Precious Ones

 What precious Christmas memories we have from our time with Steve’s family in Denver, CO.  Steve’s mother is such a blessing to us all. Caresse and our niece, Stephanie, are so much alike and such teases. The little ones where excited to open gifts of course!!

 My sister-in-law, Kathy, is a blast to be around and made it so nice at her house, as usual.  This was our 1st Christmas with our niece, Adrienne’s new husband, Derrick.  

 Garett charmed Aunt Kathy and her sister (he charms everyone!!!)  Adrienne took cute video of the children.  It was very late when we went home, but well worth the family time.  Uncle Les and Uncle Ronnie are always fun to be around. 

We are so thankful for this precious time with our loved ones!!

Wordless Wednesday...

Offering Up My Lack

"It’s been hard to see at times, but I’m beginning to grasp that God can do much more through my weaknesses than my strengths.  When I offer up my lack, whether it is money, wisdom, or time, there is much more room for God to make up the difference.  ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 5:3)”

The above was spoken by Rwandan genocide survivor Eric Irivuzumugabe  from his book “My Father, Maker of the Trees - a book worth reading!!!!

What Eric spoke in the above really caught my attention.  

My prayer is to glorify the LORD in my life.   And I must also offer my lack up to HIM and trust Him! 

I feel lacking most days...lacking in something or other.  I really am beginning to embrace my lack though because those very deficiencies bring me to the LORD over and over.  It is Him I must trust, not my ability.  It is His Wisdom I must pray for, not mine. 

It is His strength, His knowledge, His counsel, His guidance, and His purposes that I must continue to pray for.  

Let’s give Him our lack and faithfully continue on in the good work that He has given us to do.

Hello!

How are ya’ll this morning?

Is there anything that you would like me to be praying for today?

A Little Story About A BIG Boy (SPD)

There was a mother who was blessed with a precious little blessing who was born in Africa.  When she went to Africa to bring her baby home, the first words that where told to her by the nanny in the baby house was that my new son was “very big”.  And it was true, for a baby growing up in an orphanage in a 3rd wold country, he was surprisingly large, and our big adventure with this little guy had just begun.  As the boy grew the mother began to notice his insatiable craving for movement, noise and action!!! And LOTS OF IT.  She teasingly began to say that her little man did everything BIG...living, laughing, tantrums and loving.  She noticed that he climbed higher and lived more dangerously than other 3 year olds, that he had amazing strength and a low tolerance to pain, that he tried really hard to “be good” but tended to be in trouble a lot, that his level of activity was usually supersonic, that he had problems with self-regulation, that he was CONSTANTLY in motion - even at night (every since he was a baby he had banged his head on the floor), that he loved crashing, bashing, bumping, jumping, and roughhousing, that he constantly touched things and invaded others space, just to name a few.  As her little man turned 4 and his strength, ability and energy level climbed, this poor and tired mother began to think that may by there was something different with her little man.”
This story is of course true and is about Aiden and me.  You could say I “hit a wall” in trying to figure out what to do with him and his INTENSEness in every area of our lives.  I am wore out most days by the time Steve cames home from constantly trying to put a protective shield around my little tornado us and our house. We have fixed 4 holes in our walls where he went down the stairs and hit the wall - with.his.head - it never even hurt him.  We have holes in doors where he dropped chairs.  He broke my nose when he accidentally was giving me a hug.  I tell him to jump on the floor and not the couch and he smiles at me and say “I was just kissing it” (and he REALLY means it). Well, I decided it was time to find some help.  
So I got sick.
Yup, I started getting sick Sunday and it got worse last night and I have been in bed all day today.  But I have put my time to good use and have been doing a lot of research and lookin’ into how to help my little man.
I had read a book which I saw at this blog by Lisa called Sensational Kids, by Lucy Jane Miller several months ago and teasing told Steve then that I really thought Aiden might have some Sensory Processing “red flags” in the Sensory Seeking area, but then I kind of let it go.  Well, I picked it back up yesterday and really felt that Steve and I needed to look into this.  And our little Aiden has MORE THAN ONE of the red flags for the Sensory Seekers.  
What is Sensory Processing Disorder?  You can find out here...Hartley did such a good job that I don’t feel I need to rewrite it.  You can also read her article on Sensory Seekers if you want to here.
Here are a few exerts for the Sensational Kids book that really stood out to me.
“Sensory seekers are often responsive, creative, and fun to be around.  They can be immensely enjoyable.  But when their drive for sensory stimulation is running their lives and running the lives of those around them, they can be overwhelming, too.”
“...the sensory craver’s extreme need for sensation is on a constant collision course with behavioral expectations.  The headlong rush to sensation not only appears willful but can and does lead to injuries and property damage.”
I decided to share here about our walk with Aiden as we learn what we need to do to support him as he grow up to be all that the LORD has created him to be.  Just as we did when we struggled with Kalyn’s learning needs (which is Dyslexia), I want to learn about Aiden’s needs and how to best help him.  
So stay tuned, there will be more to come on this...may be (if I can possibly keep up with him), I will write a “day in the life” of our little energizer.

A Challenge-For His Glory

Christmas week is here!  Once again, this season comes and I wonder something even as I celebrate HIS birth...
This season reminds me to remember the birth of that special and Holy Babe that was born over 2,000 years ago, but it also reminds me to look ahead, to that day that we are waiting for - His return. In Revelations 22:7, HE reminds us "And behold, I am coming soon."
I have lost several loved ones to death, and just this month, I found out that two very precious ones in my extended family are very sick....time is short.  Most of us has probably faced the death of someone we love and our hearts mourn, we miss them, we grieve, yet if we all belong to the Family of God, there is a hope and a trust that we will be together again.
Jesus promises us in John 14 that He is preparing a place for us in Heaven and that He will come again to take us to be with Him.  But, there is a part of me that misses Him!  And Christmas is a time when I remember the past, and look to the future;
And I wonder,
"How will I live without you today, until we are together again?"
Jesus has answered this question throughout each of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but no doubt THE ANSWER to my question is found at the end of each Gospel...
Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...teaching them to observe (obey) all that I have commanded you."
Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."
Luke 24:47-49 "...that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations...You are witnesses of these things."
John 21:parts of 15-19 "...Feed my lambs...Tend my sheep...Feed my Sheep...Follow me."

I want to live my life for the glory of God!!!  So today I challenge myself with the below from John Piper;
"That all of your life—in whatever calling—be devoted to the glory of God."
"That the promises of Christ be trusted so fully that peace and joy and strength fill your soul to overflowing."
"That this fullness of God overflow in daily acts of love so that people might see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in heaven."
Want to be a part of this challenge? Let's start praying and asking Him to use us now as we wait for HIM.

I Am Created To Be A Nurturer

I often remind myself that the LORD has created me to nurture.  I need to affirm this to my heart because I get caught up in the work, the discipline, the NOISE (yes, 10 children do make just “a little” bit of noise).  I loose my focus and my joy; I feel frustrated and stressed.  I fail and yell.  I get angry and whine.  I forget...
I forget that I was created to nurture.  
Nurture means “that which nourishes such as food and that which promotes growth, to encourage somebody or something to flourish.”
Nourishing my family and friends and others is the walking out - the action of the truth that they are cherished and precious - made in the LORD’s image. 
Nurturing is a way of living!  Those around me need me to nurture them, and because the LORD has given me this “nurturing anointing” it is not a burden.  It really is a pleasure.  And that’s why I like to remind myself that I was created to do this, and by His Spirit, it is a joy.  When I get lost in the “hard stuff” of the day, I start focusing on me and begin to let my emotions tell me other things - self-centered things.
“Nurturing touches the whole person-body, soul and spirit.  We are to nurture our children’s physical bodies with life-giving food.   What about the soul?“ (Nancy Campbell).  

What are some things that we can do to nurture our families (and others)? What comes to mind when you think of this?
Here are some words I think of....
Teach my children TRUTH from the Bible and about our LORD, and speak His Truth to others
Encourage them
Train, instruct and disciple my children
Protect them
Support them
Watch over them
Listen to them
Feed them with nutritious food, books, music and ideas
Family traditions and time together
I would love to know what comes to your mind as you think of nurturing your loved ones.  In sharing we encourage each other.
As a gardener loves to tend to his plants, I really think that as we nurture the ones that the LORD has placed in our lives, we will find contentment and joy.  
I chose the pictures here for a reason...besides the fact that they are just adorable...
the little one’s are watching us and learning from us how to nurture and love others. So, let’s remind ourselves that the LORD has created us to nurture!

 Above-my brother, Kim, nurturing Landon’s soul; below-my sister (in-law), Karla, nurturing Alia and Garett’s souls.