Fresh Bouquet of Pencils

Every year around this time I always get reminiscent  of a new year at school, new shoes that I would get in trouble AT LEAST twice for wearing too early, a few new clothes and SCHOOL SUPPLIES. Maybe it's my inner organizing freak coming out, but there is nothing like fresh, new, undamaged, unused pencils. What a joy it was for me to open a new box of crayons and see all of them still fresh and sharpened from the factory. Then there was your desk at school.... it was clean, organized, paperless, and uncluttered. You know as well as I what your desk looked like when you had to clean it out at the end of the year.... you would always find something that you hadn't seen since the first week of school, or a lost piece of homework that you lost while cramming in all of the books. I get a thrill out of organization. However, over the years I have become less and less. It's not that I don't enjoy being organized...cause I DO, I just have lost my motivation along the way.( This is why you will never see my closet)
What is more exciting than your first day at school? If you were like me as a kid....practically an only child, raised by a single working mom, I was pretty doggone bored during the summers. Well, at least come August. Camps were over, too hot to play outside all day, pretty much watched every Saved By the Bell episode there was ever made..... there was just simply nothing left to do!  I looked forward to walking in the new classroom ready to begin the year. New friends, new start!
I loved school.....I love school. I still love getting to learn new things. But, unfortunately, as a part of getting older you have responsibility, work, chores, kids that kinda take up most of the days worth of learning. I definitely didn't know how great I had it then..... to only have to worry about what outfit I was going to wear the first day... Sheesh! Growing older comes great and wonderful things, but sometimes it's nice to tap into your inner child and long to smell a fresh bouquet of pencils again!

Happy School Year Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sacrifice

So.....I started out the day feeling guilty as a Mama that I had to leave Asher today. He is going into a phase of separation anxiety. He cries each time I leave him, no matter who it is. Not just fake cries, real tear producing sobs. Makes me feel like crap with a capital C. I was feeling sorry for myself about it, then I watched a video on facebook that made me sob.... ( If you want to watch it I shared it on my profile....but be aware!)
Here I am feeling bad that I had to leave my son for 8 hours and then I would go get him later on and all would be right with the world again. I see these soldiers who risk their lives and their families lives to go to a hostile place and fight for our freedoms. Wow. I think my sacrifice is big?  I can imagine feeling how I feel today times 100...each and every day you aren't with them. And they do that for me.... They do it for YOU.
Then, of course, that sprouted me thinking about Jesus. I know how hard it is to believe that God loves you more than your parents do, but He does. I know it's hard to think that God loves your kids more than you, but He does! Imagine having the capacity to be the very definition of love. He sent himself to walk the earth and glorify God, serve others, LOVE like none had ever known before. Voluntarily!
Then to pay the ultimate sacrifice for you and me.....and die. Not just die....beaten, torn, broken down, mocked, nailed to a cross, tortured, ----everything done to Him that you couldn't and wouldn't want to think about your kids going through.Voluntarily!! Now that is sacrifice.
I am so thankful for those that are and have served for this country. You absolutely AMAZE me!!!!!! I can't imagine being away from my family for the time that you devote to serve. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! Know that you are being prayed for each and every day.
And I am so thankful that my God loves me enough to devote His time everyday, His sacrifice everyday, His blessings everyday. I know that I do not deserve the abundant life He promises.

The Circle of Life

Coming off a night spent with my 2 nieces and nephew as a last "hoorah" before school starts. Asher thinks all of them hung the moon and LOVE spending time with them. When the school year is in we don't hardly ever get to see them. We went grocery shopping and got everyone a doughnut to eat and had a good time walking around Walmart and having the extra hands and helpers to load and unload. :) Spent the afternoon at the house playing Wii and playing with Asher. Dinner was pizza and the night ended with movie and ice cream for everyone.
It seems like yesterday that Austin, who is now 11, was Asher's age. They are very similar in their interests at 2 ..all about cars and trains. Now Austin has moved on to bigger and, I guess, better things....Spiderman comics, video games, iPods, etc.... Just seems to put life into perspective for me. I know I will turn around and Asher will be fastly approaching teenagery things and the difficult years. My niece Hailey was talking about having to wash her face already. Those hormones are starting to kick in....AHHHHHH!!!!!!
I remember back to when I was a VERY new mother and I "expected" all these things for Asher to do --- sleep thru the night, nap without crying for 2 hours, eat great, you can fill in the blank. I read all these schedule and routine books and brainwashed myself into thinking that all babies can and will do perfect with this... Huh? Asher didn't sleep thru the night until after he was 1, is a great eater ( but starting out was a PIG --nursed every 2 hours day and NIGHT! ), never has napped good.  And I learned very quickly that I can't spend his babyhood wishing he was this or that. I needed to cherish the time that I spend with him EVERY SECOND!!!! I know that I look in the future and see us having a great time as a family but I want to be present at this time. It only happens once....you never get a second chance. I won't remember all the sweet things he mispronounces or the things we used to play unless I am focused on him and cherishing it now. I was so frustrated by things early on and have learned to not be quite so tightly wound.... I could have it a lot worse! I am so blessed by my sweet little boy and he is so sweet, smart, FUNNY, adorable, strong, independent, well-rounded, and loving. He always stops to give Mama a kiss when I ask, he is a great helper, and a good listener ( for 2 years old). I just can't imagine my life without him.....well I could but it would not be as fun and joyful! I look forward to watching him grow but more than anything I want to watch him play today!
      Lord, thank you for this precious gift that you have allowed us to raise. Help me to set a Godly example for him, to teach him about You and the love that You have for him. You reveal the love You have for us through children.... as much as we love them, You love Jesus more and You sent him to die for all. Please take all my worries and doubts as a parent and help me to rest on You. Amen.

SIN.

I have been obsessing about SIN lately.What it is, How it started, What is our proper reaction to it?.... I have just a few thoughts on this in the modern world. Let me preface this by saying.... this blog is for my own forum...NO ONE ELSE"S. So having said that, this is not a place for people to be ugly, use foul language, or try to attack me or any of my followers. If you do--- well, let's just say, you won't anymore! I appreciate comments and responses that are legit, and objective.
Ok...back to the topic at hand. SIN.
I sometimes have to meditate on the meaning and origin. Not ever a fun thing to do since it brings up all kinds of guilt and anguish, just for being the cause of the fall. Humans. But on some levels, I think that this is a healthy thing to do. I think we give ourselves WAY too much credit. Most of us, when it comes down to the nitty gritty, think we really are a good person. We have never stolen, murdered, cheated on our spouse.... And really by way of the world's standards we are! But my standards are a litter " higher up".
I was sitting in church and preacher was talking about our bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives in us! He goes where we go, sees what we see, does what we do. Think about that?
Imagine this... You are a teen again...(couldn't pay me enough) and you have to drag your mom or dad around on your back doing everything with you. They see the people your with..(uh oh), they are doing what you are doing..(oh my), saying what you are saying.. ( ahhhhhh)!!! This is just the same as Christians filled with the Holy Spirit!
Think about the anguish and sadness we are subjecting the Holy Spirit to when we think it's ok to yell at someone out of anger or watch a filthy movie.   That stings a bit.
Then I got to thinking about all that we ignore about sin. And ALL of us do. We ignore the little snide remarks to our husbands on the way to church after a fight, we ignore when we are given more change and keep it-Their mistake. But ya know who doesn't ignore it? Yep. That makes you feel really good, huh?
And the worst part of it ALL? Christians are the people who KNOW BETTER! For goodness sake, we have the HOLY SPIRIT LIVING INSIDE OF US!!!!!!!! We are the ones who have the calling of what is sin, and we choose everyday to ignore it. Do we think it's just gonna go away? Precious children of God, we know it doesn't go away. We have to answer for all of it someday. Not only that, but in front of the Creator, Almighty Father, Everlasting One, Savior, God!!!!!!!!
Here is the good part though..... we do have to answer for it, but it is not held against us!!!!!! Whew! Jesus loves the sad, dark, screwed up, human race that he was tortured, abandoned, CRUCIFIED for us ALL!!!!
And you know he became sin. HE BECAME SIN! This is incredible to me...in such a new way. Meditate on this thought. Wow.
Here's the even better part.... Sin can't hold him down. He raised again to show us that he has, did, and will forever WIN!....... We have won.
My chains are gone I've been set free .... My God my Savior has ransomed me!  I will live forever in heaven with my Love. The one who bought me with his blood and I will never have sin, guilt, shame, embarrassment, torture, ridicule, sadness again. That is SWEET.
While we have our time here, let's remember we are the light of the world. There are only so many chances and opportunities to show others the love and compassion Christ has for them. Remember when you are about to give in to anger or temptation that your eyes, mouth, hands, feet, and mind are the Holy Spirit's as well. We really do deserve the cross ourselves.

Here Goes...

This is my first EVER blog. I am wanting to document my experiences as a mother and as a growing and learning child of Christ. Bear with me since I am not the best writer, but I will love to share our family's memories and experiences.
Last night marked the first time we ever went to Chuck E. Cheese with Asher. I'll admit I was a little nervous about going, all because of the tons of kids and not enough parents who keep track of them.  I think most look at this place as a not so cheap babysitter and give em a few tokens and let em fly! I am not one of those mothers....I will probably still follow Asher around when he's 10.  We invited our dear friends and a gathered coupons and here we went. Rich has been so excited about this trip, because he used to work there when we first started dating. He has been talking about it off and on since we brought Asher home.
We arrived and let the kids get used to the place while we ordered and got the table organized. I think they were in heaven and didn't know where to begin and end. Pizza was delish, conversation was great and the kids were as well behaved as a 2 year old in Chuck E. Cheese. We played for 2 1/2 hours!!!!!! Fun was had by kids and adults alike! I was pleasantly surprised by the non-chaos and  felt that anything that would make my sweet baby happy -was well worth it anyways!!!!!