The View from my Office

Yes, it is an empty parking lot, and if you could see to the right a bit you would see a soccer field (just one more reason I love the view), but the truth is the sky is amazing today and the colors breathtaking.  This picture was taken with my cell phone so it lacks greatly from the actual view I have.

As I am sitting here this morning, I am reflecting on the past few weeks. Not the schedule that has been crazy or the lists of things that must be done, but on how God has been working in me.

I recently joined a Beth Moore Bible Study and that is definitely challenging me and stretching me. I love to sit under her teaching. 
I have also had the opportunity to teach a Parent/Child Dedication Class. It is amazing how inadequate one can feel as they prepare for this type of thing. And equally amazing is that the enemy will try to discredit (even in your own mind) and discourage you when you plan to lead others.
And finally I have the opportunity to sit with my fellow ministry team leaders and give a testimony (teach) regarding a piece of our church's new vision: Living in Obedience to God's Commands. And oh yea, God is really stretching me when it comes to obedience to Him. Will I continue to obey when the cost (sacrifice) is more than I thought it would be? Will I really trust Him?

As I think through the things He is teaching me I often feel overwhelmed. But then I glance out my window and I see an amazing landscape of color and beauty. I am reminded that just as we can count on the seasons changing, we can count on Him, for He is faithful!  I am reminded that because He delights in His creation there is astounding beauty to be found. (And that includes me!)

So for some it is an empty parking lot or the back of a subdivision, but to me it is a reminder:

The Heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

(Psalm 19:1)

...for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning.

(Lamentations 3:22b-23a)

Praise the Lord! 

Five (plus one day)

 My baby is now 5 (plus one day). Emma is such a joy to us and we know that our lives were blessed beyond measure with her birth.

Below are pictures from her birthday weekend:

Birthday kisses from her brothers.



Being silly with Great Grandpa.



Blowing out the candles.

Riding the Barbie scooter she purchased with her Target gift cards.



Wearing the shirt that has been worn by all of her brothers on their 5th birthday.

Some of my favorite things about this little girl:

1. She loves to laugh.

2. She loves to cuddle and give hugs.

3. She says "I love you" just because.

4. She still asks Mommy or Daddy to pray for her each night.

5. She loves Jesus. Her knowledge of the Bible is so exciting to watch.

6. She loves to learn.

7. She loves being silly and making her brothers laugh.

8. She is a "daddy's girl".

9. She loves to shop.

10. She taught me to love the color pink.

It is a blessing to be Emma's mommy and I pray that as she grows she will continue to love the Bible and Jesus. That she will seek to be a true daughter of the King and that she will find her beauty and security in the knowledge that Jesus loves her. I look forward to the adventures that await us because of this precious princess.

Hiatus

It has been a long time since I have posted (a much needed break) and needless to say a lot has happened since my last post.

Our lives are a bit hectic right now with work, school, soccer, trying to find a new rental house, family visits, and life. None of those things are bad, in fact we are really enjoying life right now (maybe with the exception of the impending move to a new rental) but sometimes it is nice just to take a deep breath and relax for a few moments. I'll post some pictures when that happens.

A few weeks ago my sister and her boys came to visit for a week. It was great to spend time with her and to love on my nephews.

Alex has been averaging three soccer games a week, due to original scheduling and rescheduling of rained out games. And this now includes Aaron as he is the new Assistant Coach.  It is fun to see how improved Alex is at this point in the season. He started the season wanting to play midfield but was placed at defense. He played well there, but wanted to prove himself at midfield and he has, that is now where he plays most of the game. He may not be the fastest kid on the field but he is learning to play smart soccer. (So fun as a coach and mom to watch the development of these kids.)

Jack and Stephen are loving school. They have great teachers and have made some good friends. They are looking forward to Fall Fest this Friday. It is a day with pumpkin painting, games, hayrides, etc... Jack is also getting ready for Native American day where he will dress like an Indian and give a report. Both the boys though are really excited about a mission project the entire elementary school does with a local organization called GAIN. I hope that they will someday understand the blessings of attending a Christian school.

Emma is loving school as well. She especially loves Tuesday and Thursday each week as she gets to stay through lunch and nap time in after school care. A Kindergarten readiness assessment was sent home this week and as we were looking at the criteria we realized that she was probably close to Kindergarten ready a year ago. One of the perks of being the youngest and learning from her brothers. Her favorite store (Target) opens in town on Sunday so she is super excited about that. And on Monday, she will be 5.  WOW!! 

This past week we were so thrilled to welcome new babies to our family. My god-sister had a little boy early on Saturday morning. I had the privilege of being with her on Friday during her labor before it was decided a c-section would be best. And then on Monday we were excited to hear that our newest niece/cousin had safely made her arrival into this world as well.

The rest of this week is filled with excitement as we will have more family visiting and we will celebrate Em's birthday. Plus I am sure that we will have to make a trip to Target this weekend. :)

In the midst of all the busyness of life right now God is teaching us some amazing things. I will try to find some time in the next week to post about some of those lessons as well as to post some pictures. But for now it is back to the HUGE "to-do list" that I have on my desk.

HE!

Isaiah 41 :10

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Have you ever felt that at every turn something discouraging is taking place? From circumstances, to the results of nature, to personal interactions with others, to parenting, to..., to..., to...

The past few days have been crazy. Every situation seems to have some element of stress and/or discouragement. This morning I have spontaneously cried multiple times as I am overwhelmed with dismay.

And then I read the verse in Isaiah. HE is my God. HE will strengthen me and help me. HE will uphold me.

HE!!

I needed that reminder today. The reality of this life may not change a whole lot, but my eyes have been refocused on HIM. I am desperate today for HIM to get me through. He will give me strength and He will help me. I am so thankful for that promise today.

ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

Well for some reason I think hurricane season forgot that up here in the Northern part of the U.S. we are not tropical. It is crazy what the past two to three weeks have brought us. We actually did not have many water issues related to Hurricane Irene. Of course the rain we did get caused the ground to be highly saturated. And then Tropical Storm Lee decided to visit us by way of rain, lots and lots of rain.

It began with a band of rain on Sunday night. Then over the day Monday it remained gray and overcast with occasional sprinkles. And then around 6:00 p.m. is started to rain steadily. We have had very few moments of no rain since then, with most of the rain being very heavy.

It is now Thursday and the kids and I are at home becuse school is closed, our church office is basically closed (most of us working from home), streets are closed and many are battling flooding in their homes. The road that runs by our house is technically closed due to areas of flooding, though many are trying to come through only to have to turn around. And our basement is wet. My prayer is that Aaron remains safe and is able to get home without many issues, some of the stops on his route are actually closed too.

Harrisburg which is about 20 miles to our west has had over 12 inches of rain so far and it is still raining and it is to continue for at least a few more days. I have no idea what the rain amount is for us, our small rain gauges were overflowing yesterday afternoon.

I am sick of the rain. I need some sunshine. The past few days have been crazy enough and then you add in the rain and the effects of it and I am ready to scream. (Just ask the kids.)  I have literally felt that we are just going to float away at some point. But I can say that I am so very thankful that our damage is minimal, many are facing much worse flooding than us. Some have lost/will lose all of their possessions (or most of them by the time this is all over) and some have even lost their lives. At most, for me it is an inconvenience, but I think I speak for most if not all in this part of the nation, "we have had enough".

Double Digits

It's hard to believe it, but my second born is now 10. This past weekend we celebrated Jackson's birthday with family and friends.

 Opening Gifts and Cards: He was excited about all of his gifts, even the clothes. I love this kid.

Oreo Ice Cream Cake with no candles, because he was afraid they would melt the cake.

 Family gathered together is so wonderful.

Working to put his wooden elephant together.

It amazes me how quickly time passes. I am blessed to be Jack's mom. He is a curious, smart, and funny guy. I would give him a "perfect 10".

School is In Session



Alex: 6th Grade



Jackson: 4th Grade



Stephen: 2nd Grade



Emma: Pre-K



Yesterday was the first day of school!! So they all had to do the annual pictures in front of the house. The boys weren't nearly as excited about it this year as they have been in the past. But they really warmed up to the idea of a group picture.



My amazing kiddos!! They are all at Lititz Christian School this year and they were all so excited for the year to start.

 The first day of school also brought another first: Alex's first middle school soccer game. He played most of the game and he did well. They lost but it was fun to see all of the boys that Alex has been talking about for the past two weeks. And speaking as a coach it was fun to see the amazing potential that will be developed and seen throughout this season.