In God We Trust!

My MIL sent me a link to go and vote in an online poll if I thought that the phrase"In God We Trust" should remain on our money. I voted YES and was surprised to see that the No's were at 33%! Go here if you wish to participate.

From Super Heroes to Bible Characters

We've all got The Incredibles on our brain. I think we have watched this movie 2-3 times in about a week and a half.

So, while I was cleaning up the kitchen this evening, my two boys were discussing which kind of super powers they would want if they could have them.

I joined in and said that I thought it would be cool to be able to disappear and make force fields like Mr. Incredible's daughter.

**SPOILER ALERT**For anyone who has not seen this movie and wants to, do not read any further.




Then Lincoln chimes in with, "I'd want to be SYNDROME!!!"

Though not surprised by his answer, I asked, "Why would you want to be him? He was mean and evil? He murdered people!!

Lincoln argued, "Well, not when he was Incrediboy."


I love it when "life lessons" just happen. And this was one of them.

I proceeded to point out the fact that Incrediboy wasn't exactly a nice kid, either. We get just a glimpse of him as a boy, but it was enough of one to find out a few of his character traits. He was annoying. He was selfish. He was focused on no one but himself. And... here is the kicker... He was JEALOUS.

Some may say, "Big deal." But my boys have had many, many lessons on the dangers of jealousy. So, when I raised my eyebrows and stressed the fact that Incrediboy was jealous, my boys gave me that "uh, oh, mom's about to give a speech" look.

No monologuing here. But I did give them a quick reminder of how devastating jealousy can be. Syndrome's jealously drove him to murder. Just like Cain's jealousy drove him to murder his own brother. Just like Joseph's brothers' jealousy drove them to sell their own flesh and blood. I could mention more, but you get the picture and so did my boys.

I am sure not all jealousy leads to murder, but it is an emotion that cannot be left to fester in the depths of our wicked hearts! And that is a reminder to myself for sure!!!

Got Water?

For the past few weeks in the wonderful subject of Earth Science, Mullin and I have been studying all about God's glorious gift of water. Before we plunged in, Mullin was to record in a 24 hour period the amount of times he used water. While he journaled his entries, I made mental notes of how many times I actually used water. Since I do the majority of cooking, cleaning and diaper changing, well, I realized that even one day without this essential material would be miserable! Imagine buckets in the bathroom instead of toilets! Even worse--not being able to wash your hands after handling the buckets--YUCK!! (In the mind of an 8 yr. old boy, though, the thoughts of not having to wash hands, take a shower, or brush teeth sounded like a relief. :))

Next task on the list was to make a list (with the help of a Thesaurus) of about 50 words relating to the word water. Our list included words like refreshing, vital, crucial, quenching, satisfying, useful, wet, tastelss, frozen, necessary--just to name a few. Well, a little later that day as I was reflecting on our water assignment, the Holy Spirit shifted my thoughts of physical water to thoughts of a different kind of water. Living Water.

Jesus gives me Living Water to drink by washing and cleansing me through His Word. This water is even more crucial, vital, refreshing, quenching, satisfying, and necessary to my health than physical water. Just as physical water gives life to my body, Living Water gives life to my spirit. I have never tried it, but supposedly 3 days without water is fatal. If I only drank water once every 3 days just to stay alive, I really wouldn't be very healthy. I may not be dead, but I would be in a constant state of dehydration and probably wouldn't be a very productive person.

Lack of Living Water will consequently cause spiritual dehydration in my life. I can't drink it every so often and expect to see huge amounts of growth. I must drink it on a very regular basis, and it shouldn't be a "to-do" to mark off on a list. Drinking it should come as naturally as drinking "real" water. I believe there are many ways to refresh my spirit. It's not only about sitting down and having a "Quiet Time", a time set aside to read and study, though this is very important. Relying on Living Water is all about a relationship with Christ, abiding in him moment by moment.

Praying, singing praises, sharing my faith, memorizing scripture, practicing what I read, and just listening to God are all ways in which my soul can stay hydrated. While I do believe that I am growing by leaps and bounds, it is no secret that I have not attained perfection, nor will I be able to as long as flesh is my fashion.

Somtimes staying at home all of the time brings about feelings of isolation and a sense of being ineffective, so it is so neat to see how God speaks to little, old me through our home schooling venture.

"As the deer panteth for the water so my soul longeth after Thee.

You alone are my heart's desire, and I long to worship you..."

My Very First Real Coconut

My boys and I thought it would be a fun experience to buy a "real"coconut. I did a little research yesterday on how in the world to cut one. I hope my efforts pay off...
It felt wierd using a screwdriver on a piece of fruit, but it proved to work quite well in poking its "eyes" out.
Mullin is draining the coconut milk into a bowl. Not sure what we are going to use it for. Guess I need to research that now.
Sorry Lincoln, but Mama is going to be the one to hit the coconut and hopefully split it!

I hope this works, and I really hope no one is passing by my garage right now. I am sure I will look very silly!
What do you know-- 2 hits and whammo! I know I am wierd, but I felt so elated after this experience. Trying new things is fun, and since I have no desire to do something really fascinating like, deep sea diving or wrestling alligators, cutting open a coconut was adventurous enough for me.
The meat inside was so smooth and pretty. I wish my teeth were this white!

After all that work I ate a healthy snack of banana, coconut, raw almonds, and local honey. Yum.
My boys weren't so impressed with the taste, but they had a fun time with it.



I must add that I never thought anything could be more difficult and time consuming than cutting open a pomegranate! Acorn squash can be a bit tricky, too, but nothing compares to the coconut! As I was trying my darndest to cut and scrape away at the pearly white meat, I had a lot of time to just think.

As I was scraping away, I thought about how easy it was to get to the milk. Getting to the "meat" on the other hand was taking time, dedication, hard work, and patience. Then, in the quietness of my mind, the Holy Spirit began drawing a mental picture for me, relating the milk and meat of the coconut to the milk and meat of God's holy Word.

As baby Christians, drinking the milk of the Word that is so easily accessible is vital, but we were never meant to be sustained on milk alone. It is just as important to move on to the meat of the Word growing up in the wisdom and knowledge of God and becoming cross bearing servants in His Body, the Church. So many are content to just sit back and sip on milk without ever moving on to the meat. It requires time, dedication, hard work, and patience. It requires sacrificing one's own desires, and that never seems fun at the time.

I am glad I bought a coconut today! Blessings to you and yours--it is time for me to wake my sleeping beauty.

**I know with this many words and my spell check not working, there are bound to be some misspelled words, but I just don't have enough time to proofread. Gotta wake my girl or she won't want to go to bed tonight!

Proverbs 4 Read by Gandalf the White

I started reading the book of Proverbs to my children everyday, and in preparation for today, I read chapter 4 yesterday.

Half way in to the proverb it was as if Gandalf had seated himself on the edge of my bed and started reading. In my mind his voice rang crystal clear, "Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men........"

For the rest of my quiet time I had the privilege of Scripture being read by my favorite Lord of the Rings character.

Speaking of Gandalf, I cannot wait to see him again in The Hobbit. I hope they use him (Ian Mckellen) anyway. I am a bit disappointed that Peter Jackson will not be directing it. I was hoping he would pick me to be an elf in the production! Guess I will have to keep dreaming.

Edited---Oops ignore the link--it is over a year old. Forgive me for not checking my facts as I was tired and ready to go to bed!

Works For Me Wednesday--Scripture Memory

Sword Fighting has been such a blessing for me and my kids, so I thought I would share it with you all.

This is such a wonderful way of memorizing scripture--if only I would have thought of it sooner. I have always had trouble committing Bible verses to memory long term.

Following the suggestions in the book, I wrote the temptations on an index card. Then, I wrote the matching verses on swords, which I cut out in the shape of Sting, Frodo's sword. The boys really liked that!

Though, Shiloh isn't memorizing just yet, she enjoys handing out the temptations to the boys on Fridays. (We have already completed the entire book, so on Fridays we just do a review.)

The book contains 52 temptations and verses, so you memorize one a week. Each day you read a Bible story that corresponds to that particular temptation and verse. It really is a great way to teach kids how to specifically apply God's Word when dealing with temptation.

I love this way of learning Scripture so much that I plan on using this technique to write out more temptations and matching verses when I have the chance.

*If you do click on the above link, it will take you directly to Karyn Henley's site. She is the author of the book. You can just type in Sword Fighting in the search box on her site.

To read more great tips visit RocksinmyDryer.

Four Guys You Wouldn't Mind Having as Sons-in-Law

For the past few weeks I have been reading, studying and meditating on the book of Daniel. I have read about Daniel, Shadrack, Meshack, and
Abednego and their incredible testimonies many times, but I just felt God leading me to do so once again. He has me completely drawn in to the lives of these 4 handsome, intelligent young men.



From the very first day that I became a mom, I have been able to read Bible stories with a totally new perspective. My heart just sank when Daniel and the others were kidnapped from their homes and taken to the worldliest of worldly places, Babylon. For parents, the kidnapping of a child is one of the worst things that could happen!!! I am both amazed and impressed with the way these 4 boys handled being ripped away from the comfort and familiarity of their own homes to being plunged into such a pagan society. Even though God blessed them in many ways (Dan. 1:17), they still experienced many difficult trials and tribulations. Good grief, in modern times it seems like kids can't even go off to college without quickly succumbing to the pressures of this world.





Moms, could you just imagine how heartsick you would feel knowing that your child was about to be thrown into a fiery furnace, but yet how proud you would be, at the same time, knowing that he was willing to face a terribly painful death rather than forsake God and bow the knee to an idol.

How about knowing your son was about to be ripped apart by famished lions? The thought turns my stomach, yet Daniel had the courage to defy man's law and continue to pray to the one true God despite the horrific consequence.

I can't help but wonder what happened to the mothers of these boys. Were they kidnapped, too, and taken to Babylon? Were they killed? Were they left behind only to bear the burden of not knowing what was happening to their children? Did they ever get to see their sons again, or get to hear their incredible testimonies? Did they ever get to hear their sons thank them for raising them up in the fear and knowledge of God? Really, I have no idea what their moms were like, but I do know what kind of mom God wants me to be. One that soaks herself in the Word, one that prays without ceasing, and one that continually points her children to Christ.

I can only hope that my 3 children, when the last of the apron strings have been severed, when they have completely emerged from under the shelter of my wings and entered this cold, cruel, Godless world, that they will express the same kind of courage that Daniel and his friends expressed in the face of extreme hardship and severe suffering.

Shhh. All is calm. Christ has come.

He hasn't come to wage war on retailers. He hasn't come to battle Santa Claus or debate whether or not the fir tree is a pagan symbol. He hasn't come to argue with local governments over creches and menorahs in the public square.

The government, after all, is on His shoulders. He is ruler. He is Lord, and He has come to set his people free.

*Excerpt from Key Life article, "Come to the Quiet" by Nancy Kennedy.

Every now and then I need a gentle invitation to just relax, be still and focus on Him, especially during the holiday season when I am surrounded by nothing but hustle and bustle.

I am definitely no Scrooge. Although my hubby may disagree since I refuse to put our trees up and listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving!! Personally, I absolutely LOVE the Christmas season: the decorating, baking, shopping, presents, music, lights, wrapping and anything and everything else that goes along with Christmas!! Sometimes, though, I can get so "wrapped up" in all of the external stuff, that the stress creeps in or as in my case crashes in like a huge tidal wave. It can be easy to lose sight of what all this celebrating is about. It is Christ and that is it. I have to remind myself that Christmas would still be Christmas without all of that other stuff, even though I really enjoy all of that other stuff.

Peace to you as we enter this Holy holiday season!

Arizona Anniversary

I should have actually posted this a few weeks ago, but I am just now getting around to it...

In honor of surviving my first year of living in the Arizona desert, I present you with some very quirky Arizona laws:

*Donkeys cannot sleep in bathtubs *Hunting camels is prohibited

*It is unlawful to refuse a person a glass of water *In Maricopa County--No more than 6 girls
can live in any house.

*In Tucson-- Women may not wear pants. *In Glendale--Cars may not be driven in reverse.

Too funny!!!


Even though this has truly been a difficult adjustment for our family, God has been so good to us. When we first moved here one year ago this month, we didn't have a house, we didn't have a job, we didn't have any couches, we didn't have a second vehicle, we didn't have a church home, and we didn't have any friends here. We had left so much back home. I am sure I am probably leaving something out. We almost felt hopeless under the weight of it all, but we knew in our hearts that God had called us to uproot our family.

I am blessed to report that after one year, God has provided all of these things for our family!
Mark got a job just 3 days after we moved. We moved into our very own home at the end of January I believe. Much thanks to my mom and her husband for housing us until we found a home! My sister and her husband sold us a car for $1.00. My mom and her husband gave us their old couch set. God led us to a wonderful church home, Queen Creek Calvary Chapel, where Mark now helps to lead worship. God has also been so gracious to provide me with an amazing friend, Staci!!

You just don't realize how important your friends are until you leave them!!!

Tennessee family, we miss you guys so much and hope to be able to visit as a family sometime soon!

Arizona family, I am glad to be able to spend time with all of you!

A Touching Story

I found this story on Carrie's blog and has to share it as well. The subject of abortion pricks my heart and brings me to tears. It really is touching.

"Amen!"

Out of the blue the other day, while still in her high chair, Shiloh folded her hands, bowed her head, and began mumbling something only her Creator could understand. It was so incredibly precious, and I tried to hurry quietly to get the camera before she ended her toddler prayer. But just as the camera caught the moment, she arose and shouted, "Amen!"

I pray she accepts Jesus as her Savior at a tender age! I am so thankful that both of our boys have!

Deo Gratias!

Am I cursed or blessed?

The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.
Proverbs 3:33

I'm so glad scripture is here to remind me that God truly wants to bless me. Not because of my own righteousness of course, but because He sees His Son when he looks at me.

Blinded by all of my trials and tribulations, I tend to think God has either forgotten me or put me on His naughty list and is out to get me. Blinded by the message that I deserve and should have all the comforts and pleasures this world has to offer, I forget that God cares more about making me holy than making me happy.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4


Blessings aren't necessarily material as my heart often desires for them to be. In fact they are a curse to many. I am sure if I had all of the worldly pleasures my heart desires, I'd be as wicked, selfish, and snobby as

Draco Malfoy!!

I just love that name. If I had a dog I'd name it Malfoy. Only problem is I don't want anymore messes around the house right now. Don't want to potty train a mutt and a toddler at the same time. The dog would probably get it down a whole heck of a lot faster than my toddler, though!!

Palm Sunday

After a couple of months of endless spiritual questions by our second son, Lincoln, and hopefully wise answers from his parents, he decided to surrender his heart to Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior. He was excited and determined to follow with baptism at our new church in Queen Creek. He bravely told the pastor about his conversion, and for the rest of the following week we practiced baptizing in the tub so he wouldn't be afraid. On Palm Sunday he was baptized in the frigid waters at Calvary Chapel. We were all very happy and celebrated with family at Barro's Pizza!

Dedicated to my fellow astronomy lovers...

I love astronomy, and I think these pictures are so neat!


How about a few fun facts about these planets...

Mercury--Even though it is the closest planet to the sun, without much of an atmosphere, it gets colder than a freezer at night. And night here lasts about 30 earth days!!

Venus--Hot!!!! This planet is the hottest planet in the whole solar system!

EARTH--"The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, but the earth He has given to the sons of men" Psalm 115:16 A perfect design by a perfect creator!!

Mars--Even if there is evidence that water has been found on Mars, it doesn't mean life exists there! It is way too cold--the average temp on Mars is 81 degrees BELOW zero.

Pluto--Poor Pluto, he's lost his status as a planet.












Wow, just look at how tiny we are now!!

Jupiter--She is such a sweet, protective mother. God made her very massive so that her gravitational pull would keep comets and asteroids from hitting the earth. She takes the hits for us!! Thank you Jupiter!

Saturn--Ever wondered just how many beautiful rings she wears? Thousands!! I would have guessed like 6 or something.

Uranus--I think everyone already knows this is the sleepy planet--always lying on his side.

Neptune--Astronomers really believe it actually rains diamonds on this planet. Neat!













In July, here in Arizona, I am sure it's not going to feel like the sun is 93 million miles away!
Billions and Billions of years ago is just flat out Bologna! The sun is actually getting brighter every year due to thermonuclear fusion, so billions of years ago the sun would have been too dim to provide enough warmth for life to exist.


"He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them." Psalm 147:4

Arcturus is the third brightest star in the sky. The name stems from the ancient Greek, Arktouros, meaning Bear Guard. Another really cool thing is that this star is even mentioned, I believe, twice in the Bible. Both verses are found in Job, and chapter 9 verse 9 reads (King James version) "Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south." (My version refers to it as Bear) But anyway I thought that was cool. The other verse is Job 38:32 if you want to look it up.

Oh, and we all know Sirius is really just The Prisoner From Azkaban.

Isn't Betelguese some weird 80's movie? Antares is the brightest star in the constellation, Scorpius. Amazing to think that there is bigger stuff out there!!




We are not as big as we think we are!

God's creation overwhelms me and leaves me speechless!

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20


Thank you Tonja for sending these pictures to me!

So It Begins...

...our sojourn out west where dirt, rock, and cactus abound!

The last time I plunged headfirst into such a DEEP pool of faith was 9 years ago on my wedding day!!


We have very little insight as to what God has planned for us out in the desert, but I am hoping it doesn't involve wandering in it for 40 years!

I am just as excited as I am sad. Going on an adventure like this goes totally against my nature. I usually HATE the unknown, but I know that this is something we are supposed to do. I am eager to see God work here!

The Virtue of Patience

I came across this quote the other day and it made me laugh!

"If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life."
--Oscar Wilde

Obviously I laughed because I can relate. On a patience scale of 1 to 10 I might give myself a 5 depending on the circumstances of course. I believe I am more patient now than I was 5 years ago, though. God has used 3 babies who've cried alot to bring me to the halfway mark!! I still have a long way to go! In fact right now our family is in the midst of waiting on God for something and my patience is wearing thin!

Quiet Time

The term "Quiet Time" has been so over used that I sometimes yawn upon hearing it. But, after being hit by one of those"tough questions" by none other than Lincoln, I was reminded and convicted this morning of just how important daily meditation on God's Word is. During bible study with the boys, Lincoln asked me why God doesn't answer his prayers. We adults may know how to rationalize this complex subject, but this is a 4 year old we are talking about, and I needed an on the spot, truthful yet sensitive answer to satisfy him. Shiloh has been under the weather for the past 2 days, and Lincoln faithfully prays for everyone in the family to not get sick. I think I was able to provide a somewhat decent answer. After our lesson was over, I felt a nudging from You know Who, to spend some time in the Word right then and there. During my "Quiet Time" He reminded me of just how fortunate I am to be able to come in to His presence whenever and wherever all because of His one-time sacrifice. He took my place. He suffered for me, so can it be that difficult to open my Bible and read what He wrote for me? I have made it a habit for over the past 13 years or so, to spend time in God's Word on a regular basis, but every now and then I am tempted to just skip it so I can tend to chores and such. I am busy with 3 kids, but it is essential that I not skip time with Him so I can be prepared for all of those tough questions that my kids will continue to ask. I pray that God will give me the wisdom to train my kids to depart not from the narrow path and to be aliens in this ever changing world.

Three Little Oxen

Caring people often ask me, "How are you doing?" My frequent reply accompanied by a fake smile is, "Oh, just fine." Truth is,for the past year I have
been overwhelmed, exhausted, stressed and not able to keep up with life's never-ending tasks.
I am not only a neat freak but a clean freak as well. This does not help my current condition. But, I must say that over the past 6 years I have improved much in this area. I can actually go to bed with piles of unfolded, clean laundry in the chair and dirty dishes in the sink.
Last Sunday my former College Sunday School teacher gave me an encouraging word. She mentioned a verse that went something like, "Where there are no oxen, the stall is clean...", and said that it had helped her as a young mom. I have been quoting it over and over again all week long. I have got 3 little oxen of my own constantly messing up our little stall. I guess the alternative would be no oxen and a clean stall. No thank you! After finding this verse in Proverbs 14:4, I realized the verse may have had a bit of a different meaning, but nonetheless God has used it to personally encourage me in this area.
I fondly remember a poem with a watercolor painting of a mommy rocking her baby that would greet me in our entryway everyday.

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'till tomorrow,
For babies grow up we've learned to our sorrow,
So, quiet down cobwebs and dust go to sleep,
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep!



I often find myself silently saying this precious little poem that was given to my mom by a friend. I never could have imagined what an impact it would have on my life. And why in the world do I know it by heart???