posted something to the effect of wanting to plan a monthly get together on Facebook and my cousin said her husband has been thinking the same thing.

Why is it people spend so much time working to get the things they want only to of lost so much time with the people they love??? Its just so silly!

So I'm going to try to plan a eat out for June. Weather should be good and kids will be out of school. I hope its something that will catch on.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25

How do you Run?

How do you run? Im not talking about exercise here, because frankly I look really funny when I run.
I mean how do you run from God? Is it through false doctrine? Excuses? Living for other people instead of Jesus? Comparing yourself to others instead of Jesus?

When God calls on you how do you respond? Have you read the story of Jonah?

Just as Jonah ran from God’s presence, we run from His presence and just as God pursued Jonah and brought him to the end of himself, so too, God in His grace, brings us to the end of ourselves and offers us Himself instead.

Great Sermons here at the Mars Hill Church website.

Why I choose to believe the Bible.

"I choose to believe the Bible because it is a reliable collection of historical documents, written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies, and they claim to be divine rather than human in origin."
Read more HERE.

Im Back!!

Well I'm back after a wonderful week! I have to say I'm surprised I that I didn't miss the internet as much as I thought I would. Now that TV I had a little bit of issue with, mainly because I normally watch the news early in the morning after Big Daddy leaves for work, and I found it to be a little too quiet and well...creepy with out the TV on!
But I got over it;)
Other wise I spent much more time with the kiddos and in the kitchen this week. I actually had an empty...yes EMPTY laundry basket for most of the week. Since I washed, folded and put away ALL of our laundry on Monday!
I have to say that I am much more sensitive to the internet this morning though. Of coarse I wanted to catch up on Facebook and Gmail, but I really didn't want to get sucked in. I highly recommend doing a media fast, it was one of the more interesting and productive things I have done with my time this year so far:)

Anyway, husband and I have been talking more about starting a ministry group. Ill tell you more about that another day.

Media Fast!

7 Day Media Fast

Won't you Join Me?

Next Week January 17th - 23rd

I believe as a Christian we need to cleanse our minds and hearts at times.

A refresher. A time of Repentance. Devotion. A time to regain our strength from Jesus.

Usually it can come in the form of prayer and reading God's Word.

When we prepare for Christ's Death, Burial and Resurrection by fasting before Easter, we limit food and give up things for Lent. It helps us cleanse our body and focus on what Jesus did for us sinners.

The kind of fasting I'm proposing is a media fast. A renewal, refresher, a cleansing of the mind.

We live in a culture of depravity, sex and therefore sexual sin is everywhere!

I think we have become desensitized to it, and there for more accepting of those sins we see and probably even do on a regular basis.

So between Next Sunday and Saturday turn off you TV (no dvd's, or game systems either), Don't use the internet, yup that means not even for Facebook or email (only respond to necessary work emails) or blogging. No Radio, not even talk radio. No MP3 player (its in the music we listen to also!)No magazines or newspaper. And for some this may also mean no text messaging, because lots of things get sent to our smart phone we should not be looking at or reading!

The only acceptable exception to the above rules would be listening to sermons or perhaps some previously chosen music.

I know it will be tough, especially for those who rely so heavily on Facebook, email and blogging to stay connected socially. But I promise you if those people are really your friends, you can pick up the phone and call them! Even for you bloggers this may be a great opportunity to make some real connections.

So what will you do without TV, Internet, and radio? You work like usual, come home spend time with your family pray and read the bible. That's it. What, sound boring? Its not, your just use to those sinful desires being fulfilled. You may even get creative and do somethings with your family you never had time for before.

I hope you will join me. By the following Sunday I believe you will look at the world a little different.

2 days left....!!!!!

Wow this season has just flown by!
Im so excited for Christmas. I just love all the decorations, the food, the family time spent together. I love seeing people who we don't get to see regularly. But most of all I love being reminded everywhere I look about the birth of our Saviour!
Its so easy to remember your faith during Christmas.
But the hard part is to continue with the feeling of love and adoration for our Lord once all the decorations have come down. Will I remember Christ at the turn of every corner in my home? Will I think of him as Im baking? Will I continue to tell stories of Jesus to my children like I do during the Christmas season?
I sure hope I do!
We had set our Christmas budget low this season, we could of spent much more on presents this year...but we chose not to go overboard. I have made many more handmade gifts. We will spend more time at home this year. We will go go candle light service on Christmas eve, which we are very excited about! At first we thought we would have to attend another church on Christmas Eve, since the Pastor said they normally do not do one at our Church since he had started preaching there a few years ago. But we expressed out interest and he said he would think about it...then the fallowing Sunday it was in the church bulletin! Ask and you shall receive!!
Its a short service, 30 minutes. But that will be just enough to remind us what Christmas is about and the girls should be able to sit through it. Plus we will be coming from my father in laws house that evening, which is usually filled with many presents. It can be overwhelming for the kids and Christ will often get lost in all those presents.
Well Im on a mission to get the house clean and prepared to celebrate the birth of our King! Must get going:)

Advent Conspiracy

Free Ebook- bible study for kids

Someone recommended this to me and I think its a good one to share- Through the Bible with my Child-
Free E book here!

New Again