Roaring Lion

We have entered in to a month of prayer at the Stirring. Devoting a month to praying for the direction of our church, our community. God is growing us, rising us up within Redding. He has given us passions for our city, to call out and shape a generation who is lost. And I believe that because of the pure, and genuine hearts of the leadership in our church to whole-heartedly live out the calling God has placed over thier lives, because of thier faith, Satan is going to do everything in his power to strike us down. Within marriages, families, friendships. Whatever it takes.

1 peter 5:8-11

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you stong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen."

Man, so good. Satan is real. He is out to kill, steal, and destroy. We have got to rise up, put on our armor and be ready for battle.

I love that we, as a church, are taking a month to pray....but shouldn't this be our posture every day? Committing ourselves to a community who is going to turn Redding upside down! In order to do that, we need to immerse ourselves in prayer. Because our enemy is prowling around looking fow someone to devour.

Madagascar

My kids love Madagascar. Especially Caleb. But even more than he loves the movie, Caleb loves the song in Madagascar "I like to move it, move it". Now in case you have never heard this song the words are of the title is pretty much the lyrics of the entire song: "I like to move it move it, I like to move it move it, I like to move it move it, I like to, MOVE IT" So being the boys that typical boys are, of course, Caleb and all his little boy friends sing this song when they're together. And what I think happened was that the lyrics got a little tiring for them, so they decided to make up some new updated lyrics. Liiiike, instead of move it, inserting any word popping into their little boy brains. What exactly is in boy brains?? oh, just words like, poop, fart, toot, gas, burp...anything gross and relating to a bodily function. So what does that leave you with for a song??? Let me just give you a little taste of my day:

Caleb-"I like to move it move it, I like to jump it jump it, I like to POOP it POOP it

me- "Caleb, don't say poop"

Caleb-"I like to ride it ride it, I like to burp it burp it (that one's a little questionable, so I let it go) I like to boob it boob it"

me-"Caleb!! don't say boob!! thats not nice!"

Caleb-"ok...(10 sec of silence).....I like to gas it gas it"

me- "CALEB!!! don't use potty talk!! its gross! you DON'T talk like that"

Caleb-back to square one "I like to move it move it, I like to move it move it, I like to jump it jump it, I like to poot it poot it, I like to poop it poop it...."

Seriously, repeat for the ENTIRE day!!!

Kindergarden

My independant little girl is off.....not one glimmer of insecurity or fear or nerves, just pure excitement.

Last week was her first week. She did so great. I think its just overwhelming for her cause everyday I pick her up and ask how her day was she responds "Its just too much to talk about, mom, I don't know how to say everything". So being the patient, understanding mom that I am, I give her about 30 seconds to unwind in the car and then ask again "Sooo, what did you do today?", overwhelming her even more, I'm sure.

Here's some pics:Computer lab in the classroom....blows me away!!

Speaking Life

I love how God brings people into our lives for seasons at a time to encourage our souls. To speak life into the deepest, darkest places. It just speaks to me that God IS pursuing me. He cares when my soul is troubled...so He sends someone to shine some light into it.

I've had such a hard couple of weeks, just discouraged maybe. Heavy. I am so hard on myself when I get into those places....constantly praying for whatever is clinging onto me that is not of God, to get off. Praying for God to bring to the surface whatever is not of HIm. Praying for God to cover me with His grace, to pour His Life, His Love into me. But through all those prayers, I was getting nowhere. So yesterday a wonderful woman gave me the most beautiful card and this is what she wrote in it:

"Jesus Calling"

"Come to me when you are weak and weary. Rest snugly in my everlasting arms. I do not despise your weakness, my child. Actually, it draws me closer to you, because weakness stirs up My compassion-My yearning to help. Accept yourself in your weariness, knowing that I understand how difficult your journey has been. Do not compare yourself with others who seem to skip along their life-paths with ease. Thier journey is differnt from yours, and I have gifted them with abundant energy. I have gifted you with fragility, providing opportunities for you Spirit to blossom in my presence. Accept this gift as a sacred treasure: delicate, yet glowing with brilliat light. Rather than struggling to disguise or deny your weakness, allow me to bless you richly through it!"

I never even thought to embrace where I am. To allow God to draw close to me where I am....I have it in my head to GET OUT of where I am and THEN I can bask in Gods goodness. But thats not always the case. God teaches us where we are. He draws us closer to Him through our weakness. How beautiful!!

How beautiful when we are sensitive to Gods Spirit. When we listen and obey that little voice nudging us to encourage someone who may be in a hard spot. How Beautiful when you are the hands and feet of God.

How Beautiful when you can speak life into someones soul.

Time

Haven't had any inspiration for blogging lately. Its been weeks. I've had nothing profound, just busy day to day life. We were on vacation for a week last week down in San Clemente, that was great. We went with the Edwardsons. It was a great week of resting, hangin with our friends, being at the Condo and going to the beach. The night we were coming home (last Sat night) we found out Seans Grandpa passed away, so we dropped the kids at my moms, got back in the Explorer Thursday and went back down to Baks for the funeral. Saturday we catered a wedding and today we spent the day at the lake.

Just stuff. Filling up time. Filling days and weeks and hours. Good stuff. Lots of great family time. But man, its been busy. I'm ready for things to slow down and settle back into a schedule. My house is nuts. I have a giant pile in the living room thats perpetually growing..I can't seem to get to the bottom of it. So this week is my last week (before school starts) to get my feet back on the ground. I'm stayin in. Locking my doors. Getting re-acqauinted with my house. Maybe I'll turn my phone off and computer off and just be. No interuptions, no distractions. No appointments. No places to be. Just be. Sounds sooo good! I don't know if thats acquirable....Monday night planning meeting, Tues Mom's group, Tues night Life Group, Wed night Life Group, Friday night Womens Night of Prayer and Worship....but other than those things....I'm not doing ANYTHING else!!! hahaha......here's to hopin :)

here's some pics of vacay:

Gettin dirty! actually not getting dirty...they were all covered with sand from head to foot within 3 seconds of being on the beach....ridiculous! But they had hours and hours of priceless time running in and out of waves, building sand castles, making motorcyle tracks and jumps, and just getting soooo sandy!! So much fun for a kid!!

Cruisin the boardwalk. Thursday night, got some Pedro's for dinner (best fish tacos ever!!), took it down to the beach for the Summer Concert on the Beach.....so much fun!AAAand last but not least, here's my little escapee....he was tall enough to reach up and open the door to the hotel room, so we found him a few times scaling the stairs. And Nate actually found him the next floor up and around the corner!! Little guy is fast!

Psalm 1

I got a new tatoo yesterday.

This is my new tatoo:

I love it. Its exactly what I drew up months ago. I've been sitting on it for a while though, just wanting to make sure its really want I wanted to do...cause its kinda permanent.

Gods just been teaching me so much about trees lately. For the past year or so I have just loved trees. Any picture I see, any where I go...I just love them. We even had Hannah come over and paint a mural on our wall of a tree...its amazing.

Trees are strong. They're steadfast. Their roots go down deep. Ps 1 says "His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law He meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." That verse just speaks so much to me. When we are connected to our Source, or to the Vine (according to John), we prosper. Apart from Christ we can do absolutely nothing. And the words on it says "Live Love"...which will probably have to be a whole other post all together...that one is kinda packed. Yet simple at the same time. Live love. So simple...yet so what the world needs craves and is so hungry for. A people who is going to live a different way.....but I'm not going to get into that right now.

Love my Tatoo. About gave my mom and probably mother-in-law a heart attack......sorry moms. Love you guys :)......

New Day

The day has come. I didn't think it would ever happen. It was a possibility for Chrismas. I thought maybe it would happen when we got out tax return. And then maybe for Easter. Ok, possibly Mothers Day. Perhaps when all my friends threatened to call Sean over and over asking where I was would prompt me getting one.

I have never said ONE word through any of this. No whining that I didn't have any means of communication if I were to get stranded on the side of the road someplace in Redding. No begging and complaining that EVERYONE in the world has a cell phone except for me. I had excepted the fact that if anything happened to the kids while out galavanting about Redding, I could handle it. I can take care of myself...and three kids. I can change a tire. I can do anything, right?

So what would cause this drastic change of events? Seans cell getting dropped in the lake on the 4th. He HAD to get a new phone for work....so why not just get two while he was at it? Its a new day.

I have a Cell phone.

And its Seans Birthday.

Sean, I love you. Thank you for my new pretty pink cell phone (even though I don't do pink). Have a fantastic day today. Thank you for being such an amazing provider for all of us. We really don't deserve any of the gifts we have....we are so blessed. I am so lucky to have you as my Husband and Father to my kids. Happy 29!!!

Aaaaaand its Erica's birthday

Happy Birthday Erica! You are an amazing woman. I don't know how you do it, ALL of it, all the time. Your strength is inpiring. Thank you for your friendship. I hope you have a great day.

What a day!!!