Spring Break

We decided to get away for an action packed 24 hour spring break vacation! We started with a tour of The Ballpark in Arlington.

It was neat to see all the different areas and hear some of the history of the ballpark. That was the first time we had been back since the wedding and all those wonderful memories flooded my mind.  The Ballpark will never just be about baseball for me anymore. 

In the press box, Richard was pretending to be the sports commentator! 

 

Here the kids are at the desk where the players get interviewed.

And here we are in the batting cages.  

After we finished we checked into the hotel and let the kids swim.  They swam for almost two hours and we had to drag them out to go eat dinner and as soon as we got back they went swimming again. It amazes me how a hole in the ground with some water can provide so much entertainment!! 

For dinner we went to Trail Dust! I hadn't been there since I was a kid and couldn't believe they were still open. The kids loved it!! 

I remembered how they would cut off people's ties and that they had a dance floor, but I completely forgot about the huge slide! They couldn't get enough! 

Troy

Kelby

Teague

Baylee even did it in her dress!

None of my pictures of Koby turned out, he was going too fast so they all were a blur. 

With the kids being entertained by the slide we actually had time to enjoy a dessert!!

It was a great night!!

The next morning we were headed to Six  

Flags!!

We had a blast!! We started on the smaller rides.  Teague's very first ride was El Sombrero. 

Then we did the small coaster in Looney Tunes Land. 

Then it was on to the Judge Roy Scream. I was shocked Teague could do it, height wise, and that he was willing, but he was, so we all went!! The reviews were mixed, Troy and Teague and Koby didn't care for it, but Baylee and Kelby liked it. 

Then it was off to the Roaring Rapids.

The three little ones seemed to really enjoy the Yosemite Sam ride. Teague always had to make sure we were all together! 

Troy drove us around on the antique cars. 

Log ride!!

Towards the end of the night, we split and Kelby, Baylee and Richard rode the Pandemonium, which was a bigger coaster, and the rest of us rode the flying Batman planes and the Mine Train again. 

I remembered getting Pink Things at Six  Flags when I was little, but never saw where to buy them.  I mentioned it to Richard earlier in the day that I wanted one and as we were rushing towards the gate at 10pm I looked up and he wasn't with us anymore. In a second or so I saw him jogging over with a Pink Thing!! 

I was so happy! It was the perfect ending to a perfect get away with my crazy, wonderful family!!

An early celebration

Teague's birthday is not until the end of March, but since we were in town, we went ahead and celebrated. Mom's theme was the Avengers and Teague loved it!

 

Since Amber is still in California, we Skyped her in so she could be a part of the party, too.  You can kind of see her face on Sonja's phone.

She made taco salad, which is his favorite, and then we had cake and ice cream.  When Alicia got to the party, she handed Teague the gift she brought for him and told him to go put it with all the other gifts. Teague told her he didn't have any other gifts. Alicia looked at us a little surprised and mom, Sonja and GG explained that they had their gifts hidden because they know Teague is a little snoop! So when it was finally time to open gifts, he opened Alicia's first and said that she was the only one to be nice to him!

 

He is having a hard time understanding he's not quite 5 yet, but in a few short weeks it will be here and my littlest really will be 5!! :( 

Women's Retreat

Tanna's church had a Women's Retreat this weekend and asked if Laura and I would come and share our testimonies.  I was so excited to get out of school Friday and head north!! There was a ton  of traffic, but I finally made it and was ready to relax and worship.  When Laura and I got to our room we found a sweet message on our mirror.

After the Friday night sessions, we went up to the movie room and loaded up on candy. We didn't think we could stay awake for a movie so we took our candy back to the room. Tanna came in for a bit and it was like an old school slumber party!!

This morning, I got up and went for a run. It was so peaceful and a perfect way to start the day. We had a quick worship session and then broke out into small groups based on topic.  I had planned to be speaking to a group of 15-20, but there were only a handful women who signed up for my session. At first I was a little sad, but Laura was great to point out that a smaller group will be more intimate. So I gave my testimony and the words I felt like God had laid on my heart, and then just opened it up for them to talk and connect and share their struggles. It was a really neat and far better then I could have planned.

In preparation, I just assumed I would be talking to strangers, but God surprised both of us!!  In both of our sessions, there were ladies that went to high school with us. They were several years younger and we ran in different circles, but it was crazy to me that He placed women we both knew in our sessions that were going through similar struggles. I'm thankful that He orchestrated all of it so perfectly! The whole experience was so wonderful and refreshing!! 

Go, Fight, Win!!

Never in a million years could I have imagined me sitting outside the gym waiting to hear if my daughter made it for cheerleader. It feels like it was just yesterday that it was me trying out!! But there I was, with all the other moms, mingling, watching the girls practice and taking pictures. 

Baylee worked very hard all week to learn the chant, cheer and dance. She mentioned several times she didn't think she was going to be able to learn it all, but tonight proved all her hard work was worth it. 

Let me introduce you to the newest Longhorn cheerleader!!

After all the girls tried out, they called them into the gym and handed out envelopes with the lists in them.  All the girls came running out to open their envelopes.  Baylee jumped in the car, opened her envelope and screamed "I made it!"

We are a very proud family tonight!! Congrats, Baylee!!

Preparation

Back in January, Tanna asked if I would be interested in speaking at her church's women's retreat. Without hesitation I said yes! As I started writing out what I felt God was leading me to say, I couldn't help but to think back to the last time I spoke. Everything was still somewhat fresh and my words somewhat shaky.  But now, I feel like I am in such a different place; a place of confidence and thankfulness.  This summer will mark 5 years since my world was shaken. It truly feels like a lifetime ago and like it just happened yesterday all at the same time, if that makes sense. 

The fast ended on Saturday and the very next day I received this in the mail. 

A postcard prayer preparation as we move towards the retreat this weekend. I feel like it was perfect timing and that God knew that the fast would come to an end and He would have me feeling completely prepared. Revelation 12:11 says we defeat the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, and I am so honored to be able to share what He has done in my life when I thought my situation was impossible. 

Trapped

Have you ever been trapped? Over the last several months those words have run across my mind. It is the worst feeling in the world for me!! Richard and I have been under one roof for about 7 months now. I am so thankful to be married to him and to be able to lie down next to him every night, but we are 7 people in a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house and it is TIGHT!! There are many days that I feel trapped in that house. I can't go anywhere for a little peace; the living room is my boys' room, so they watch TV and play in there. Richard and I's bathroom has turned into the bathroom anyone goes to if the other one is occupied. The kitchen is constantly full of little people eating because they are hungry or eating because they are bored. Richard laughs at me because I try to do my Bible time with God in our closet, but they find me!! And how can anyone resist Teague saying "mommy, mommy"?!? I feel trapped.

Richard and I have also had our house up for sale for that same amount of time with no buyers. We have our finances in order, have a great house or two we might attempt to purchase, but ours won't sell. Trapped!

And then this morning, we had a delayed start due to the ice. I left an hour and a half early thinking that would be plenty of time, but I came up on a wreck. I was pretty far back and couldn't see anything, but I could see no one was moving. I sat there for about 10 minutes and then panicked. I had to be at work in 50 minutes and we still weren't moving! I was TRAPPED!!

I sat there with streams of tears rolling down my face as I had to surrender to the fact that I am not in control. I am sure the people around me were thinking I was nuts. It was a simple traffic jam, but for me it was a mountain of feelings all revolving around being unable to move. I prayed and gained some composure and then called my school, who was so nice and more worried about me and my safety then me being late. Eventually, other cars started turning around and driving on the shoulder of the road the opposite direction, so I followed suit and finally got to work an hour and a half later, only 15 minutes late!

I know this season is here for a specific purpose and I pray that I will trade in my feelings of boundedness for those of freedom and thankfulness, because God does soooo much for me on a daily basis!

Food!!

Day 7 has brought an end to the fast. The last study was on sins of self-rule and self-reliance; how we can easily get caught up in thinking we can do it, when in actuality, we can't. We must have His power.  This power is freely given to His followers, but He is clear we must die to self. We can't demand our way and expect God to bless it. Rather, we need to genuinely pray and seek Him and see what areas of our lives are hindering His power and let Him have those areas, die to self.  That's not always the most fun or comfortable thing to do, but necessary if we want His complete power running through us.  

As Richard and I prayed to break our fast, I was reminded of the Israelites as they wandered in the desert. They were given manna straight down from Heaven daily, in portions exactly right to what they needed that day.  As I look back over this week, I see many resemblances. I got to physically eat manna that satisfied in ways I never thought possible and God provided all the strength I needed to do everything I needed to do, and wanted to do! I thought there was no way I would be able to run this week, but I felt great so I got to run several times and was so happy about that because that's how I de-stress and that's where I hear God most clearly.  I hope there is one difference in me and the Israelites though...they complained while they were in the desert and therefore that generation never saw the Promise Land. I hope that this week was honoring to God and that any discomfort I felt was given back to Him because I truly want to enter into the Promise Land He has for me. Richard prayed these words, but I know I will remind myself of them daily, 'even as we eat normal food, let us still remember and choose to focus our hearts and minds only on you.'  

Bon Appetit!

The home stretch

24 hours left....

Today's verses for thought were on sins of omission. I had never heard the terms commission and omission sins before, but I definitely fall into the category of sins of omission. I seem to be very aware of sins of commission and try very hard to avoid them, but for some reason sins of omission seem sneaker.  The harm in them seems less, but I think they are actually more harmful!  

Unbelief has been something I have been working on all of 2014 so far. I still feel I have a ways to go, but I am hoping this week is a break through, as I draw closer to Christ in a new and pure way. 

Early morning prayer

This morning our Life Group met at the church at 6am to pray. It was freezing, but we had scarves, mittens and blankets to try to keep us warm.  Today's devotional was on sins of commission.  It gave several verses that talked about everything from tithing to keeping our bodies fit and healthy as His holy temple to asking tough questions like 'have you become conditioned to accept pure filth as entertainment?'   

I find myself falling into the last category. The evening shows these days are getting worse and worse. After dinner, I would love to sit down and watch a funny  comedy without having to send the kids out or go to our bedroom. I can't think of one that we watch that doesn't say a curse word. When did cussing become cool? We tell the kids all the time it makes people sound ignorant, but then it's all over the TV?!? Sooo frustrating! Richard and I have gone back to watching some of the older shows that seemed more pure; Gillian's Island, I Love Lucy and good ole America's Funniest Home Videos, which the kids love! Thank God for cable and having the option to watch things that truly are funny without having to be filthy!  

The half way point

Today marks the half way point! I made another batch of homemade bread this morning. I am really enjoying it!  As I was washing my hands after mixing and rolling out the dough I noticed myself having to clean under every nail to get my hands truly clean. In that moment, God turned my thoughts onto what exactly we were doing; little by little He is cleansing me. And sometimes the "little" sin, the stuff hiding underneath fingernails, is the stuff keeping us from living an abundant life. I am grateful He is shining light on every area of my life.

Instead of having individual Life Groups tonight, all the Life Groups met at the church for worship. We sang and prayed and encouraged one another and took the Lord's Supper. It was really neat and a great time to be encouraged to finish strong when my taste buds could really go for a cheeseburger.

Day 3

This morning I thought I would try a recipe for unleavened bread.  It was surprisingly quick and easy. 

And after only 15 minutes in the oven, it was ready. 

It had a nice flavor and consistency and was pretty filling.  So far, I have tried to stay focused on Christ and turn to Him when I feel hungry and it's proven to work...although cooking macaroni and cheese with sausage for the kids almost did me in!!  ;)

Today's meditation was on sins of speech. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 reminds us to rejoice and give thanks in all things.  I am a perfectionist, so if things aren't perfect I complain and constantly try to fix them until they are perfect. I am working on giving thanks in those situations and relinquishing control and trusting God to do what He does best.  It has always proved better for me to stay out of it and just pray expectantly, yet here I am, learning the same lesson again. As a teacher, I dislike reteaching my lessons; not so much to the ones that truly need the help, but more to the ones that just don't listen because they expect me to reteach it to them individually during the assignment. I find myself holding back an eye roll towards those students.  I bet I give God a lot of eye rolls!!  But here I am, asking to be retaught, in hopes that this is the last time I have to learn this lesson! 

A family event

Ephesians 6:4b "...Teach your children and instruct them about The Lord."

Since the fast began and until the fast ends on Saturday the church has 24 hour prayer. We signed up tonight to go as a family. We asked all the kids to join us in bread and water for dinner tonight along with prayer time. Baylee and Koby are even trying their own version of the fast by sacrificing something small, but meaningful to them from their diet all week.  Baylee was at a track meet so she couldn't join us, but the rest of us headed to the church. This year the prayer area is on the roof. It was so neat to walk into the church, and feel God's presence. There was a path they had made for us and at every turn there was a candle with scriptures to pick up if we wanted. When we finally made it to the roof it was so peaceful; music, couches, blankets, candles, twinkle lights...I could have sat there all night.  We broke up into teams to try to keep the boys engaged as long as possible without disturbing those already up there.  

As the sun went down, we talked about God and Jesus and what the Bible had to say in certain stories. I really enjoyed singing and praying and just being with the boys as we all look to know more about God.  

I am so thankful to have been blessed with 5 children to raise and I do not take lightly the task of growing them up in the Lord. I know God has huge plans for their lives and I want to do everything I can to point their hearts toward Him. 

Holiness

This time of year for our church is a time for corporate prayer and fasting. Last year we did the 15 day Daniel fast as we prayed for others and for God to increase the Kingdom. This year we are doing a 7 day fast of water and unleavened bread as we seek to become more holy. 

This morning we talked about holiness and how to become more holy.  We read about Moses in Exodus 32. God was going to destroy the Israeli people because of their sin.  Moses pleaded with God to not distroy them and God changed His mind. But as Moses went back to the people he then saw what God saw, the atrociousness of their sin, and punished them.  Our pastor challenged us in this area. As a society, do we look at some sin as really bad and other sin as not that bad? And on a more personal level, do we truly look at our own sin as God looks at it?   Later in Exodus, Moses come down from Mount Sinai and his face shown. Moses had been connected to God and talking with God and doing God's work all along, but why did his face shine after this particular encounter?  Was it because he finally saw sin as God saw sin? Matthew 5:14 says 'we are the light of the world'.  In order to be a light others see we have to take sin as serious as God does; not brushing it under the rug or ignoring certain areas of our life, but rather looking closly and turning from it.  The Bible uses the word leaven to represent sin, so during the next 7 days we will be cutting out the leaven in our physical diet in order to symbolize how we will let God examine our lives and highlight any sin we need to turn from.  In seeing sin as God sees sin and humbling ourselves to learn from Him I am hoping we, like Moses, can shine brightly for the world. 

Day 1 -sins of thought

Satan frequently targets our minds with inappropriate, sinful thoughts. My take away verse for today is Matthew 15:18-20.  Lord, let my heart be a reflection of yours. 

Valentine's Day 2014

We had all 5 kids for Valentine's day this year, so instead of trying to find, and pay for, a sitter, we decided to make it a family Valentine's.  Earlier in the week, Richard took all the boys to the store to pick out gifts. When they got back I asked him how it went and he said it was crazy. Not only was every other man out shopping, but the boys only stayed focused for about 20 minutes and then wanted to toy shop and run around the store. Lol!! So he tried to finish up the shopping and get out of there before he lost a kid!  I appreciate his bravery and his effort in teaching four little boys how to be men. 

Valentine's morning was spent watching the kids open a few goodies they had received and then the boys brought in all their surprises for me and Baylee. We got flowers and a balloon and jewelry and socks and candy and I even got a Starbuvks gift card! I loved how they truly took the time to think about what we liked. After we were done opening, Teague started clapping. He was so proud of himself and asked us both multiple times if we liked what they had picked out. I love seeing that even at a young age, it felt good to him to give! I love his face of anticipation here.

Last night we all got dressed up and went to have steak. Having a party of 7 I thought we would have to wait forever, but luckily they had the larger tables available since most people were couples last night.  We were in and out in no time. It was a great evening. 

What is in your heart?

God has been teaching me a lot about the power of words. I know I've done several previous blogs about words in the past, but for some reason it seems like there is always more to learn...or maybe I just haven't yet learned what it is He is wanting me to teach me!

It seems like as a kindergarten teacher and a mother of 5, I am constantly surrounded by words that tear down.  It is either kids at school being mean or the boys at home squabbling or the teenage attitude.  In all cases, it is a lack of knowledge on their part, so I attempt to teach.

Luke 6:45 has been a verse that has stuck with me this month.

"A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart."

In trying to make this year a year of increasing habits to leave a God honoring legacy, I wrote that verse on our white board in the kitchen.  I explained it to the boys and how their words show others what is in their heart, good or bad.  I find myself saying "if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all" literally ALL DAY!!  It's crazy to me that on a whole positive words are far less common than the negative ones, which I guess goes back to what is in most peoples hearts. I want my kids, whether in my family or in my class, to be the exception to what most people see! 

The more God teaches me about words, the more I am learning how powerful they are and I want the kids to get that.  When you mix Spirit and Truth together, that is when the heart is pierced.  My words alone are powerless, but if I speak Truth (scripture) backed by Holy Spirit ( the right time, attitude, etc...) then my words, whether few or many, are powerful, and those are the kind of words I want to speak on a daily basis.  Doesn't seem too hard, but my personality is to not speak.  I listen really well, but don't want to hurt feelings or assume I know the answer, so I usually just empathize. God convicted me in that by not speaking I am stifling Holy Spirit's words, His words, God's words.  I have the opportunity to speak God's words and I am choosing to keep my mouth shut! How awful!!  

I have really been trying to listen and then speak, whether that be encouragement or knowledge or advice, and then believing God that His power is behind the words and they will be used how He wants them to be used.  I am just the vessel, and it is prideful of me to think that I know what someone needs to hear.  Instead I am trying to just speak the words God gives me and be confident that He can and will use them as He sees fit.  It's been very freeing! 

So as I attempt to put into practice what I am learning and also teach those around me how important words are, I am praying the light of Christ will shine for others to see and His power will be released through me. When I choose to be obedient and speak.