tattoo

I have a tattoo....some of you are no doubt surprised. I was :D Growing up getting a tattoo never entered my mind. So here is the story of how and why things changed and I now have one.
3 years ago (aprox.) I stared really spending time with God in a new way for me. I was seeking Him, reading, praying, fasting, needing to draw close and have a fresh outlook. I didn't even know why I just knew God wanted more of me. I have never had good self esteem. I didn't date (not even prom). More than once I was told I was "nice" but...Looking back I know God protected me from a lot. I really started getting "IT" I am beautiful!!!!! God loves me, He is in love with me, He thinks I am breathtakingly beautiful!!!! I don't think 99% of us really believe that and it is sad. Paul is a wonderful husband, but he isn't perfect, I don't get as many compliments as I would like, I don't always feel like I am pretty to him ( my problem not just his)But it doesn't matter what anyone else may think I am beautiful to the GREAT I AM!!!!! Doesn't that just blow your mind? I have the tattoo as a reminder of what God thinks of me. In the Old Testament, they would put up memorials to remember what God had done. My tattoo is my memorial of what God has taught me. I pray I never forget. How can I with my beautiful reminder! By the way Paul does believe I am beautiful too. You are beautiful too, and if you need a tattoo...go for it :D

aah haa moment

I always joke (and I am not alone in this)"don't pray for patience". It really goes for anything. If I pray for more faith, what is God going to do to increase my faith? Just wave a magic wand? I doubt it, give me situations to give me faith? YES!!Praying for anything, faith, strength, patience, humility, compassion ( I did this and I now live with my mother-in-law :D )is going to get us things to teach us how to have these. Look at the fruits of the Spirit. Try praying for that and see what you get. God usually puts someone or several someones in my life to make me more like Him. He wants us to have unconditional love, He wants us to forgive.Unfortunately that is how we learn, or at least attempt to learn. I was being sooo spiritual yesterday at church and was praying for God to help me be nice to someone that drives me crazy and I got a huge aah ha moment. Not fun but huge... I am that someone that so so prayed for when they needed to be more compassionate...OUCH! I am teaching someone patience, unconditional love, etc. and not by being a godly example but because I rub someone the wrong way? Say it isn't so. How humbling, how painful, how embarrassing, how unfortunately true.

computers and me

I know the research and sayings about couch potatoes and television but what about computers? I am not that computer savy, even though I have a blog, check e-mail and live on facebook, but I know I spend too much time on it. Lately my passion for God has been fading, and I couldn't figure out why. I know we all go through times like this, but I wanted to know what might have triggered it for me.... I believe now some of the problem is my computer (facebook in particular).Now don't get me wrong, I love facebook, that is the problem. I love staying connected to everyone I love and miss, and there are a lot. I can spend lots of time wading through all the comments, pictures and updates, and next thing you know I have been sitting at my computer for a couple of hours, especially if I blog. I can also find it depressing when I miss everyone so much. I am not spending time in God's Word enough (I rarely spend "enough" time) I am not praying as much. I am whining about everything and everyone I am missing. I am sure God loves my whining. I need to get more disciplined and put God first not facebook. Sometimes I think all this technology isn't a great thing, at least not for me. It is like all the prepackaged junk food...not good for me either. Way to easy to eat unhealthy and get fatter, which I am doing also, but that is another blog. Do me a favor, first please pray for me that I will return to my first love...Jesus, and second if you see me on facebook ask me if I have spent time with God first. I need the accountability! Thanks

stuck...praying for help

It is a good thing that my New Year's resolution wasn't to keep up with my blog more...I would be sadly failing. Well that is what happens to most resolutions anyway. Nathaniel just found a box of packing peanuts, and is having a grand time with them. My sister and I would make faces on them and have wars with each other. I miss that kind of creativity and I am glad that Nathnaniel is now playing with something so simple that he has to use his imagination.
We as a family all had Monday off so we headed to Wal-Mart...isn't that what everyone does with there day off and family time? Well Paul planned on stopping at the river bed first. Something I was not told or prepared for. I wore flats and long jeans. The river bed has very soft sand and water (equals mud). The boys loved it, and I am so thankful that all three were playing together, trying to skip rocks, get wet, etc. There wasn't a lot of water so you "can" drive down near the edge. Not something encouraged by most unless you have a ATV...we have a minivan. Well we got stuck. I had just used at least two dozen wipes to clean my shoes, feet, jeans, and hands, and now I had to get out and help dig us out. The sand was all the way up to the door on the front of the van. Paul found some boards ( probably from someone else getting stuck there) we dug, and dug, and dug, the kids helped. I told the kids lets stop and pray. Jennifer and Levi were not so sure about this but Nathaniel was all for it. We held hands, Nathaniel and I prayed, the others chose not to. When we finished Nathaniel asked if "Jesus was going to help us dig now?" I said ,"He just might". In less than two minutes Paul was able to back out and get unstuck,(by the way I never complained to Paul about any of this, it was actually kind of fun). I stopped and said "thank you Jesus" mostly so the kids could hear and see that God does care and answer. Nathaniel imediately said "mommy Jesus just said you're welcome!" I loved it!! I bet God does love it when we say thank you, and if we listen I know He says "you're welcome". Oh to be more like a child.

All of this was so much more fun than Wal-Mart or staying home watching T.V. Thank you Jesus for a great Monday with my family!!

birthday boy

Levi is 8. It is hard to believe. He is tall skinny and brilliant! He loves science and solving things. His party is at the end of the week. We are going to be doing experiments, and investigating things. Paul is in charge of that part. Levi is shy and loves his family. He takes good care of his brother and sister. He asks questions that I can't begin to answer and has a faith in God that amazes me. He does complain about school being boring and life not being fair. He always wants whatever toy is being advertised. He is an advertiser's dream. But he quickly moves on to the next new things. He is a lot like Paul but there is also a lot of me and my sisters in him. He is very creative and I don't doubt that what ever he decides to do with his life he will be able to accomplish. He is always coming home with girls phone numbers. I don't let him call them, he is still way too young. I am proud of him and I thank God for such a wonderful son!!