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Friday, January 28, 2011

Foto Friday

This weeks Favorite Foto Friday Challenge was stripes. As I was going, I wasn't sure if I was really getting any good ones. Now that I'm done, I can't decide which one I like the best. Probably this first one of Jude, but I had to post all of them for you to see. :) Gotta love these little blessings from the Lord. Truly a gift.  Now that we're on the subject of stripes, it's funny how they're all around us...I can't help but think of Isaiah 53:5 which says, "with His stripes we are healed", our sin marked His body, then by grace, He leaves His mark on us to cleanse us, to remove all other marks of sin. Then, from a different angle, our lives are changed by the mark our children make on us, and as for us mothers, our bodies are literally changed forever, altered by the stripes covering our bellies that stretched to bear these children. Not going to share and photos of those today, so don't worry. :)





Foto Friday Challenge

Friday, January 21, 2011

Seein' Spots!



I'm joining my friend in this Foto Friday Challenge created by Rebecca. Every week there is a challenge to do or you can simply put in one of your favorite photos from the week. Since my wonderful husband totally surprised me with a new camera for Christmas...a small, simple, point and click camera that I can actually use...probably one that many would consider a downgrade compared to what I used to use...the old camera just got too smart for me...or maybe I'm just too distracted and impatient to study and learn it better now that I am privileged enough to chase four kiddos into any of the shots...anyway, I figured this would be a great challenge for me especially since I really enjoy taking pictures again! So, this week's challenge was spots. Can you see the spots? They're on her pajamas. I know it is hard to see past those big eyes! So, I'm pretty pleased with my first attempt. :) not that I'm bragging in any way!! We're so thankful for this little spot in our life! God is good!
Next's week challenge is stripes!


Foto Friday Challenge

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Childlike






Recently, I saw the second half of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. What a fun movie. I can't wait to read the book to the kids some day...so many good lessons to learn. Anyway, there was a line at the end of the movie that immediately caught my full attention. Charlie (the little boy- remember?) won the prize of inheriting the whole Chocolate Factory. Willy Wonka explained to him that he wasn't going to live forever and who would run the factory after he died? He couldn't get an adult to do it because they wouldn't listen to his directions. They would want to do things their own way. Of course! A child. He had to find a child to teach and train to run the factory... Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3


To have the faith of a child
To believe and trust as a child does
To humble ourselves and follow like children do
To love without reserve or prejudice
To rejoice with great joy...even about the same little gifts given over and over again


I know there's more I could say about this verse...if time weren't an issue...if it I had no other(s) calling right now.


Lord, soften the parts of this vessel that have dried out and hardened from time, from age, make me soft and supple to your Word again.


Note: I continue to memorize Colossians! I'm already in Week 3 and am remembering why many struggle when reading Paul's letters. :) But the Words are the breathe and very Word of God, so they will come...by faith. I'm also excited to be making progress in other goals...which I'll keep private for now.  If you have a minute click on the "button" (image) below and read this great post by Ann Voskamp.  It challenged and encouraged me greatly today!





Monday, January 17, 2011

Multitude Monday

243: Knights in Shining Armor

244: Fair Maidens Sweet

245: Fond memories of childhoods with rubber band guns 

246: Soft and fuzzy pajamas

247: Soft Babies

248: Mentos

249: Sneaky Little Girls at naptime
(In case you can't distinguish the items, she surrounded herself with Grandma's corn husk dolls, teddy bears, ceramic kitty, and a large bag of popcorn that was hiding in Mommy's bag...then she finally fell asleep...no wonder she slept so long that day!)

250: Stealing Hugs and Kisses with Daddy

251: Wrapping and tissue paper piles!

252: Ice Skates!

253: Sweet Puzzles

254: Storytime

255: good leaders

256: Little girls who LOVE books

257: Bedtime smiles

  258: Eyes that can't leave the page of her book, but I'll smile anyway...

259: big boy grins

260: sweet baby faces

261: Big eyes

262: Baby dolls and rocking chairs

263: Baby baths

264: White earmuffs

265: Little boy dreaming...coming true

266: Cardboard boxes

267: The minds of children

268: Squeaky giraffe toys

269: A man who likes to surprise me and does (in a good way) :)

270: Nine years of great JOY and the dreams that wait the coming ones...



Thursday, January 13, 2011

Growth




I've gone back and forth about posting this bit. At first, I was sure that I was not going to post it because I wanted this to be a private step, not something that I boasted about to everyone. Then as I thought more, I realized this would be a good time for confession, and perhaps my confession would spur others on by God's grace to draw nearer to the Lord as well. So, here it is:

After reading a couple posts from a blog by Ann Voskamp about growing closer to the Lord through scripture memorization(this and this), I was challenged to join her and others in memorizing the book of Colossians in a Year. Two verses a week. This sounds attainable, right? Yet, I'm quite scared. I know a lot of scripture, but I never fully memorize it and usually forget the reference. Which could be ok if that were all you were mentally capable of; however, I began to realize that my reason for this is my laziness. One line that she wrote caught me:

"Who memorizes God in the age of google?"

This is a good question! That was always my excuse for not hiding the scriptures in my heart more diligently. Not that I haven't memorized anything. I have and we are even working with a great scripture memory system with the kids. However, I haven't done it with all my heart ...because of my laziness. I could always look up the verse I want somewhere, or I could just call my Dad. :)

So, I'm going to do it. I'm going to attempt it. And by God's grace, I'll attain it, and ascribe to Him all the glory due His name. (That's my other focus this year.)


Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Happy New Year!

Ok, well, I'm a bit late, but "Happy New Year!" I feel like we are finally getting our pieces put back together after a long and busy and memorable and blessed December. Most memorable thing about December: the LIST of answered prayers that I was able to record by God's grace. No need to explain, He knows what I mean. God is good! "Amen!"

So I think it was the day that we made coffee cakes, I got this idea in my head that we should have a tradition like that for New Year's...how about Monkey Bread?!! Great idea. What a silly, fun, celebratory way to start the New Year! So we did! We had our bread and ate it too! Lucy helped me. It was a fun morning.


New Year's Eve, Tyson and I actually managed to stay up until Midnight! "Shock" Only because we were working on a project together. For over a year now, we have been talking about "instituting" some Suemnicht Family Values. The idea was inspired by some teaching we had heard from Walk in the Word Ministries. We just couldn't decide where in the house to hang up our list...I know that sounds silly. Well, inspiration finally hit and Tyson came up with this idea. So here you go:




The metal candle tree was something that we've had by our table for a long time. This worked beautifully. The kids were eager to learn and memorize the family values right away! Implementing them and growing in them will be something we'll grow in all our days --I pray. 

I have many other goals and plans and dreams for this year...more to come at a later time. What about you?

Happy NEW Year!
God can make all things NEW!


What I Need


Sometimes what I need isn't really what I need.
 Did you get that?
For example, I think, "need this baby to stop crying!" while God thinks, "You need this baby to cry so that you can learn my patience, so that you can better appreciate her joyful times, so that you can put yourself aside and think of someone else's needs for a change."
Sometimes, what I need, isn't really what I need!

Or I think, "need to get this laundry done!", but God thinks, "You need your laundry machine to break so that you can learn my faithfulness, so that you can learn to stop in the middle of something and pay attention to what really matters most, so that you can grow to appreciate your laundry machine more."

Sometimes, what I need, isn't really what I need!

Our lives are filled with scenarios like this aren't they. I know I pray for there never to be any bumps in the road, any illnesses, any failures, any longings. What a blessing it is that God doesn't always answer MY prayers the way that I want Him to. He allows us to struggle, to fall, to be in want, to get sick, to fail for a reason. He allows these things because He loves us. He loves us enough to not leave us where we are, so He sends these trials our way to shape and mold us. 

"One of the devil's key strategies is to convince a Christian that God has no future for failures. The truth of the matter is, failure is sometimes the very experience that enables God to later use us and still get all the glory." -Jim White

We may not be able to come to a point where we welcome hardship with exuberant expectancy at what God is going to do. Maybe, though, if we keep these things in mind, we'll be able to have a little more peace while we wait for the trial to be over. God does have a plan. It is a good plan. He sees the forest in spite of the trees. Hang in there!