The Discipline of Study

This is what I read this week about the studying christian. I am always asking God to show me ways to grow, be stretched and be filled with more of His power. I never want to "rest" become complacent, or stagnant. Here is a great outline for avoiding that:

HEARING

READING

STUDYING

MEMORIZING

God's Word says that we are to have the "mind of Christ" and "set our mind on things above" I have come to a point in my life that I don't trust myself if I don't spend time with the Lord on a daily basis. I am so full of ugly, carnal self that I just don't trust myself. Does anybody hear me on that?

To help us learn Scripture, we are told to:

Hear God’s Word: Luke 11:28; Romans 10:17, which means that listening to sermons, lectures, and audio Bibles is very beneficial.


Read God’s Word : Revelation 1:3, as Jesus often did.Study God’s Word, Ezra 7:10; Acts 17:11, as Jesus often did, which caused people to be amazed at His insights (Matthew 7:28–29).


Memorize God’s Word: Psalm 119:11; Proverbs 22:17–19; as Jesus did, which enabled Him to freely quote Scripture as needed; Matthew 4:1–11


Ending with a few pictures from our Sunday "family day." Something very rare happened in our family that day.....we had lunch AND dinner together....just the five of us! This doesn't happen in our busy family because of sports or friends are always coming home with one of our kids, or one child is at some other school function. Although. I do make dinner everynight, we eat in shifts, whoever gets home next, it's there on the stove waiting for them. I don't like this busy schedule, the kids do great and thrive in sports. (that's foreign to me..never a sports girl) We understand the importance of family time and usually end our day with the five of us praying together or at least with each child as we tell them goodnight. Sunday was such a blessed day..... church, lunch, sun, nap, laundry and dinner outside on the deck, ending with a two hour card game! You are rich indeed, when you are blessed with family!

Contrary to the looks of these pictures, Darren and Tim were having fun. But they told me that a serious card game is not a good time to be taking pictures...yeah, guess who did NOT win....the girls! Here is one more picture...of us, taking the game very serious ; )

Happenings in September

Why I love September

Reason #1

(in no particular order ; )

It's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I love all the pink ribbons EVERYWHERE. Everyday I see the symbolic ribbon displayed somewhere new. Tonight, I bought the cutest, pink soup bowl with a lid for my lunch...how cool that a percentage of the proceeds will go toward Breast Cancer research. I'm sure we can all name a handful of people we know personally that have been affected by this disgusting disease. We can't be told enough...educate yourself, do your checks each month and reach out!

Last Sunday, my girls and I did the Race for Cure. What great opportunity to teach them early...to make them AWARE!

Imagine a world without breast cancer.


Reason #2
Beaver Football games

The exciting thing about living in a college town!

Taken with my cell phone a few weeks ago!

Reason #3

Farmers Market on a Saturday morning

I got some awesome fresh vegetables

last week! (for reason #4)

Reason #4

I make yummy soup!

Just this week, we have had chili and mexican soup

Next week...cheesy potato

Reason #5

(and close to my heart)

My precious, first daughter was born!

I could write pages about this girl!

She is so opposite of me in almost everyway

and I LOVE IT! I love it because she is a female version

of her dad. Easy going, tender-hearted, quiet strength,

thoughtful, smart, kind, unemotional and content.

The classic Phlegmatic

How did you go from this

to this...... in a little over 4 years?

Live in the fullnes of God's love,

baby girl, we adore you!

.......And I ask Him, that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in, with all followers of Jesus, the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live a full live, full in the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17

Thank-you for YOUR Patience!

Have a Little Patience Father in Heaven!

Show us a little patience for we often intend in all sincerity to commune with You and yet we speak in such a foolish fashion. Sometimes, when we judge that what has come to us is good, we do not have enough words to thank You; just as a mistaken child is thankful for having gotten his own way. Sometimes things go so badly that we call upon You; just as an unreasoning child fears what would do him good. Oh, but if we are so childish, how far from being Your true children You who are our true Father, How childish we are and how little our proposals and our language resemble the language which should not be this way and that we should be otherwise. Have then a little patience with us.

Prayer by Soren Kierkegaard

Some Things.....

Some things we're doing this weekend;

Going to Tim's varsity game. Love Friday nights in the fall!

Participating in The Race for the Cure with my girls

Celebrating this pretty girl's birthday

Some things I've read this week;

John 5

"Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat."

The man has been healed after not walking for 38 years and they say...you can't carry your mat, it's the sabbath!!


Lord, I pray that I always rejoice in the healing that you have done and not the flaws of the people. For we have many!

A STUDY I STARTED:

I'm doing this online. You can purchase each lesson on a CD for 4.99 and watch it whenever you want. When you are ready for lesson 2, you can purchase the next one. No Rush! I love it! This study is on Psalm 120-134; The Psalm of Ascent.

Some things I want to make;

These cute slippers

Ok, I probably won't make these THIS weekend but would love to make them for gifts. (or me)

Chicken Puffs

What are your plans? Have a wonderful weekend and BE BLESSED!

Which Sea are You?

I've heard this story a few times in just the last few weeks. I love the point that this analogy makes.....are we the Dead Sea, only receiving, stagnant and unclean OR do we fit the other description? FRESH, receiving, over flowing and pouring into others?

THERE were two seas in Palestine. One is fresh, and fish are in it. Splashes of green adorn it's banks.Trees spread their branches over it and stretch out their thirsty roots to sip its healing waters. The River Jordan makes this sea with sparkling water from the hills. So it laughs in the sunshine. And men build their houses near to it, and birds their nests; and every kind of life is happier because it is there.

The River Jordan flows south into another sea. Here is no splash of fish, no fluttering leaf, no song of birds, no children's laughter. Travelers choose another route, unless on urgent business. The air hangs heavy above it's water, and neither man nor beast nor fowl will drink. What makes this mighty difference in these neighbour seas? Not the River Jordan. It empties the same water into both. Not the soil in which they lie; not in the country round about. This is the difference. The sea of Galilee receives but does not keep the Jordan. For every drop that flows into it another drop flows out.

The giving and the receiving go on in equal measure. The other sea is shrewder, hoarding its income jealously. It will not be tempted into any generous impulse. Every drop it gets, it keeps. The Sea of Galilee gives and lives. This other sea gives nothing. It is names the Dead. There are two kinds of people in the world. WHICH KIND ARE YOU?

"Weird" Things About Me

I was tagged by Nicole to list ten weird things about me. At first, I could barely think of anything. I mean, isn't everyone else "weird" and I'm the normal one...?? Then, the list began and I could barely make myself limit it to ten. So here it is! Please join in and share your list. Maybe I won't feel so WEIRD if you remind me how WEIRD you are!

1. I don’t like surprises. I would much rather KNOW about the “surprise” and look forward to it.

2. I LOVE celebrating my birthday….no matter how old I am, I want the world to stop and sing to me. (I also LOVE celebrating my friends birthday and think everyday should be one big celebration)

3. I DO love making a nice dinner for my family but I HATE cooking.

4. I love eating out and trying new restaurants..(see #3)

5. I would rather be with my family more than anyone….I LOVE the days when it’s just the five of us. With my kids growing up, I know those days are limited.

6. My husband makes me laugh more than anyone else…..

7. I have a calendar in my head and rarely have to keep a calendar, (unlike some I know, who can’t remember what he’s doing in an hour……husband)

8. I LOVE the ages of my three kids and wish it they would stay this age forever (ages 16, 14, 9) THE BEST!!

9. I am re-energized by people. I thrive on relationships and can’t imagine life without my girlfriends!

10. I sometimes drink a pot of day old coffee because I am too lazy to make new. I KNOW, I KNOW, GROSS!


Send me your list NOW!

Haley's first day of school, first day of fourth grade with her new teacher; her mom ; )

LOVE, an all-purpose garment!

Supplies have been purchased, backpacks are ready, the clothes are picked out and I'm headed to bed. Good-bye to one of THE FUNNEST summers I've had and HELLO to a new season!

My two high schoolers headed off to their back to school retreat that their school does for 9-12th grade yesterday. I pray for each of my kids this year, that they will be blessed, grow in their walk with HIM, and learn more about living Colossians 3:14-15........that they will be compassionate to others, kind, humble and strong, that forgiveness will come easy for them and that they will learn early that LOVE is an all-purpose garment!

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Colossians 3:14-15

NOTE: Pictures of the third child coming soon ; ) I took this one yesterday, since they were on their way to their retreat.