The Same Power

I was driving home with my music blaring as usual (I even had one of Elias friends tell me this week that it was hurting his ears, no worries I turned it down) we were rocking out to a kids worship album, having a dance contest (which by the way, my kiddos have some really great moves, so if you're looking for a dancer... I'm just saying).  There is this one song that gets me every time, the lyrics are "The Same Power that conquered the grave lives in me, the same love that rescued the earth lives in me", oh there is so much in those lines.  It's a reminder that slaps me in the face every time.  When discouragement sets in, and I feel weak, what a reminder, that all that power is accessible to me anytime and all the time.  God didn't just demonstrate that power once and now it's over, He demonstrates that power today, now.  When I am stuck between a rock and hard place, that same power and love lives in feeble lil' me.  I have victory in Christ.  Be encouraged today, that no matter where life has you right now, no matter what your circumstances are, be they relational, financial, health, that same power and love lives in you and will be victorious in you!  

VBS

VBS has been a success so far, it really has.  Especially in our family, our kiddos are really getting a lot out of it.  Ryah was trying to tell me about the bad man Stanley that makes us say bad things.  I kept questioning her, telling her I didn't know who she was talking about, soon to realize it was Satan, not Stanley (those two names are commonly mistaken for one another I'm sure, sorry if you're reading this and your name is Stanley, you have my apologies).  Then there was the story of how to obtain a rabbit if she wants one.  You see a magician came to VBS and made a bunny appear in a cage.  So she tells me, all she has to do is put an old toy in our dogs cage and then put a blanket over it and say some words and then when she lifts the blanket off there will be a bunny in there.  It's all good though they all have learned some legitimate great lessons this week and are having a blast!  Great job Brenda!!!

I won't do that again!

I went for a run today on my new favorite trail.  It's in a field of beautiful flowers, it's peaceful and no one is around.  My ipod was dead and so I thought it was going to be a painfully long run, but it actually turned out to be one of the best.  I was on my way back home and I passed up a grandmother with a jogging stroller and then approached "the mom" who was pushing another stroller, she was stopped.  I thought maybe she was waiting for her mom, but she informed me of my worst nightmare.  There was a rattlesnake sitting (I guess they don't actually sit, nor stand, just lie there) in the middle of the road.  You see I have a fear of this happening, so much so I even pray when I start my run that I won't see any.  So, I stop and ask what are we going to do?  She says go past it, and "the mom" takes her stroller and goes by.  I stand there amazed.  Next, her mother comes strolling up and she too passes by with her stroller.  So, there the two of them are with the kids on one side of the snake and I am on the other.  They stare at me waiting for me to do something.  I am not planning on doing anything until the snake goes away.  "The mom" then offers to scare the snake away for me and proceeds to throw a stick at it, which did nothing.  So, there I am, my dog and I on one side and the ladies on the other.  They are staring at me and waiting.  I tell them I am scared.  She tells me to put my dog on the opposite side of the snake and just go for it.  Now that sounded absurd to me (and if you are an animal lover you might want to stop reading as of here), because in my mind I have been thinking that my dog would go on the snake side so in case in does decide to attack, my dog will be stricken first and I will have  a chance to get away.  But now I couldn't possibly even think of doing such a thing with "the mom" (A.K.A apparent animal rights activist lover) standing there watching me.  So, I stand there for a while longer and decide I've got to do this, these poor ladies need to be able to go home.  So, slowly I inch forward, taking baby steps (the kind like in the movie "What About Bob") and I put my dog in front of me (I thought that was a nice compromise) and push her slowly forward while keeping my eyes on the evil beast, and I see that it is not moving and so I move forward bit by bit, until I arrived safely on the other side.  I have never been so relieved!  I was feeling like a huge wimp until "the mom" tells me a story about having 2 rattle snakes in her house a couple of weeks ago and how she caught them with kitchen tongs and killed them.  I realized this isn't no ordinary mom I'm dealing with here, so I am not feeling so bad about myself anymore!  As I ran off thanking the Lord I wasn't eaten alive, I was a bit upset at first that I even had to run into one, but then realized I was thankful God had "the mom" there to help me or I'd still be standing there waiting for it to move.  Needless to say, I am running on the streets from now on.

Kissing

So my 6 year old tells me, "Mommy, daddy is only allowed to kiss his daughters and his woman".  ( I thought that was a very interesting way to refer to me as his woman, but nonetheless, I accept it).  So, I tell her that is so true and ask her where she learned about that.  Her reply, "Well, I've never seen him kissing any other women."  That's good to know!

Hoola Jumping!

What do hoola hooping and jump roping have in common?  Absolutely nothing until you've met my 6 year old daughter.  She mastered the hoola hoop so she moved onto jump roping and mastered that.  So, now she has combined the two!  It's hysterical, she actually hoola hoops while she jump ropes.  I will get this on video and post it.  I challenge you to try this and let me know if you master it as well, I'm working on it...

Growing up...

There is officially only 2 weeks of school left for my kiddos!  I can't believe how fast time goes by. Next year I'll have a 3rd grader and 1st grader.  Tonight we had open house and my son was Christopher Columbus, he did an amazing job!  My daughter was so proud to show us around her classroom and all of her accomplishments from this year!  I am so proud of them!  I am excited for the summer, to soak in time with them.  They are growing up so fast and each stage is exciting and fun!  Everyone always says it goes by in the blink of an eye and I am already feeling it!  I want to take advantage of every moment with them.  Being a mom can sometimes seem so unimportant, but it is by far the greatest job that I could ever be given.  3 lives to invest into, 3 little people to pour Christ into, 3 kiddos to give my all to.  God has counted me worthy to take care of 3 of His kiddos, to make sure they are loved, cared for, poured into, and grow up to know and love Him.  When I'm old, I want to have 3 kiddos who still love hanging with their mom and are serving Jesus with their whole heart, and that begins now.

Oh Scout!

So do I need to be worried when my 6 year old daughter tells me she wants pink hair and a tatoo?  I tell her she has to wait until she is 18 to make these decisions and she tells me 14 would be a good age!  I am seeing a lot of me in her and I guess I turned out o.k. (for the most part)!  She is so adorable, everything this girl sets her mind to she takes to the next extreme.  For instance you have to see this girl hoola hoop, she does trick while hoola hooping and since she's mastered that she's now moved on to extreme jump roping!  I'm not kidding!  Her art is amazing, she goes out on the street in front of our house with her sidewalk chalk and doesn't come up for hours until her masterpiece is finished, and at that point she is covered in chalk and her hair is always wild!  On Saturday we were at a wedding reception at someone's house and the lady of the home comes out to me with her camera and tells me she has a picture she wants me to see.  She said she glanced out her kitchen window and there is my daughter laying down on a limb of a tree she had climbed, just sitting there chilling!  At a wedding reception!  All this to say, she is amazing and I love her!!!