Merry Christmas!

My heart is so full of praise and thankfulness this Christmas. We have so much to rejoice in. This morning as I lay waking up, my mind went to Mary's song of Praise to God.

My spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness;
behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy,
According to his promise to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his descendants forever.

Thank you Father, The Mighty One, For Your.....

Greatness,
Mercy ,
Goodness,
Holiness,
Justice,
Mighty Arms,

You fill the Hungering Spirit with Good Things
You keep your Promises
You Gave your son Jesus as the Greatest Gift to all.

My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior

Boy feed Girl

Youth Group

Our fearless leader, also known as Pastor Tim

Can you catch the Monte Python Theme?
The Guys did an excellent job! Thank you all!

Lookie Lookie!

John has been working hard at getting this up and going for our church. If you have time check it out. GRACEEFC It also has our Sunday sermons. Recent Sermons

Getaway to Branson with Katie and Family

We had a very nice time with sister Katie and her husband Doug. It was great to get to getaway for a few days and take in Silver Dollar City.

Katie's Youngest and my youngest daughters.

Katie's and Doug's oldest and my oldest daughters

Jacob at Silver Dollar City
Doug and Katie
Our families out side our cabin

My Munchkins

Last rehearsal was tonight. Remembered the camera this time!

Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Tonight was the first dress rehearsal of the play. All three of the kids are munchkins but I didn't remember the camera. I did manage to capture John on film though.

Goodnight Emma

How Emma falls asleep!

Vacation

Keeping this picture for Jakes wedding someday or blackmail:) Taken at the Denver Childrens museum

Outside the Titanic exhibit at the Colorado museum.

Exploring Dino bones!

At the Denver Children's Museum

After a long climb up Saint Mary's Glacier

Hiking with Dad

Cousins and best of friends

tag

A while back I was tagged and am just getting around to posting. Here are the rules.... Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about him/herself. If you are tagged, you need to post on your own blog your seven facts, as well as these rules. Then you need to choose seven more people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

1. I am the oldest of nine children. There are 23 years between my youngest sister and I.
2. I help with high school youth group and love it!!!
3. I love bath and body works products. My favorite is cherry blossom which my mother in law introduced me to.
   
4. I love saving challenges. Give me a sales fly-er and a bunch of coupons and I'll find you a good grocery deal
   
5. I love to pray Gods Word for and over my children.
6. I love chocolate chip mint icecream
7. I collected baseball cards when I was a kid

I can't think of anyone who hasn't been tagged so if you want to do this feel free:)

happenings

Best of buds (Emma and Oreo)

On sabatical

old friend

Some of you may recognize this long lost friend from Hidden Acres. Go visit Jonathan here at his blog and see what God is doing in his life! Leave him a message because it looks like he needs some:)

free

Free stuff Here are a few sites that have free samples that you can have sent to you.
Walmart has free samples that are constantly changing on their add. Check in every few days and sign up for a new one.
Walgreen has awsome rebates. This month they have crest toothpaste free after rebate. I haven't done this one yet but will be soon:)
Dove sample deodorant
Calgon free sample
Sunsilk three pack hair care
Aqua fresh toothpaste sample
I'll add more as I find time:) Feel free to add any that you have found too!

Jolly time popcorn free at Fareway. Fareway has Jolly Time on sale this week for .99 Go to Jolly Time to get your printable $1.00 coupon

meme

Mememememe

Hope tagged me:) I'm tagging Jenny and who ever else wants to be tagged.
1. What is your occupation? Wife, mother & homemaker, pastors wife
2. What color are your socks right now? gray
3. What are you listening to right now? Dora
4. What was the last thing you ate? mac and cheese
5. Can you drive a stick shift? No
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? pink
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My sister Katie
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes! YES!! Very much:)
10. Favorite drink? Diet Coke
11. What is your favorite sport to watch? ????
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Yes, And I need to have it done again soon
13. Pets? Oreo, our big cat
14. What is your favorite food? cheese cake
15. What was the last movie you watched? I can't remember
16. Favorite day of the year? Christmas
17. What do you do to vent anger? slam doors
18. What was your favorite toy as a child? a doll I named Marcie
19. What is your favorite, fall or spring? Fall
20. Hugs or kisses? Both
21. Cherries or Blueberries? Cherries
22. Do you want your friends to email you back? Yes:)
23. Who is most likely to respond?
24. Who is least likely to respond?
25. Living arrangements? Six people living in a big three bedroom house
26. When was the last time you cried? Yesterday Out of sadness or despair? I can't remember.
27. What is on the floor of your closet? shoes
28. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to?jenny
29. What did you do last night? Drove home from district conference
31. What inspires you? The word of God, Beth Moore,
32. What are you afraid of at this point in your life? Mice , spiders and bugs
33. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? cheese
34. Favorite dog breed? None
35. Number of keys on your key ring? 1
36. How many years at your current job? 11 ( Anniversary is in August)
37. What would be the title of a book you wrote? I'm glad that God is in control!!!
38. How many states have you lived in? 8
39. Favorite holidays? Christmas
40. Ever driven a motorcycle or heavy machinery? No

Lemon Meringue Cookies 4(WW1pts)

This recipe is yummy!! Actually we didn't have lemon so we used strawberry they were pretty and delicious. Miss Meringue cookies cost between $4.00 to $5.00 at Target. It cost me less then $I.50. The kids had fun making and eating these cookies!

Supernatural

"Could it be God has given you a platform of suffering from which you can be witness of His power and grace to those who are watching? Because if we always feel good
and look good
and lead a good life:
If our kids always behave
and our boss is always pleased
and our home is always orderly
and our friends our always available
and our bank account is always sufficient
and our car always starts
and our bodies always feel good
And we are patient and kind and thoughtful and happy and loving, others shrug because they're capable of that too.
On the other hand, if
We have splitting headache'
the kids are screaming,
the phone is ringing,
the boss is yelling,
The supper is burning.
Yet we are still patient, kind, thoughtful, happy , and loving, the world sits up and takes notice. The world knows that this kind of behavior is not natural.
Its Supernatural "

Ruth Graham Lotz

So today.......
Even though the heater is broke in the car....
My baby is sick......
My husband will gone till late tonight with church meetings................
That's right!!!! I can do all things through CHRIST who GIVES me STRENGH
We can Trust that God is Infinite .........
He is infinity good.
He is infinitely powerful.
He is infinitely in control of ALL things

Our souls can find REST in this........ I'm truly supernaturally infused with HIS STRENGH

"My soul find rest in GOD ALONE;
my salvation comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress. I WILL NEVER BE SHAKEN
Psalms 62:1-2

"I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength
Philippians 4:13"

Motivation for Housework!!!

Yes, That's right. Besides the fact that you would be tracking through a mile of debre with out it. Recently, on my quest to become more physically active, I discovered that 0ne hour of house work can burn 150 calories an hour. ( I need to lose my holiday 10)Yeah!...... who knew that house work can be productive in more then one way:) Walking I can burn 75 Cal's in 30 min. I found this all out at this handy dandy free online diet and weight loss journal. FitDay
House cleaning is much cheaper then the Gym. Its Cheap, Its productive and it works for me,
For more Works-For-Me Wednesday visit our host over at Rocks In My Dryer.

Where not to put your tongue!

Today was a VERY busy day. My very busy preschooler and I went grocery shopping like we do every two weeks in a bigger town thirty min. from here. We picked up siblings from school on our way home and I had began to put away our mountains of groceries when I discovered I forgot the cat food. Being totally out, I decided to go to our local Dollar general and get poor kitty his food. Every one once again piled into the car. Pulling out of the drive, I looked backward and discovered that my five year old daughter had blood all over her. Quickly pulling over I asked how it had happened. "Emma put her tongue on the railing Mom" I winced inside knowing that its five degrees out and our railing is metal. "how did you get your tongue off Emma" I asked. "I pulled it off" was her mumbled reply.
Did you know that tongues bleed a lot? Emma's bled for about 30 min. I even called our family physician who said I could bring her in but there wasn't anything that I could really do from home.
A hard lesson learned. Never put your tongue on cold metal.

A must hear

My husband and I have had the privilege of getting to know this man during the last four years. John even spent time with him in Nigeria a few years ago. Umar was radically converted from Islam. He actively sought to kill Christians when the Lord sought him and brought him to himself. Last week He spoke to thirteen hundred youth here in the states. Steve Deace heard about him and did an interview with Umar on WHO radio. He says that this interview is the most listened and requested one he has done since he has been on the air. This WILL encourage you! Click on Interview with Umar Interview

Birthday Party!

Can't believe my baby just turned five:) I let her invite her preschool class to a Birthday party this year. I kind of forgot what it was like to have eight squirrelly five year olds all in one room for an hour and a half. It was an adventure and Emma had a blast.


Emma to the left and my two trusty helpers Jake and Anna on the right.







By the way is my email showing on the top of the right hand side?

Encouragement for weary moms of the strong willed

After having my first two children I thought I had encountered everything. Then along came Emma. My oldest describes her like this. "Emma is like a cat. She does what she wants to, when she want to, and you can't make her do anything she has decided she doesn't want to do." While my oldest is emotional and my second is stubborn my youngest has them all beat in persistence and tenacity. Her theme song in life goes "Anything you can do I can do better." If there is conflict in the house rest assured Emma is somewhere in the midst of it.
Recently, I was given a book entitled Aaron's Way by Kendra Smiley, and her, now grown strong willed, son Aaron. This book filled my battle worn heart with some rays of hope. Here are some things I am discovering
1. A STRONG WILLED CHILD WANT TO BE IN CONTROL OF HIS OR HER ENVIROMENT.
Kendra Smally writes,

"A strong willed child appears confident. A strong willed child can appear both charming and defiant. He is very persistent and is even willing to take punishment to win. A strong willed child is generally gifted in manipulation. In fact, he is willing to cause emotional upset if it is a means to gain control of his life. A strong willed child does not necessarily want to control everyone else; he simply does not want to be controlled. Yet,he will strive to control someone threatening to control him"

2. STICK TO YOUR GUNS. DON'T GIVE UP AND DON'T GIVE IN.
"

"the strong willed child wants to control himself yet wants to be controlled by his loving parent and responsible adults."

Your strong willed child can make you very angry. In fact,the chances are great that he will make you angry. Why?It is because the antics of the strong willed child are capable of embarrassing you as a parent. they confirm in the minds of others your inability to be the perfect parent."

I laughed when I read this because this is so true. Your child God given personality is not the problem. If you lack the persistence to win the battle that is the the factor.
3.The flip side to the negative side of the driven persistence of a strong willed child is that when encourage and rewarded they can strive hard and be very successful at what they set about to accomplish.

""strong willed children are born Leaders. That is not the issue. The question is which group will they lead?

"because of their ability to solve,(as well as create) problems, it is wise to give a strong will child responsibility that is age appropriate. By giving him a worthwhile task to do, it builds up his sense of worth and allows him to develop credibility in his own mind. putting trust in your strong willed child to do the job assigned him validates his abilities and illustrates your confidence in him"

I highly recommend this book to the battle worn and weary mothers striving to raise their strong willed children to be kind, God fearing people without squelching the life inside them. It encouraged me tremendously.
Any of you have strong willed children out there? Please tell me I am not alone:)