Countdown

This coming Sunday at our church is "Promotion Sunday". This is the Sunday when the students promote to their next grade level. We have been blessed with an A-MAZING Children's Minister who truly desires to share Christ with our kids as well as partner with parents to train up their children in a Biblical way. This Sunday we will also be using a new strategy to encourage three basic ideas taken from Luke 2:52.

This video was used to promote our new ministry year. Please pay close attention to the countdown at the beginning of the video.



It was very sobering to see the actual numbers. Of course this was making the point that the church only has so much time to help you as a parent to equip your kids. It is our job as parents to teach our children about Christ and his love. We CANNOT leave it up to the church alone.

We must recognize and take responsibility for living out and teaching the Word in our homes so someday our kids will understand how to take responsibility for their own spiritual lives. It is crucial to model it--reading our Bibles, praying (alone and as a family), trusting God in making choices, serving, treating all people with dignity and love, etc.

I hope you are encouraged and motivated to spend time helping to shape and develop your child's spiritual life. If you are unsure or afraid there are so many wonderful resources available, but go to the Father first and ask Him for help. He will be faithful to provide it.

Sleeping Beauty

Beautiful girl.

Time for the Big Boy Bed

Well, this summer we finally moved Caleb to a big boy bed. We decided to go ahead and move him since he decided to climb out and fell on his head instead.

Snotty nose.

Super excited!

We still don't have a cute bedding set but I haven't found anything I want to spend money on. Maybe for Christmas we'll find something.

I know I may regret saying this, but after several weeks he still has not gotten out of bed without permission. PRAISE THE LORD!!!!

A Husband's Song

One of the things I have always loved about my husband is that he is always singing. Not in front of people, just around the house, in the car, in the shower, etc. He'll bust out singing some random country song from the 1980s with a really thick southern accent and then we'll die laughing. Sometimes he'll catch himself and say, "I can't believe that is taking up space in my brain!" Other times he'll even take songs we like and use the tune but make up hillarious new lyrics that make absolutely no sense. He makes me smile when he sings.

But lately he's been singing a song a lot that we've been hearing on the radio the last few months. The first time I heard it I wept. Today after church he started singing it with all his might, grabbed my hand and danced with me in the kitchen.

This song has been his prayer since we were first married--even before it was written as a song. And I must boast in the grace of our Lord Jesus, God has always been faithful to answer his prayer, a prayer that now Wesley can sing. This song is definitely not wasting space in his mind. It is an incredibly powerful song, and I wanted to share it with you.

The following video is the story behind the song "Lead Me" by Sanctus Real.

The Story Behind "Lead Me" - Sanctus Real from BrightBulb Entertainment on Vimeo.

Here are the lyrics:

I look around and see my wonderful life
Almost perfect from the outside
In picture frames, I see my beautiful wife
Always smiling, but on the inside

Oh, I can hear her saying

Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, but what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone

I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They're just children from the outside
I'm working hard, I tell myself they'll be fine
They're independent, but on the inside

Oh, I can hear them saying

Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone

So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I'm called to be
Oh Father, show me the way
To lead them

Won't You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can't
Don't want to leave them hungry for love
Chasing things that I could give up

I'll show them I'm willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me 'cause I can't do this alone

Father, lead me 'cause I can't do this alone

Weekend at the Ranch

These are some pictures from our first trip to the ranch this summer (back in June).

Chocolate pudding snacks.

On the porch discussing Toy Story 3 with Paw paw.

One of the great things about going to the ranch is that no one really expects you to take "real" baths. In the summer we typically leave a basket of soap, shampoo and conditioner at the "pool" (an old tank) so when we take one of our daily swims in the FREEZING water we wash in our swim suits. Here's Josie getting her hair washed by her Nana. She didn't like it.

Much happier now....

...but not now....

...happy again.

I think I have a super hunky husband!

Princess Bed

For a long time I thought it would be fun to get Josie some sort of canopy or mosquito net to hang over her bed but didn't want to pay $60 for something. So the other day I tried something.

I picked up one of these:

(an embroidery wooden hoop--less than $3)

and three of these:

These panels from Walmart were about $7 each.

I'm sure if I could sew I might have saved even more, but I don't have a sewing machine, so this is what I used.

I opened one of the hoops and put the panels on and then screwed the hoop back together tightly.

Then I attached several pieced of fishing line and hung it on the ceiling over Josie's bed.

And voila!

I might add little dangly-sparkly things at some point but we'll see.

Eat Your Fruit and Veggies

They're just too cute!