Kid Sushi

I used Rice Crispy treats as the rice, gummy fish and Twizzlers inside, blue shark fish, and blue sugar straps as nori. Oranage sugar as roe I could not find green candy for the nori anywhere!!
I made this for our homeschool Christmas party.

I just have to share...

Today while shopping a lady said hello to my children and they all smiled and say "hi" Jude smiled big and stuck out his hand to shake hers. (He is 2.5) she went on and on how welbehaved all the kids were but really had took to our Jude. She pulled out her wallet I thought to maybe give him a quarter or something and she handed him $20.00!!! I told her she did not need to do that! but she insited I buy them something because they were so welbehaved and how she doesn't have little ones to buy for.

I was so encouraged by her gushing over my children. I really felt the Lord used her to bless me.

But you know what? Not only did she bless me I think we blessed her.

Overruled

http://www.overruledmovie.com/

Corrupt Influences

I wish I had a camera to show you out my dining room window, the snow is falling by the bucket load. We just finished a full day of book work. The kids were all itching to go outside but I told them we were going to have an indoor day and keep things quiet.

While we were doing our devotions today the topic was on influences, all afternoon the conversation has been swirling around in my head. I was evaluating all the outside influences that I allow into my home. What sinful attitudes am I alone allowing in? I know right off the top of my head I tend to struggle with a critical spirit. I have been repenting every time it creeps up on me the way ugly sin does and turning from things that seem to make it grow. Being critical is like mold, given the right conditions there is nothing that stops it, it just keeps growing. Sin is never stagnant is always grows. I need my heart scraped clean no matter how much is uncovered and leaves me exposed, I can't afford one tiny spore of mold left to grow.

I share this because I have the potential to be a corrupt influence over my children. Their character is shaped in my hands. Not only do we need to be vigilant over music, movies, peers even christian ones we need to be watchful over our own sin. When our children are at the tender age, and that is as long as they are under our roofs we must remove ALL corrupt influences. So I started to ask myself how? how do you remove a sinful influence in your home that is coming in from you? Here's what I have come up with,

Thank the Lord out loud, let your children hear you thank Him for things. This will bring the joy of the Lord and joy to our children.

Prayer. Pray pray pray! Pray alone, pray out loud, pray with your children and pray with your spouse. I convinced the only way to conquer this is by nailing to the cross.

Proclaim and pray the blood of Christ morning and evening.

Have patience! The same power that raised Christ from the dead is working in you everyday. That is so encouraging and a HUGE amount of power.

Don't live by your feelings! I am so guilty of this, the Lord has showed me how much bitterness I allow to enter my heart because I tend to let my feelings rule me.

Be pleasant. Make your home a place people want to be. SMILE choose to speak sweet words, positive words. Our words as wives and mothers have power so we need to watch what we say.

Keep yourself pure. Repent of any bitterness and jealousy don't hang onto your sin. Get rid of it just like you would the garbage. Garbage stinks and so does sin! We wouldn't let the garbage pile up in the house so don't let sin pile up in your heart. Whatever is in your spirit will affect your children. Bless those who hurt you, this will free you.

Town Days

My happy little bean Hannah.

Town days are so long for her, she spends alot of time running from place to place strapped into her car seat. With small breaks of nursing in the front seat of some parking lot or getting an hour long snuggle during gymnastics's. She's a little trooper.

I can hardly believe she is already 9 months old. Looking so much like big sisters, just with a little hint of red in her hair.

Today while shopping I had the three younger ones all in my cart, as I was trying to pick the best yogurt to by Rachael says " mommy not everybody has kids?!?" the conversation went like this:

M: No, not everyone.

R: Why are they buying food then?

M: Well everybody eats.

R: *thinking* Well they must be very sad at supper time with no little kids to feed.

Our little chat made me smile at four she sees how children fill a home making it a happy place.

Gratitude

wood stacked outside for the stove

willing big boys to keep it piled up

crackling fires

a husband that put wood in at 2am and kisses me before he leaves the bedroom

wet snow pants that line the floor

days to be meaningful

nights to reflect
silent nights

loud excited mornings

snow falling

dinner around the table

bedtime talks with my girls

baby giggles as she nurses

drives to town

prayers with my wee boy

dishes

troubles that cause me to cry out

grief that brings heart changes

cool air on my face *breathe deep*

devotions in the morning with little ones on either side

How should a Christian mother view children?

How should a Christian mother view children?

1. As a gift and miracle from God and not as drudgery.

2. She has been entrusted by God to care for them during their time on earth.

3. She delights in them and is thankful for them, even on hard days.

4. She is protective, never bad-mouthing her children to others or slandering them.

5. She understands that they are the next generation entrusted with the Gospel.

6. She knows their souls are precious to God and that He knows the number of every hair on their head.

7. She knows she is accountable to God for how she raises them, so she faithfully sacrifices her love, her patience, and her life for them.

8. She understands that even as they are in a state of infancy now that this precious season is quickly fleeting and in a blink of an eye they will grow up---so she savors the moment.

9. She welcomes the number of children the Lord gives her and treasures each one in her heart because she knows that He has a purpose for each and every single one--- even if the world doesn't see it that way. She rejects the lie that children are a burden.

10. She understands and embraces the future, knowing her job is not done when her children graduate from high school or when they turn eighteen, instead it takes on a different form of support through acts of love and prayer and continues on until she takes her last breath.

Taken from True Christian Motherhood

30 years old and 15 years born again

On Oct 23 I celebrated my 30th Birthday. The night before my close friend had a fantastic dinner party for me where they all pitched in a bought me this beautiful floor lamp I was dying to get.
Oct 23 is not only my BIRTHday but also my spiritual birthday. I celebrated being a Christian for 15 years this year. I am thrilled to say I am still in love with my first love and my heart is more on fire for the Lord than when I first began.


“Spiritual progress, therefore, is tied up in knowing Christ as our All. It takes place when we take Christ as our portion to be all things for us. Greater Bible knowledge will not do this for you. Increased religious activity or spiritual service will not do this for you. Neither will spending more time praying. Only a revelation of the vastness of Christ can meet the bill.
As I survey the landscape of modern Christianity, it seems to me that spiritual things and objects have replaced the person of Christ. The doctrines, gifts, graces, virtues, and duties that we so earnestly seek have substituted for Jesus Himself. We look to this gift and that gift, we study this truth and that truth, we seek to appropriate this virtue, we try to fulfill this duty, but all along we fail to find Him.
When the Father gives us something, it’s always His Son. When the Son gives us something, it’s always Himself. This insight greatly simplifies the Christian life. Instead of seeking many spiritual things, we seek only Him. Our single occupation is the Lord Jesus Christ. He becomes our only pursuit. We do not seek divine things; we seek a divine person. We do not seek gifts; we seek the giver who embodies all the gifts. We do not seek truth; we see the incarnation of all truth.
God has given us all spiritual things in His Son.”
Frank Viola
From Eternity To Here, 302-303
~~~

He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:30-31 (ESV)
~~~

The enemy violently opposes your finding complete satisfaction in Christ alone. He cares not what he uses, whether the world’s pleasures, or the Lord’s blessings, or even ministry. He wants desperately to keep you occupied with anything but the Lord Jesus.