Doing Good.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9

We all fight it at times. We give of ourselves to the point of wondering what is the point! Whatever our calling in life is it is constant. We wipe a nose, we drive the car, we wait up at night, we cook dinner, we pay bills, and on and on we give. And many times it is not only our children that don't seem to notice all of our giving and selflessness. It is also co-workers, neighbors, church members, etc. But we must remember one thing.

Christ gave the ultimate selfless gift. He gave His life.

We do good because He teaches us to.

We do not do good to be thanked, or noticed, or recognized.

We do good to allow His love to pour out of us and into other's lives.

And when we focus on this reason for doing good we will continue to do it not matter how little we are thanked. We will do good to others to bring a smile to Jesus' face and to bring others to a saving knowledge of Him. Even a simple act of kindness can be of great witness for the cause of Christ. He gave to people that did not thank Him. He spent His entire earthly ministry serving and giving and He even tells a story in Luke 17 about forgiving and serving and not being thanked. So, today, I want to encourage you, and myself, to do good, to serve others, and to love them in the name of Jesus. And don't get tired of it when you aren't thanked or recognized. Remember, we are doing it to please Christ and He sees all that we do and the heart that we do it with.

I love you dear sisters. No go do good!

Prayer.

It is a gift. How many of us have ever looked at it like that? I know for most of my life I haven't. Prayer was something I did because that is what a "good" Christian does. But really, it is a gift. I mean, really, the God of all creation created a way for you and for me to TALK to Him. How cool is that! And yet, so many times we only pray out of obligation or need. When was the last time that we felt blessed to spend time talking to God in prayer instead of checking it off of our "to-do" list.

God is omnipresent (present everywhere at the same time). He is omniscient (all-knowing). He is The Creator (of everything!). He is THE Alpha and THE Omega. He is MY Alpha and Omega. He is My Begining and My End. If He holds my entire life within His hands then why am I so slow to share EVERYTHING with Him? I will share my needs, or my wants, or my burdens at anytime. But I am slower to "talk" to Him about my everyday feelings and struggles and blessings. For, I am blessed. I have prayer.

My Heavenly Father WANTS to talk to me. He WANTS me close. He, in all His awesome glory and power, cares about me.

I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. Jeremiah 10:23

He directs my path and is involved in my life. He LOVES me. And if I will choose to, He WANTS to talk to me at anytime, about anything, big or small. If it matters to me it matters to Him.

So, I have been challenged, or convicted, or however you want to put it to make prayer a way of life for me. The constant state of my heart, always in communion with God. Always "talking" to Him about my life, my struggles, my fears and my cares.

Casting all your care upon him.........

But also about my joys, my blessings, and my passions. I will take hold of this gift and I will talk to my Father in prayer.  Because....

........he careth for me (you). 1 Peter 5:7

He cares for me and has given me the gift of prayer. Now I am choosing to pick up this gift and to embrace it with every fiber of my being. And I am ready to sit back and watch God do even more than I can imagine.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Not Me Monday

At this time in my life I feel as if everyday is FILLED with Not Me moments. So here are a few from this week.

I did NOT get a burst of energy this week and completely clean out my husband's closet and mine in the same day.

While preparing breakfast for my family one morning I did NOT drop a cup of milk on the floor and while it landed on its bottom it shot milk high enough to splatter me in the face!

As my children were playing in their room this week I did NOT hear them call to me more than once that Baby Kate was on top of something. Just a few things that she climbed this week include the end table, the dining room table, the school table, her dresser, my bed, and also the steps to the slide on our tree house! She keeps me soooo busy that little climber girl.

On Friday night we let our girls have a "sleep over" with each other and bunk together on the top bunk. While Samantha was late to potty train at night she has been doing great with this since Christmas so I thought nothing of letting them sleep together. I was NOT awaken during the night to yells of MOMMY HELP SAMMY WET THE BED AND I AM ALL WET!!! from my oldest daughter. I did not then have to help both girls change and move beds before I could go back to bed.

Oh, the joys of motherhood are full of moments when you just wish it was someone else. But I love my kids and I love my life and I love writing down these moments so that I can look back and laugh at them for years to come.

Have you had any Not Me moments this week? Hop on over to MckMama's website to read from other moms Not Me posts. Or, leave me a comment that will make me smile as I KNOW we all of these type of moments!

Homeschooling Ideas.

I have lots of little tidbits of thoughts and ideas rolling around in my head and as we approach July and we all start getting ready to go back to school I thought I would write some down. Some of these are things I have tried and others are ideas that I have been given that I plan to implement into our household this year and SEE if they work.

1. My number one first and foremost hardest lesson I had to learn as a homeschool momma was that my household and my school would not and could not look like someone else's. We are all called to walk different paths. We all have different children with different needs and personalities. So, all of our schooling and household routines will be different and that is okay. Once I learned that lesson and found that freedom I have enjoyed homeschooling even more.

2. Also, I have learned that, although I knew that all of my children were different that difference even shows itself in school. The beauty of homeschooling is that, while our children need to progress at a reasonable pace, that progress can be accomplished in a way that is best for them. This might mean using different books, different schedules, or even different methods to teach my children. No matter how it is accomplished my main focus is on instilling a love of learning and a high level of self-teaching in each of my children.

3. Be organized!! I know that this is not for everyone but for me it is essential. I keep lesson plans. I write out log books of hours and field trips. I have a notebook and each child has their own lesson plans and as each assignment is done it is marked off. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and helps me to see the progress. I use THIS template that I made myself. It allows me not only to watch our daily progress but I also made a space for me to log hours at the bottom so that it is all on one page. In Missourri we are required to log hours and to meet certain requirments wtihin these hours so this format works well for me, at least right now.

Lesson Template
(This document has a grid on it like any lesson plan. Not sure why they don't show here. Click the link at the top to view it with gridlines)



As I am planning this next year and reorganizing and making this homeschooling journey more my own (as a person that was homeschooled myself it has been hard to "break tradition" from the ways I grew up homeschooling), I am seeking God's direction not only for our schooling but for our home as well. I want to see my children have hearts of service and worship. I am scared and overwhelemed with the thought that I might not be doing enough. I pray all the time that God would show me what to change or add or remove and that I would be sensitive to that. I keep walking one day at a time seeking His strength and guidance for this thing could motherhood and I know that it will be "enough". As long as I am in His will and teaching them from my heart, His word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11). My children will make their choice and I will stand before Him one day knowing that in His strength, I pressed onward to the finish line.

Not ME!! Monday

Been a long time since I have seen you, Not Me Monday. Not for lack of conversation topics but for lack of time and energy. Feels good to be posting again. So here goes. This is a "game" created by Jennifer at MckMama.com

 I did NOT stand in the kitchen washing dishes this morning while watching Katherine make this mess. She has been eating so very little lately that the fact that she was eating while playing made the mess worth it.

She was NOT eating and stirring and pouring her mac and cheese for almost 20 minutes.

By the time that she was done she had NOT eaten almost the whole serving.

And that did NOT make the mess totally worth it. I felt as if she had eaten a gold mine today. Not a traditional breakfast but one that was made with real cheese and milk and pasta. So, enough nutrition to help her through today.

And on a final note, I am NOT hoping to finally post pictures tonight of Josiah's birthday. It was NOT over a week ago and I have yet to post pictures. Oh, well.

The Ultrasound.

Yesterday was the BIG ultrasound. You know the one. The one and only chance most of us get to find out what our baby will be. A boy or a girl? Yesterday as I entered the ultrasound I was nervous beyond belief. I have never been that nervous over the gender of a baby EVER! But I had three children and many family and friends and myself that were all hoping for a boy and those crazy pregnancy hormones had caused my fears to grow to unrational proportions. I was afraid people wouldn't be excited or that I wouldn't bond with the baby if it was a girl when I had spent the last few weeks dreaming and thinking of the baby as a boy. And the moment of truth was finally here.

So as the doctor was measuring and looking and checking the baby over the time came to see if we could tell. Well, when the doctor moved the probe baby moved and removed all doubt about the gender. This newest babe that will enter our family in the next few months is most definetly a

BOY!!!

And we couldn't be happier. Now to pick a name. We are pretty sure his name will be Jeremiah but we haven't set anything in stone yet. We are still praying and seeking and thinking. Any ideas would be welcome! Remember when making suggestions our other childrens' names are Maggie, Samantha, Josiah, and Katherine. I want his name to flow with the others and to be less common names. I like the older fashion, strong names and we would like to stick to Bible names for our boys. Thanks for any ideas!!

Just some thoughts.......

My mind is full. I am ready for tomorrow. I think. Maybe. Well, honestly I am not sure. You see, tomorrow is our ultrasound and we hope to find out what this baby will be. A girl or a boy? My family has one desire. Everyone wants a boy. It is decided that's what we need. I am hoping that no matter what it will be everyone will be excited and full of anticipation as we approach the birth of our fifth blessing. I know its probably silly but this pregnant momma is stressed about it. What if the children don't adjust to the idea of a baby sister? What is I don't feel an overwhelming excitment at the idea of a baby girl? Even as I sit here with my thoughts, I know it sounds silly but these are my fears and this is how I feel right now. Anyway, it will be over by this time tomorrow and I will have faced these fears and I will (hopefully) know what this babe that I am carrying is.

I am planning on shopping after the ultrasound. Not baby shopping but grocery shopping. I love when I can shop in the city and take advantage of the sales at the many stores up there. I am going to Sam's and Shop n Save I know. Samantha was supposed to have a second speech session tomorrow but her therapist had childcare issues and had to cancel tomorrow. I am really glad actually.

I am beat. So tired I can hardly think or speak. Its been a busy week. I am tired. I am growing anxious to meet this baby. I still have a long way to go. See, I told you my mind was full of lots of thoughts.

Well, I will try to post more after Bible study tomorrow so you can all find out what we saw on the ultrasound. But after a day of doctor appointments, shopping, Bible study and such I am not making any promises.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole.

It has been awhile since I have done a recipe post and I have several ready to go but haven't been finding the time for blogging much. Anyway, I am still pregnant, still tired, very achy this time around, and barely keeping my head above water with my responsibilities. But, baby is getting stronger, I can feel kicks ALL throughout the day and they seem to be stronger with each passing day. I love that part of carrying these miracles. Feeling each kick and hiccup is an incredible feeling and unlike anything else I have ever found. And, NO, I don't get tired of it. And YES, I still smile at almost every kick.

Well, on to the recipe. This is a simple recipe with lots of flavor and it freezes well too. Just layer it up and pop it in the freezer. Let it thaw in the fridge all day and then warm in the oven.

Dice up 2-3 cups of chicken (breasts or deboned chicken is fine)

Mix a can of cream of chicken soup, a can of green chilies, and half a carton of sour cream together.

Add chicken to mixture and combine.

Start with a greased baking dish. Layer tortillas, mixture and cheese (cheese in every layer makes it pretty cheesy. I usually only do cheese in the middle and on top. We like it better that way). Top with cheese and bake in a 350 degree oven til warm and bubbly.

I serve this dish with a side of rice and we all really enjoy this simple heart warming meal. Hope you do too!!

Fishing.

While camping we also enjoyed a little fishing. Maggie did awesome this year as she was casting, setting her hook and realing in her own fish all by herself with no help! She caught almost as many as her dad and boy is she proud of herself!

This year Samantha wasn't at all interested in fishing. She choose to sit on the bank and play with Katherine, find "pretty" rocks, and snack on cheese crackers. But that is what camping is all about for our family, everyone doing what they enjoy and find plessure in while being together.

Now Josiah on the other hand, was totally into fishing and couldn't get enough. He was so excited when he finally caught his one and only fish of the week. He didn't care that it was his only, he was just super excited he caught it. The pride was just oozing from his smile in the pictures. He couldn't stop smiling for hours afterwards.

And Silas, this picture is for you. Josiah wanted you to see his fish.

Camping.

My family went camping this past week.

Yes. Tent camping with four children for six nights.

Yes. It was hot.

Yes. It was fun.

We played in swimsuits, or at least the chidlren did most of the time.

Our week was full of family time.

Much needed, much enjoyed, and dearly cherished family time.

And lots and lots of water fun!

Water ballons.

Beach time.

And a swimming pool.

(This was truly the best idea I have ever had, or at least I feel

like that right now. I bought this blow up pool and we put it up on our site. It offered hours of fun for the children and kept them cool and happy and allowed mom and dad to sit and relax! Perfect!)

It was a great week all around. We were blessed with very little rain, children that were easy going and well behaved, lots of help from the family and friends we were with, and many hours of relaxing. Even with the heat it is considered a success by all.

And until next year we will remember this year with a smile and look forward to next year with great anticipation.

Mud.

Soldier by day.

Beautician by night.

Mud pies to mud masks.

Shhhh! Don't tell him he will hate this when he gets older. He thought it was fun putting "mud" on his face.

Plus, the mud smelled like chocolate!!