Today is Halloween and today, we have a total of 6 Cowboy Woodys living in our house. Have a happy Halloween everyone!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Am I 'Unclean'?
Mark 7:5 - So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean' hands?"
Mark 7:6 - ... " 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. they worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'
Mark 7:15 - ... Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'
I can't sleep. My heart is heavy and I can't really tell you why. There's a lot on my mind - so much that I can't even begin to tell you what is really on my mind. So, since I couldn't sleep, I decided to read God's Word and see what He had to say to me. I'm not good at journaling, so I decided to organize my thoughts here... I guess this is a lot like journaling, right? Hmm...
These verses are the ones that stuck out to me tonight. Mark 7:5 - Well, I know why this one is screaming at me right now. It seems that lately, I (we, as Christians) have become very concerned about being relavent to the unchurched around us in order to reach them for Christ. This is not a bad thing, unless you leave out the most important part - Sharing the Good News. Jesus didn't have the best child care available or the most updated look (or maybe he did... ha!). All he did was love people. He loved by healing, making the lame to walk, making the blind to see, and forgiving people for horrible sins. Because of Him, we are no longer 'unclean.' Where did that mentality go? Ultimately, it is not us reaching the lost, but it is God using us to reach those who don't know Him. So, how are we to reach them? Love them! Reach out to them! Help those in need! Talk to them! Look the cashier in the eye and ask her how her day is! We only need LOVE and the power of God to lead people to Him. Oh, and don't forget, LOTS OF PRAYER! Do what Jesus did and forget about what you or the church looks like.
Mark 7:6 - Man! This one hurts! BAD! These people come to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. That has to be the worst thing to hear right now. I admit, my quiet times with God are few and far between lately. I have so much on my plate - well, that's probably what you have heard come from my mouth a lot lately. And it's true, but no excuse for not spending quality time with my Savior. It makes me sad... How could I let this happen? It overflows into every aspect of my life. Church feels like work to me - So many demands for childcare gets frustrating, if I am being honest. It seems as though people need childcare at the church's expense at the drop of a hat lately. Again, its not a bad thing. We have a lot going on at church. And, really, its not that I mind offering it, but its the lack of people that want to help out. Setting up childcare for people is the most stressful thing that I do right now. As I read this verse, God told me why - I come to him with my service, but my heart is not in the right place. My heart is in "work" mode and not "service" mode. This is what causes me to get frustrated with every angle that I look at it.
And finally, Mark 7:15 - I complain... A LOT! I'm a complainer. Well, really, I'm not THAT bad, but I do complain. If things aren't going the way I think they should or people are bothering me with the way they do things or even just with the way they are, I spill my guts! Mainly to only one person (and she knows who she is), but I still do it. That's bad character! (Plus, I don't think its healthy for our friendship.) I don't want to be a complainer. I desire to make wise choices, one of them being to keep my mouth shut when its not something encouraging toward whatever or whoever it is I'm talking about. (Disclaimer: Its really not a habit of mine to talk about people behind their back... I promise! Although, I know it sounds very contracting to what I am saying, but trust me, I don't.) So, from now on, I am going to do the very best that I can to try and keep my mouth shut! And I may need your help... prayer AND accountability. :D I do not want to be 'unclean.'
God, you have my heart! I worship you! Allow all I do in service to honor you. Help me to stay focused on the goal - Phillipians 3:14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Phillipains 2:1-11
Mark 7:6 - ... " 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. they worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'
Mark 7:15 - ... Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'
I can't sleep. My heart is heavy and I can't really tell you why. There's a lot on my mind - so much that I can't even begin to tell you what is really on my mind. So, since I couldn't sleep, I decided to read God's Word and see what He had to say to me. I'm not good at journaling, so I decided to organize my thoughts here... I guess this is a lot like journaling, right? Hmm...
These verses are the ones that stuck out to me tonight. Mark 7:5 - Well, I know why this one is screaming at me right now. It seems that lately, I (we, as Christians) have become very concerned about being relavent to the unchurched around us in order to reach them for Christ. This is not a bad thing, unless you leave out the most important part - Sharing the Good News. Jesus didn't have the best child care available or the most updated look (or maybe he did... ha!). All he did was love people. He loved by healing, making the lame to walk, making the blind to see, and forgiving people for horrible sins. Because of Him, we are no longer 'unclean.' Where did that mentality go? Ultimately, it is not us reaching the lost, but it is God using us to reach those who don't know Him. So, how are we to reach them? Love them! Reach out to them! Help those in need! Talk to them! Look the cashier in the eye and ask her how her day is! We only need LOVE and the power of God to lead people to Him. Oh, and don't forget, LOTS OF PRAYER! Do what Jesus did and forget about what you or the church looks like.
Mark 7:6 - Man! This one hurts! BAD! These people come to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. That has to be the worst thing to hear right now. I admit, my quiet times with God are few and far between lately. I have so much on my plate - well, that's probably what you have heard come from my mouth a lot lately. And it's true, but no excuse for not spending quality time with my Savior. It makes me sad... How could I let this happen? It overflows into every aspect of my life. Church feels like work to me - So many demands for childcare gets frustrating, if I am being honest. It seems as though people need childcare at the church's expense at the drop of a hat lately. Again, its not a bad thing. We have a lot going on at church. And, really, its not that I mind offering it, but its the lack of people that want to help out. Setting up childcare for people is the most stressful thing that I do right now. As I read this verse, God told me why - I come to him with my service, but my heart is not in the right place. My heart is in "work" mode and not "service" mode. This is what causes me to get frustrated with every angle that I look at it.
And finally, Mark 7:15 - I complain... A LOT! I'm a complainer. Well, really, I'm not THAT bad, but I do complain. If things aren't going the way I think they should or people are bothering me with the way they do things or even just with the way they are, I spill my guts! Mainly to only one person (and she knows who she is), but I still do it. That's bad character! (Plus, I don't think its healthy for our friendship.) I don't want to be a complainer. I desire to make wise choices, one of them being to keep my mouth shut when its not something encouraging toward whatever or whoever it is I'm talking about. (Disclaimer: Its really not a habit of mine to talk about people behind their back... I promise! Although, I know it sounds very contracting to what I am saying, but trust me, I don't.) So, from now on, I am going to do the very best that I can to try and keep my mouth shut! And I may need your help... prayer AND accountability. :D I do not want to be 'unclean.'
God, you have my heart! I worship you! Allow all I do in service to honor you. Help me to stay focused on the goal - Phillipians 3:14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Phillipains 2:1-11
Monday, February 23, 2009
Umm... let's pray.
Andrew wakes up every day with something new. His words get clearer and his thinking skills get better. Here are just a few of the cute things he's done in the past day or so...
Sunday mornings are funny. It seems as though that's the only day that Andrew would just love to sleep until 10 or 11 am if we would let him. Needless to say, I have to drag him out of bed just like you would a 15 year old to get him ready for church. Yesterday morning was no different. I changed his diaper while he was still half asleep, changed his clothes, put his shoes and socks on, and combed his hair. I then proceeded to get him some breakfast, so I picked up his cup and gave him a few choices...
Me: "Do you want some apple juice?"
Andrew: (in his cute little man voice) "No!"
Me: "How about some orange juice?"
Andrew: "Nah!"
Me: "Then what do you want?"
Andrew: "Umm... sprite."
Oh man... it's times like these that seem to make sticking to my guns hard. I gave in and gave him some Fresca and donuts for breakfast. It IS the breakfast of champions, right?
Later that day, I headed to church a little late. We walked in and everyone was already in the sanctuary. Andrew thinks the church is a part of his home, so he makes a beeline for Miss Elaine's office and says, "I go see Laine!" I told him Elaine wasn't there, but he didn't listen. I look through the window to see him turning from left to right and right to left as if he was looking for something all while yelling as loud as he could, "Laine! Laine!" He then looks at me and says, "She not here." So cute!
Finally, we were sitting down to eat dinner after church and Andrew had already started eating. You should know that we always pray with him before meals and at bedtime and he will repeat prayers after us, but we have never really taught him to close his eyes and bow his head, but this time, when daddy said, "Let's pray," Andrew put his food down, put his hands in his lap, and closed his eyes and bowed his head to pray. So sweet!
He is definitely coming into what people would call "the terrible twos," and it is very trying at times, but it's times like these that make it all worth while.
Sunday mornings are funny. It seems as though that's the only day that Andrew would just love to sleep until 10 or 11 am if we would let him. Needless to say, I have to drag him out of bed just like you would a 15 year old to get him ready for church. Yesterday morning was no different. I changed his diaper while he was still half asleep, changed his clothes, put his shoes and socks on, and combed his hair. I then proceeded to get him some breakfast, so I picked up his cup and gave him a few choices...
Me: "Do you want some apple juice?"
Andrew: (in his cute little man voice) "No!"
Me: "How about some orange juice?"
Andrew: "Nah!"
Me: "Then what do you want?"
Andrew: "Umm... sprite."
Oh man... it's times like these that seem to make sticking to my guns hard. I gave in and gave him some Fresca and donuts for breakfast. It IS the breakfast of champions, right?
Later that day, I headed to church a little late. We walked in and everyone was already in the sanctuary. Andrew thinks the church is a part of his home, so he makes a beeline for Miss Elaine's office and says, "I go see Laine!" I told him Elaine wasn't there, but he didn't listen. I look through the window to see him turning from left to right and right to left as if he was looking for something all while yelling as loud as he could, "Laine! Laine!" He then looks at me and says, "She not here." So cute!
Finally, we were sitting down to eat dinner after church and Andrew had already started eating. You should know that we always pray with him before meals and at bedtime and he will repeat prayers after us, but we have never really taught him to close his eyes and bow his head, but this time, when daddy said, "Let's pray," Andrew put his food down, put his hands in his lap, and closed his eyes and bowed his head to pray. So sweet!
He is definitely coming into what people would call "the terrible twos," and it is very trying at times, but it's times like these that make it all worth while.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Pictures
This is just a quick little update with some pictures...
Mommy and Andrew on Christmas Day... I am gross, but he's cute!
Andrew and Daddy openning presents at Grandpa's... Check out the boots!
Apparently, Andrew thought it was "fitting."
Another shot of the boots and his favorite shirt... it has guitars on it!
Going for a wagon-ride with Nicky...
Andrew and Logann eating cereal... best of buds :D
What's new? He found a guitar!
Sportin' momma's scarf while eating lunch... notice that my son does not like wearing pants?
Sharing a yummy "daddy-made" smoothie with momma... again, with no pants.
Okay - the story behind this picture is... he took a shower and when he got out, he was tired and cold. So, I put a diaper on him and wrapped him in his towel and held him in an attempt to warm him up before I had to put his clothes on... He fell asleep and it made for a cute picture. He slept for nearly 2 hours just like this.
Andrew is still learning his letters. He plays with his LeapFrog refrigerator magnets everyday. They are a new favorite of his. Its the first thing he does in the morning and since the refrigerator is right in the middle of our house, he passes it on a regular basis and sure enough, every time he passes it, he plays with his letters. He now knows D, H, W, K, and he is working on C. He knows what they look like AND the sound that they make. What a smart kid! He is talking more and more everyday and his words get clearer everyday. I am thankful for his communication skills... he tells me when he's hungry, what he wants to eat, when he is thirsty, when he wants to play, what he wants to play with, when he wants a bath or shower and which one he prefers that day... My favorite is when he tells me he needs a new diaper and I wish he would say he's ready for "night-night" more often. He's very personable as well... he says hi to everyone he sees at church by name. (With our help, of course, but it's still pretty sweet.) I will leave you now with some pictures... 
This is our attempt at a family picture. Its a little blurry... ok, VERY blurry, but it would have been a really good one.
Mommy and Andrew decorating the tree... Andrew looks as though he wants me out of the picture. Hmm...
Daddy and Andrew... along with one of the loves of his life, a drumstick.
Mommy and Andrew on Christmas Day... I am gross, but he's cute!
Andrew and Daddy openning presents at Grandpa's... Check out the boots!
Apparently, Andrew thought it was "fitting."
Another shot of the boots and his favorite shirt... it has guitars on it!
Going for a wagon-ride with Nicky...
Andrew and Logann eating cereal... best of buds :D
What's new? He found a guitar!
Sportin' momma's scarf while eating lunch... notice that my son does not like wearing pants?
Sharing a yummy "daddy-made" smoothie with momma... again, with no pants.
Okay - the story behind this picture is... he took a shower and when he got out, he was tired and cold. So, I put a diaper on him and wrapped him in his towel and held him in an attempt to warm him up before I had to put his clothes on... He fell asleep and it made for a cute picture. He slept for nearly 2 hours just like this.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The holidays, time with family and friends, and my little genius.
Well, the holidays are over along with our much needed break from school and some work. It sounds sad, but I am ready to get back to what I consider "our normal life." I start back to school tomorrow and I am pretty excited about it. This semester, I get to teach 7th and 8th graders about the amazing human body and 9th-12th graders about the vast world of Zoology... that means we get to dissect things! I know, I know... I'm a big nerd. Seminary started back up last Thursday, but Zack won't officially start classes until next Monday, due to Martin Luther King Day. Well, he does have one of his 3 weekend classes this weekend. Boo!
We had a great Christmas. Andrew was a lot of fun this year! Both my mom and Zack's mom were able to come down and spend Christmas with us. This was great as we didn't have to pack all of our belongings, drive for 5 hours just to drive more and more and spend a night or two with EVERYONE in Tulsa... ugh! Just the thought of it makes me tired. Andrew spent those few days showing off for his grandmas and loving the attention and all the sweets that he could charm out of them. I do believe he got enough cookies, soda, candy, etc., to last him for the year... at least by my standards for him. Andrew was also bathed in gift after gift after gift. He had so many under the tree that we started letting him open some on Tuesday so that he wouldn't be so overwhelmed on Christmas day. He loved all of his gifts, but I think the one he has played with the most is his single key that Zack bought at Wal-Mart to put in his stocking. My kid is obsessed!
After our mom's headed out on Christmas day, we packed a few things and headed to Weatherford, OK, to spend some time with the Johnson family. Their house is always so restful... they feed us well and don't have to be doing something every second that we are there. Andrew had a blast hanging out with Logann, so we decided to spend New Years' together, too!
Next on the agenda was to head to Watova, OK, to see Zack's dad. We love going out there... they, too, feed us well and what is there to do when your 30 minutes away from the closest Wal-Mart? Andrew and Nicky played well together. Both boys are growing so fast.
Andrew is turning into a little sponge. He now knows the colors green, blue, yellow, orange, red, and purple and what the "H" and "D" say... mostly because D is for Daddy and H... is just fun. He has also been interested in the potty for the past couple of weeks. In fact, he has been successful in making it to the potty several times. I'm not pushing it too much, but what parent of an almost 2 year old wouldn't be excited? He has also become obsessed with the guitar... EVERYTHING can become a guitar; a drumstick, fork, his previously mentioned key, the nutcracker we had out for a Christmas decoration, a crayon, a stick he finds outside, a golf club, his toy vacuum. You name it, its a guitar. And if he doesn't have a real pic in his hand, he has a pretend one that he shows me from time to time. He has my little electric guitar that my dad got for me when I was his age and he and Zack play together at least once a day. He knows how to hold the guitar and strum and he sometimes even tries to imitate the chords that Zack plays... he moves his fingers around on the strings anyway. Its fun to watch and Zack and I can't imagine what kind of guitar player he may be if this obsession continues. Besides the guitar, he also loves drums, but definitely nothing like he does the guitar. He is definitely a fun little guy and we so blessed by him everyday.
I hope all is well with you... the few of you that read this. I pray that this year brings you many more blessings and wonderful times with your family and friends. Sorry, no pictures this time, my internet is being slow and I am being lazy. Love to all!
We had a great Christmas. Andrew was a lot of fun this year! Both my mom and Zack's mom were able to come down and spend Christmas with us. This was great as we didn't have to pack all of our belongings, drive for 5 hours just to drive more and more and spend a night or two with EVERYONE in Tulsa... ugh! Just the thought of it makes me tired. Andrew spent those few days showing off for his grandmas and loving the attention and all the sweets that he could charm out of them. I do believe he got enough cookies, soda, candy, etc., to last him for the year... at least by my standards for him. Andrew was also bathed in gift after gift after gift. He had so many under the tree that we started letting him open some on Tuesday so that he wouldn't be so overwhelmed on Christmas day. He loved all of his gifts, but I think the one he has played with the most is his single key that Zack bought at Wal-Mart to put in his stocking. My kid is obsessed!
After our mom's headed out on Christmas day, we packed a few things and headed to Weatherford, OK, to spend some time with the Johnson family. Their house is always so restful... they feed us well and don't have to be doing something every second that we are there. Andrew had a blast hanging out with Logann, so we decided to spend New Years' together, too!
Next on the agenda was to head to Watova, OK, to see Zack's dad. We love going out there... they, too, feed us well and what is there to do when your 30 minutes away from the closest Wal-Mart? Andrew and Nicky played well together. Both boys are growing so fast.
Andrew is turning into a little sponge. He now knows the colors green, blue, yellow, orange, red, and purple and what the "H" and "D" say... mostly because D is for Daddy and H... is just fun. He has also been interested in the potty for the past couple of weeks. In fact, he has been successful in making it to the potty several times. I'm not pushing it too much, but what parent of an almost 2 year old wouldn't be excited? He has also become obsessed with the guitar... EVERYTHING can become a guitar; a drumstick, fork, his previously mentioned key, the nutcracker we had out for a Christmas decoration, a crayon, a stick he finds outside, a golf club, his toy vacuum. You name it, its a guitar. And if he doesn't have a real pic in his hand, he has a pretend one that he shows me from time to time. He has my little electric guitar that my dad got for me when I was his age and he and Zack play together at least once a day. He knows how to hold the guitar and strum and he sometimes even tries to imitate the chords that Zack plays... he moves his fingers around on the strings anyway. Its fun to watch and Zack and I can't imagine what kind of guitar player he may be if this obsession continues. Besides the guitar, he also loves drums, but definitely nothing like he does the guitar. He is definitely a fun little guy and we so blessed by him everyday.
I hope all is well with you... the few of you that read this. I pray that this year brings you many more blessings and wonderful times with your family and friends. Sorry, no pictures this time, my internet is being slow and I am being lazy. Love to all!
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