Beautiful Feet

Have you ever stopped to wonder about all the places your children's feet will go? I can't say I have done it all that often myself, but for some reason I am today. I mean where will they go? What places will they visit? Will they run on soccer fields or dance on a stage? Will they stand in India someday...maybe they will walk where Jesus walked in Jerusalem. Who knows?

God does. He tells us right in His Word

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:13 -16

We can only imagine where are little ones feet will take each of them. I pray though my children will have beautiful feet. I also pray I can live out before them what beautiful feet look like.

And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Romans 10:15

What has God been to me...

Homemakers Moments over at Homemaker Chronicles is What has God been to you? Everything...that is what comes to mind...everything. At different times in my life he has been different things. I so relate to the song I Am by Nichole Nordeman. If you haven't every listened to it I would highly recommend it. But for the sake of time I will share what God has been to me this week. He has been my Comfort and Strength. My husband worked nights this past week, which always is a trying time for me as I parent solo for the week. It gives me great compassion for single parents. On top of the normal strains that comes from Kyle working nights this week also had a few more bumps. For example dropping my son off at Little Mozart class, driving across town to pick up flooring, realizing that I was going to be late while I waited for them to load the van, also realizing my husband had estimated wrong and the flooring wouldn't fit, calling my friend to tell her I would be late to pick up my son, and once arriving to pick him up learning he hadn't not been the best listener during class. That was just a 45 min period of my week! So I have called on my God for comfort and strength multiple times this week. One morning I arrived at the YMCA for my morning workout totally exhausted emotionally and it was only 8:45 am. I began the elliptical machine and looked up to see this flash across a tv

His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. Nahum 1:3

It was like God was telling me I am in this storm. I am using it. When I got home I looked up the scripture wanting to read it in context. So here is what I found:

The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither and the blossoms of Lebanon fade. The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him. The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. Nahum 1:2-7

Now if you are like me, you may be thinking YIKES! I was hoping for God is love and rest in Him. Not verses about God's wrath, but you know what when you look closely this is about God's love. See He is holy and therefore must avenge those who sin against Him. Yet "He cares for those who trust in him". So he provided Christ as a substitute for us. So if we trust in Christ alone for our eternity, we don't have to fear His wrath, but can rejoice that He is "a refuge in times of trouble".

Heaven is Our Home

So our pastor and I must have been having the same thoughts with God as the sermon a few weeks ago so summed up how I have been feeling lately. It was about what happens to believers when we die. He included lots of detail and references that I myself always find intriguing, but what it all boils down to is that we will be with Christ...forever. Unashamed, unafraid, undistracted, and totally at home. The service included a beautiful song. You can listen to the song here. I hope this gets you excited about Heaven being your home.

Also here are some before and after pictures of our families new earthly home. There will be more to come.

Landon's Room Before
Landon's Room AfterElaine's Room Before
Elaine's Room After

Homemaker Moments: What Fruit are You?

I haven't been able to participate in the Homemaker Moment for the last few Fridays, and I was actually reluctant to participate in this one. I am not feeling very creative, and relating yourself to a fruit calls to ones creative side. But not wanting to disappoint, I decided to give it a try.

I love bananas. I like them plain, smeared with peanut butter, as part of a PB and J sandwich, and especially in baking. The first thought that came to me about how I was like one is that I am pretty low maintenance. I also think bananas are too. It takes very little prep work to get a banana ready to eat. The banana also travels well, which makes it a great healthy snack on the go. I like to travel to new places too. My children love bananas. It is hard for me to keep bananas longer then a few days, so I have to make it a special point to buy extra if I am wanting to bake something. As far as I can tell my children love me, which makes a final reason why I am like a banana.

There you have it, my creative stretch for the day. Be sure to check out the other creative homemakers at Homemaker Chronicles, and if you are feeling creative you can compare yourself to a fruit too.

25 1/2 Gallons

25 1/2 gallons of paint and primer later and all the painting at the house is finished. Well except a little from the moving in and laying of new carpet. So now I have no excuse to not have all the boxes unpacked. Well except for the fact that I am still parenting a very head strong 3 year old and a clingy 1 year old. I know some of that is their personality, but I also feel some of it is the chaos they have been living in. So the chaos caused by the boxes is hard to put to rest with the children under foot, but if I could get it all done they would most likely be under foot less. It is kind of a vicious cycle. That is what has reminded me lately about all the cycles that make up life. Like I used to tell the first graders I taught cycles are like circles, one event leads to the next. A cycle that is not one I like to concentrate on is the cycle of sin. Usually we make a bad choice which puts us on the cycle and one sin leads to another. Not a fun cycle to be in, and that is exactly what Kyle and I have been trying to get across to Landon. One bad choice often leads to another and eventually we are really far from where we want to be.

At church I was reminded that even though this life has lots of little cycles we find our selves in (the seasons, daily routines, etc) the big picture really isn't a cycle or circle at all. We have a place we are all heading to and we won't have to cycle back through this life. We will all live eternally with God or without. I am glad that once I leave and am in Heaven I don't have to cycle back through and see if I can do it better. Now don't get me wrong sometimes at the end of the day I wish I had a do over, but overall once is enough for me. The scary reality though is that not only will I not have to do this life over, my neighbors, friends, and family that don't know Christ won't get a second chance either. There are no do overs. So I have a renewed desire to pray for and share with those around me that Christ loves them and He is their salvation. So even though heaven is going to be great, I know God has me here for a purpose to bring glory to Him and in doing so bring others to Him. Which for me today is going to start by loving on my children by getting their house in order so it can be their home. Then we will run some errands and who knows how God will have us share His love with those we meet.

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Galations 5:6

Now back to the boxes...I promise pictures of the house are coming soon.

Oh My...

So today after leaving the YMCA I planned to stop at the new Wal-mart that just opened in our town. Not that we didn't have several Wal-marts very near us, we just didn't have one that would actually be considered in our town. Anyway the two kids and I ventured in to get a few items I hadn't been able to get at Aldi. They had one of those awesome carts where the two kids can sit facing the way you are going and and you can actually use the cart for the shopping. This is a big one for me as my 3 year old still likes to wander and my 1 year old likes to run. So as we turned the corner to go down an aisle an older lady looked right at us, said, "Oh my", and proceeded to laugh. I am not sure what exactly made her laugh...the cart, the fact I was shopping with two children 22 months apart, or the fact that I even had two children 22 months apart. I wonder if she would think it was funny we are ready for another one? What I thought was funny about it all was that the children were being very well behaved. Now they were being noisy, but it was happy noise. Landon at one point even leaned over and gave Elaine an unprompted hug and kiss. I was actually enjoying my trip to Wal-mart on opening day. All this to say that I had and am having a fun day with my children. Landon and I worked on writing while Elaine napped. Elaine and I got supper ready for the oven while Landon is napping. (Our nap schedule is still off a little from the move, so they didn't nap together today.) I have been missing the time I usually get with them as we have been so sidetracked putting the new house together. Children are truly a blessing, and I am glad I didn't have to miss this day. Nothing monumental happened, but I am sure some happy memories were made.

Home Sweet Home, or is it?

Well we are finally living in our new house. Notice I said living, not settled. There is definitely a difference. We are glad to be here, and really it already feels like home. That is the funny thing about this house, I could see myself here the very first time I came to look at it. It just felt like home. Even though it needed new carpet, fresh paint, etc. It still felt like home. So I was happy to move my family into our new home this past Thursday, but it has not been an entirely smooth transition. Hubby working an extra night shift, children being extra needy, not sleeping well, unexpected costs...I could go on. So even though we are home, I have been constantly reminded we are not really Home. We won't be home this side of heaven. Jesus is preparing a place for us, and when it is time to move there we don't even have to pack.

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:2-3