Count your blessings, count them one by one!

When I stop to take the time to analyze my life, I realize that it is truly over-flowing with blessings, and I am very grateful for each and every one. First of all, I have been blessed with an amazing family that I try to not take for granted for one second. I cannot imagine my life without them and I am sad to think that there are those who do not know the love of a family! They are always there to lift me up when I am down, lend a listening ear, shoulder to cry on, and there to celebrate & have fun with....not only my husband and children, the entire family...from my aunt to my brother-in-law and everyone in between, I love being with them!

On Saturday, Nov. 20 we drove to Killeen for Thanksgiving with the Hodges family. We spent the day enjoying food prepared by my mother-in-law and some beautiful fall weather. Maddie & Landon loved playing outside with their cousin, Kyle. The older boys spent the day shooting & playing 42 and I enjoyed catching up with my sister-in-law, Leah. The next day we went to church and heard a wonderful message on the commandments about admitting and speaking the truth completely & consistently with love and the importance this plays on your relationships with others. A very powerful message that I needed to hear. Don't keep sweeping things under the rug. It is exhausting avoiding that white elephant in the room! "Speak only what is helpful for building others up, according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" Eph 4:29 "but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ." Eph 4:15

Sunday afternoon Justin and Landon went to Pa's place to feed the cows and go "deer hunting". They "shot" 2 buck with the video camera & Landon was so excited that he saw them in the deer stand. He was so cute, he called me on the cell phone, whispering as he told me the details...I could barely make them out! Of course another highlight for little man is opening/closing the gate & driving the truck. He LOVES to drive in the field. Maddie does to for that matter and she got her chance to do that today. Maddie and I went to Derek and Leah's so that she could play with Kyle and I went with Leah to take Jake to his dad's. We all met back up to the church for the evening service and Thanksgiving dinner. After church we came back home and enjoyed a family movie night of "Beezus and Ramona", a super cute movie. I love a good, wholesome, movie that is safe for my 6 year old. Kids see too much these days at such a young age and I think it is so sad.

Today we have enjoyed another liesure day of playing outside, spending time at the farm driving and deer hunting, and getting some Christmas shopping done in town. We heard from the realtor today and the termite inspection came back clear. We are well on our way to being homeowners in East Texas. I have faith that God's Will will be done in this process and I do not worry about it, I just put it all in His hands. We love the house that we have found, but there is alot of painting and updating that needs to be done, but we find it very exciting and can't wait to make it our own if everything goes through.

Tomorrow we are headed back to East TX to catch up on house details, laundry and then we are on our way to Dallas Wednesday morning to stay with Kimberly for shopping and visiting the arboretum. Thanksgiving day we are participating in the turkey trot with Kimberly and Philipp and then onto Aunt Elaine's for a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. Friday the girls are having a scrapbook day that I am so excited about and Saturday we are going to see Disney Princess' on ice.

Our Thanksgiving break is filled with fun times and blessings. May God bless your week! Don't forget to count your many blessings and see what God has done!

Priorities in life

Two things are weighing heavy on my heart at the moment, so I will dive in....

1) Kids pick up on what parents like. If Daddy roots for the Rangers, then odds are kids will start cheering for them too. As a parent, what is it that you like that your kids witness day in and day out? Are Christian homes living spiritual lives? Some say they love the Lord, yet they don't utter His name in their house. It is not laziness, the busy-ness of life, or emotional exhaustion. It is simply the lack of righteous living. Quit with the excuses already! You can only give what you have. Just like in an airplane, they tell the parent to adjust your own mask before putting on your child's mask.....same goes with your relationship with God. Get things right with yourself and God so you can teach your children to walk in the light. There is no such thing as a spiritual evolution. Some say they have been going to church forever, so they know they are a Christian. Just because you sit in a garage it doesn't make you a car. It doesn't matter how long you went to church...is there a time in your life that you accepted Christ and had a spiritual rebirth? There shouldn't be a gray area to this, it's simply yes or no. We as parents have such an important role to play and if there is one thing I want my kids to know without a shadow of a doubt, it is that their momma loves Jesus. I want them to see me reading His word and praying to Him with my trials and praising Him through both the good times and bad. And as much as I want them to experience these things for themselves, it is not my choice, but theirs. I have prayed for friends and loved ones and their relationship with God and as much as I want to help them make the choice, there is nothing more I can do but to pray for them and set the best Christian example I know how. Sometimes I ask myself if it is enough, but I know God is at work and He has a plan.

This is great way to visualize and explain sharing the love of God with your family. As a parent, when the rain rolls in we get our umbrella and huddle up our sweet children under it to shield them from the storm. If they start to run away we try to follow them, trying our best to keep that shield of protection over them. But wouldn't it be better, as parents, for our children to have their own protection over them, so that when the day comes that they do wander away, they will still be protected? So many are walking around with our hand in the air with nothing protecting them. Don't give your kids things, don't give your kids 10 minutes of your time after work and think it is making a difference, and don't just give them church. Give Them Jesus.

2) A family friend decided to end his life by committing suicide. I can't imagine what could be going on in your life that would be so horrible for a person to turn to this. I am praying for his wife, & for his sons that not only have to deal with the loss of their father, but the fact that their father chose to leave them. My heart is hurting for this family.