embrace the camera: staycation!

A few years ago, with 2 kiddos, Andrew & I were brainstorming what family vacations would look like with young kids.  We didn't have much money and didn't really want all the work of packing up all the stuff required when you have toddlers.  Plus, what we really wanted was some quality down time.  Not to mention they are too young to remember much of our vacationing right now anyway.  Thus, staycation was born.  We take about a week off, say no to everything (in general) and stay home!  It is fabulous.  We make sure to plan ahead of time some money we can spend, activities for each day such as hikes, crafts, museums, swimming, and so on.  The kids love it and we get the pleasures of time off with just us as well as our beds and no packing.  Big yeas!  Today is day one of staycation this year and we headed out to Withrow Springs State Park for some hiking and creek playing.  It was a blast!  

linking up with emily today, enjoy!

funnies

Simeon: Why is bird poop white?
Madeline: Yeah and people poop is black.
*Or in our world, if your children eat a lot of All Berries cereal, it's green.

Madeline's version of this song:
Oh be careful little mouth what you chew
Oh be careful little mouth what you chew
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little mouth what you chew
*Not sure the spiritual implications here but we will go with it!

Madeline:  Let's sing Jesus loves me really loud so the whole world hears.  Well, just the mean people so they can learn to be good.
*Hmm...

Lastly, not something that was said, more like some things that are being done.

Cute, sweet little Anna is becoming a bit of a mess!  In addition to her little mess the other day, this week I have found her coloring the kitchen floor & bringing in & dumping a bucket of sand in the house.  Great fun.  Thank goodness for magic eraser and brooms!

words of life: chosen

^"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession,that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." 1 Peter 2:9-10

Which of these is most difficult to believe about yourself?  
I am chosen.  
I am a member of the royal kingdom and family of God.  
I am clothed in the righteousness of Christ and made holy.  
I am special.  
I am God's special possession.  
I am made to and able to declare the praises of God.
I am called from darkness to light.  
I belong to Him.  
I have been given mercy.


Hands down for me is that I am God's special possession.  Often in my walk and relationship with the Lord I feel like a constant failure.  But the beauty is that I am but that is beyond mattering to God because He has redeemed me through Christ and calls me His. Special. Possession.  I can't express the beauty of that to me.  


I was talking with a friend a few nights ago and we were saying how we struggle with frustration over sins and really frustration over the fact that we can't make them go away.  I do think it is good and necessary to see our sins and desire them to go away of course but I also think that the means by which we overcome them may not look like great victories that we achieve to put to bed our sin and frustration.  


Instead, the means may look more like quick and quiet awareness of my sin, my need, and walking in humility and dependence on my Savior and realizing that, in itself, is victory.  Seeing it, pointing it out, and submitting it to the Lord each and every time.  


And when I believe more and more that I am His chosen, special possession I find so much freedom and joy in humility and weakness because where else would I rather be?  

in case you were wondering...

So if you want to know what happens with this cute little thing:

 decides to eat this:

she ends up screaming with tongue out and then covers my pretty this:

along with herself, my bathroom rug, and floor with a lot of puke.  And btw, never google vomit thinking you may get a usable pic for your blog.  Nasty.

Then, lest you think this story is over, it's not.  If you begin to clean up said nastiness and leave half-naked unattended child near one of your daily happies that happens to be too close to the counter edge such as this:

 then you get the added bonus of cleaning up spilled soda from your child, your counters, and your kitchen floors.  And then you are left with this:

and this: 

 Good thing she is still cute, even as she unsnaps her diaper.  

embrace the camera: PROM night!

Senior Prom: 2012

So my small group of Potter's House gals are seniors.  We began together when they were in 8th grade & have seriously come a very.long.way.  I am so very proud of the beautiful, godly women they have become. 

 Cyrenthia: full of life and passion

 Kilsha: full of honesty and desire

 Marissa: full of genuineness and kindness

 Jasmine: full of dedication and inquisitiveness

As an added bonus:  my little lovies

tried to get Anna to participate in this but, obviously, she wasn't up for cooperating

why we love our backyard!

 You can't really tell from this picture but we have a great long deck & yes, that is my toothbrush.  lovely.

 Simeon loves to ride his bike.  Or motorcycle as he calls it.  And now likes to practice taking his hands off.

 He goes super fast & yes, does so without training wheels.  3 years old.  He's quite impressive!

 Madeline is our adventurer.  She mastered the tire swing in a day & roams all over the yard creating games.

These two love to be goofy!

 And Simeon loves to mimic whatever Madeline is doing.  Hence, tongue out.

 Seriously this is not posed.  He is just naturally adorable.

 Anna is trying more and more to do what the big kids do and she only fell off once!  Success.

 These 3 make me insanely happy.

And to end, a little more cutenss from Anna.  Oh my I love this girl.

words of life: wisdom

James 3:13-17

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.  But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

Wisdom comes from a MIND disciplined to stay on the character of God.  Arrogance prevents me from submitting myself (my fears, insecurities, anxieties & struggles) to God's wisdom and denies His Sovereignty, power, and true promises from working in my life.  This is following earthly wisdom and not heavenly.  So many (if not all) of my struggles originate in not believing God is who He says He is and His promises to me are true.  When I stumble into earthly wisdom directing me I fall into the traps of selfishness, fear, envy, anxiety, and so much more.  In doing so, I am saying God is not enough, His grace is not sufficient for me, His truths do not remain true for me.  I see the hope in the Scripture above...remove myself and welcome in peace that reaps a harvest of righteousness.  That is what I really want.  I life that humbly walks in the wisdom of God, discarding what the world and others throw at me, say about me, make me feel about myself, and the lies I fall into believing about myself.  I hate those things and when I catch myself going there I desperately want to cling to the wisdom of God that leads me only toward more of Him and less of me.