Surprise Date #2

This time I took Aaron to Barnes and Noble for our surprise date. On the way there we stopped for ice cream. I chose to go there because we like to do our own thing but together. After we get our coffee, Aaron grabs a few of books, I grab a few magazines, and we head upstairs to sit in our usual "comfy chairs" to read. Every now and then we look up to people watch or talk about what we're reading (or in some cases viewing). This time we stayed in the coffee shop and you can see what happened once we got there!

Earrings!!

Mazie got her ears pierced yesterday!! She was not happy about it either. But like my Grandma Frost always says, "It hurts to be beautiful." Sorry Mazie. You're a girl.

Lunch Boxes

I'm always amazed when someone tells me they are watching my life. I guess it's because I feel pretty common. Our neighbor recently gave her life to Christ an now works at our kids' school. She told me she loves seeing what I put in Gabe and Judah's lunch boxes because it's healthy and creative. Well that might be a small detail of my life, but I know that it's much bigger than that. It's possibly changing her future generations. Instead of feeding her kids whatever they want, teaching them poor eating habits, she has begun to think about what she buys and feeds her family. She is showing her kids that she cares about them. She is teaching them that their bodies are temples of God. Her kids will in turn do the same or better. I love that!

And that's the beauty of being a Christ follower. He chooses and uses the most common of us all to influence the actual path of other people's lives. When I look at myself I wonder how this is possible, but then I remember that it isn't my greatness that affects their lives. It's Christ in me that influences. I don't need to worry about changing other people's lives to be great. I only need to focus on Jesus changing my mind and character through my relationship with him and people all around me will be forever changed. What a privilege!

Learning To Cherish

Learning to Cherish

by Moyra Jean Stiles, mother of three

Four months ago, my friend was diagnosed with aggressive stomach cancer. And my life has been irrevocably altered by the days I have spent with her during her illness. Days that confine her to her bed or a recliner all day, very heavily medicated for pain, physically unable to do daily tasks as she moves through the letting go of the work that was hers as a woman, a wife and a mother.

 

"I want to be the one to love
my family in these tangible ways"

In the hours when we sit together and pray, her heart desires remain very clear: "Please, Lord, please, let me be the one that gets to dress my girls. Please, Lord, O please, let my hands be able to once again prepare a meal for the man I love and the children I cherish. I, Lord, I want to be the one to love my family in these tangible ways." Of all the things she's lost in this season, this is what she mourns the loss of most: caring for the ones she loves with the energy and creativity of her unique and committed heart.

Oddly enough, those are the very tasks that most often garner grumbles from me. I, who have an abundant amount of health and energy, grow weary of endless meals to prep, laundry to fold and diapers to change. And yes, these tasks can be tiresome. But because of my friend's beautiful spirit and grace, I'm discovering just how precious they are, just how much they mark me my husband's wife, my children's mother. And those are roles I never want to lose.

 

Dear God, thank you for my family. Show me how to love them through the big and the small, the exciting and the mundane. Remind me to cherish them always. Amen.

My Silly Boy

Surprise Date #1

I have to admit that in the past 8 years of our marriage I haven't been too creative, nor have I put forth much effort for our date nights. I've actually been quite lazy, expecting him to do all of the work in dating me. After listening to a Focus on the Family broadcast, I realized we needed a fresh spirt of romance, and it needed to come from me. So I went to work coming up with ideas (with help from the Internet of course). Like I said, I'm not too creative.
So here's the challenge - I have $20 every other week for our date nights.
My plan - to surprise Aaron with an awesomely romantic date night for $20 or less.
Tonight was our first one and it was a hit. Here we are at a friend's house. My friend and I set the scene and I brought the food. After dinner we even went for a paddle boat ride! Aaron was extremely pleased and it made me feel more connected and committed to the growth of our marriage.

First Day of School!!

Today is Gabe and Judah's first day of school!! They were so excited to go. They have been counting down the days for about two weeks now. Gabe woke up in the best mood, which is unusual, and Judah said, "I can't wait to see what I'm going to learn today!" As we dropped them off Isaiah had mixed emotions. I bought him a preschool book and will be teaching him basics at home while the other two are at school. He's happy that I'm going to be his teacher, but sad to see the boys gone all day. He walked to the van with a very sad face as we left them behind.
This year I have a few daily goals with Isaiah. To do one praise and worship song using Seeds Family Worship (scripture put to music), one school lesson, one chore, and play/exercise. I will also be working on keeping life simple and establishing an easy yet consistent routine. It's only been an hour since the boys were dropped off and already the house is so much quieter. I think I'm going to like this year!

God Gets Motherhood

As I was reading in the book of Numbers this morning, I saw a correlation between motherhood and God with the Isrealites. Over and over again, they argued, complained, and were very stubborn. God had proven that He knew what was up, yet they refused to listen! Wow, this sounds like my kids at times.

God's interaction with His children sounded familiar. He couldn't get them to do anything until He got mad enough to do something that got their attention. Even the nice things He did, like give them the meat they complained about not having, He did in aggrivation. He gave them so much of it they were literally sick of it and even complained about that! He got frustrated and angry with them over and over again. He often threw up his hands in the air and said, "Forget it! Because of your disobedience and complaining, you won't get ANYTHING!" Hmmm...sounds like me at times. In Numbers 14:34 God told them, "You will discover what it is like to have me as your enemy!" Sometimes I wish I could say those exact words to my kids and smite them with leprosy for 5 minutes just to get them to take me seriously! It's good that I don't have that kind of power.

Moses had to remind God that His true character was not this way. He is slow to anger, rich in unfailing love, and forgives the sins of a thousand generations. I am reminded even by reading that verse that if I want to be like God, I too must be slow to anger, rich in love, and forgiving the many sins my children commit all day long because God is this way towards me.

I'm glad God understands how I feel as a mom. It makes me feel more confident to ask for his grace, mercy, and help every minute of every day because I sure do need it.

It's Official

Last Wednesday night was the official transition from us as Youth Pastors to Ashton Cage. It was such a wonderful celebration of the past six years. They started the night off with the most hilarious rap by Kyle Tucker. Three teenagers gave us each (Ashton, Aaron, and myself) encouragement about what we meant to them and how we impacted their lives. Our Pastor and his wife encouraged us with a scripture. There was an amazing slideshow of so many wonderful memories. Aaron's parents, our Pastors, and our team prayed for all three of us in our transitions. An envelope of money that was collected by the youth was given to us and a party in the back continued the celebration. It was a night I'll never forget. Aaron said it best when he ended the night saying, "It's all about relationships." There will be many transitions in life and at the end of each season, we'll remember most the relationships we had the opportunity to build.

Laura, my Pastor's wife, encouraged me greatly by saying I had been a great mother figure to the girls in the youth. She spoke of my next season in life as being a bright one. I am ready and excited to embrace it.