Holy Spirit

Nate started whats going to be (and was) an amazing series on Acts.....and I've just been thinking so much about the Holy Spirit and the power we have living inside us. Its something we have talked a lot within our Life Group, having a power within us and tapping into what God has placed within each of us, and what that looks like. So if it keeps coming up, its something that God is obviously really trying to get accross to us.

I was reading Acts 1 and 2 this morning......and in ch.1 Jesus tells his Disciples that in a few days they will be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and there seems to be this hype building about the Holy Spirit coming, an excitement...something is coming that is going to indwell in them and give them Power.....they were in prayer constantly about it, anticipating this indwelling. And then when the Holy Spirit did come upon them at Pentecost, it wasn't this little thing that they wondered, "So, do I have the Holy Spirit now? Has it come upon us yet? How will we know?" , no it was a powerful moment. "Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a wiolent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that seperated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." How amazing!! I can't even imagine being a part of something so powerful. And then after this Peter talks to thousands about Jesus' death and the people were finally "Cut to the heart" and 3000 were baptized that day......So it took this crazy indwelling of the Holy Spirit to come over all these people for a revival to start, doesn't that sound like something we couldn't fathom being a part of??!! And this is what has been cutting me to the heart, WE ARE! We have this crazy power within us....it must Kill God that He gave us the most expensive, beautiful, powerful gift, and we leave it stashed somewhere in the corner with 10 layers of dust collecting on it. How stupid do we have to be? Can you imagine if after pentecost if the Disciples would have been like "Well, that was cool....but Jesus is gone now, so back to the boat to catch a bunch a fish today"....We would be reading the Bible saying, "Seriously?! All that to just go back to a mundane job catching fish?...How could you just do that after experiencing God? How stupid!".......

I am done being Stupid and leaving my present to collect bugs and dust......I am done with buying the lie that I am too young to do anything of any importance....I am done with believing Satan when he tells me I am dumb, or not educated enough, I am soooo over constantly feeling shamed for having no education....I am so ready to walk in this power, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, to experience healings, people raising from the dead, awaking the Dead around me, to live in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfullness and, self-control....to be where Jesus is. I am done with waiting for things to happen....I am so ready to start living it out, on a daily basis.....Being Full of the Spririt.

Happy Woman

Its raining. Been raining constantly for two straight days. #1-This makes me a very very happy woman and #2-It waters my dying flowers for me (God knows how terrible I am at watering my flowers....).....hmmmmm.....life is good....
.

Speeding

I've always had a lead foot. Always. Since the day I got my liscence at 16. I've even had my liscence taken away when I was 17 for so many speeding tickets (terribe, I know). I just love to go fast. I love the adrenaline rush. I love living on the edge....anything fast and fun and dangerous....snowboarding, skiing, jet skiing, rollercoasters, motercycles....and everything is pedal to the medal...the faster the better.

Now, I have gotten a WHOLE lot better with the speeding thing in my oldER age, I've calmed down and learned to go around the speed limit, if not, the actual speed limit...which is HUGE for me. Every time I get in the car I want to punch that pedal down and just go....it takes everything in me to "Obey the laws of the land" and have some self-control. I think I've made it a woppin two whole years without a speeding ticket, crazy, I am so proud of myself.

So today we had Mom Group at Alyssa's house and I got to talkin to my friend there and totally lost track of time and ended up being crazy late picking up Skylar. So what happens?....yep, petal to the metal time...today was a turning point for me....as I am tearing out of Alyssa's house, and what happens?? (no, I didn't get a ticket)....I get stuck behind THE SLOWEST PERSON IN THE WORLD! Literally, like 20 mph down Hartnell....this guy was killin me! So, of course I swerve around them at the first possible moment to get stuck behind ANOTHER stupid slow person and on top of that I hit EVERY red light possibe between Alyssa's house and Redding Christian......

Ok! Got it! Thank you again for the lesson Lord...kinda goes hand in hand with what I JUST read last night...hmmm.....

"Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." Rom 3:19-20

Wild Turkeys

Yah, wild turkeys have taken up residence in our neighborhood. They just stroll up and down the streets. Getting exercise, perhaps.....trying to reclaim their land.....i'm not sure. Interesting though. I love turkey....maybe they will start slowly dissapearing and we'll start eating a lot more turkey around here.....

Appreciation

Sean is gone at a Convention down in L.A. with Nate, Dan, and a few other guys from church. They all left at the crack of dawn Wed. morn.....I. Am. Exausted. I have a whole new appreciation for Sean. He is such an amazing husband and dad. He helps me SO much around the house...and especially when doing big parties. I always just focus on cleaning and getting everything set up around the house and he comes in and busts out all the food. And then afterwards we tornado through the house together cleaning all up......he helps a ton, and I am missing him. I just yelled at Caleb to go to sleep cause MOM IS DONE!!! Poor guy.

The first couple nights of Sean being gone is always fun, cause I love just having me time and getting to do whatever, reading, watching MY movies...but its the third night and now I am just missing him. I feel like I have so much I want to talk about (hence the blog) :0) Sigh. Well, we had a fun Baby and Me Tea Party tonight. Skylar and all her little friends are so sweet. Ok, off to go zone out in front of the tube.......

My Baby GIrl

Yesterday was Skylars 5th birthday. Crazy. 5 has always seemed like such a milestone to me...and she hit it. We had such a wonderful day. It started with me taking her cupcakes at school. She's really funny, she loves to entertain here around the house. She is constantly singing and dancing and performing, but when she gets around people she clams up and gets sp embarressed. So me taking her cupcakes was, of course, embarrassing....but she loved it. Then I went and dropped the boys off with my mom and just Skylar and I went out to lunch and Red Robin, and then out to Target to pick out whatever toy she wanted. We had sich a great great time with just the two of us.

I forget how sweet and fun Skylar is. I get so caught up in going going going all the time, that its really hard for me to just BE with the kids and spend real quality time with them....so to have had that one on one time with no boys, or cleaning, or interruptions with her was so great, I absolutely loved it.

So shes 5. A whole hand. Instead of calling her Skylar yesterday she said "Mom, how bout you just call me Birthday Girl today". Funny. Here's some pics......

Skylar and her teacher, Mrs. Swanson

So I'm getting everything ready for her Birthday Party tonight. A Baby and Me Tea Party. Gotta go get the centerpiece and table settings all made. Clean the house and make a bunch of mini sandwiches and muffins and scones....fun times :)

Precious Moments

I love when you have crazy, chaotic days and within them your kids amaze you....making all the chaos, all the things you go out of your way doing for them completely worth it.

Last night Ava and Adia (Skyars two closest little friends) spent the night....so much fun. All the girls (and Caleb) having a movie night with popcorn and hot chocolate, staying up late in bed giggling, waking up through the middle of the night giggling......and then up at the crack of dawn......fun times. Then throwing into the mix my sister-in-law and her three kids.....so, 8 kids here for a few hours is just total mayhem. But I love it. We had a great day.

So fast forward to all the kids gone, my kids up from their naps, sitting on the couch holding Ryder and cuddling with Skylar.....Skylar making Ryder belly laugh.....and looking at my all grown up 4 (almost 5 yr old)....thinking, these are the precious moments that make getting up through the night, getting up at 6:30, being asked 33 questions in 30 seconds, cleaning up another spill, cooking pancakes 4 different ways, making hot chocolate just the exact temperature so its not too hot to burn little mouths and not too cold to be just chocolate milk, going for emergency pacifier runs, soothing hurt and embarressed feelings, allll worth it!