My Future's so Bright...I Gotta Wear Shades!

Ahhh...the love of a little brother (at least most of the time)...

My boys are five years apart. The admiration Nathan has for Nicholas goes beyond words. You may not be able to see it all the time, they do have their moments of "Separate now...stop talking to one another, if you can't be nice, and go look up some bible verses on brotherly love!" My favorite in times like this is "Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

If I had a dollar for every time they've written that verse...well, let's just say I could buy a few mocha lattes with it! :-)

Then there are days like this one where every thing goes right, the boys love each other and Nicholas doesn't mind it if Nathan "copies" him. Nicholas got a new pair of sunglasses...the maverick kind. He looks so cool in them. Nathan, seeing this, had to have some too. The only problem is he wears glasses. So, after much discussion, I let Nathan get some too.

Dale took Nathan to the mall to pick them out. They did a lot of searching from what I understand and Nathan came home with TWO pairs. "They were two for $20, Mom...it was a great deal!" He was using his own money, so I couldn't argue. Then he begins to tell me how Dad calls them "Inspection without detection" glasses. "What is that?" I asked. "Well, you see, Mom, it's like this...you get the kind with mirror lenses so when you are inspecting a girl...there is no detecting it." Hmmm...so Dad, how often do you use this technique? "Only when I'm looking at you honey, I promise." Good answer...but I don't believe it!

This is the way some of us are as Christians...we're constantly inspecting others for signs of faith and trying not to be detected by them for fear of offending them. I'm reading a great book right now called "Share Jesus Without Fear". It's teaching me to be bold in my inspection. Choosing not the sin of silence or the fear of failure but the commitment to Christ to be His disciple.

Did you know that 90 percent of the people in an average church have not shared their faith in the past year? I have to admit, I'm one of them. No more! It only takes 30 seconds (if you're in a real hurry) to share your faith. Of course, this is not recommended, but it shows it can be done. On average a person has to hear the gospel 7.6 times before it changes his/her life. If my 30 seconds is the .6 they need...get behind me satan...I'm on a mission!

You really have to read this book to get better equipped to share the gospel without getting tongue tied (which I am... no really, I am!) but here are the five questions Bill Fay suggests you use to get the conversation going:

1. Do you have any kind of spiritual belief?
2. To you, who is Jesus?
3. Do you think there is a heaven or a hell?
4. If you died, where would you go? If heaven, why?
5. If what you are believing is not true, would you want to know?

How easy is that? Well, not so much. You have to pray hard about it and the Holy Spirit will give you the strength you need. Each time it will get easier.

"Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to sinners, and they will return to you." Psalm 51:12-13

Here is a photo of the book:
You can get it on Amazon.com for about $10. Well worth it!

Oh yea...and here is a shot of our "Inspection without Detection" boys...heehee
















Blessings!

Michael Phelps did it again!

Well, make that 15 gold, 14 silver and 19 bronze. Michael Phelps took the gold again! His 7th in the 2008 games. This time in the 100m Butterfly. He beat the second place winner, Milorad Cavic from Serbia, by .01 seconds! Unbelievable!

I'm off to bed now...really. :-)

Blessings!

Go Team USA!!

OK...is it just me or is anyone else consumed with the Olympics?? I'm staying up way too late every night to catch the latest. I'm taping what I can't be home to watch and watching it later.

I know the US has 14 Gold, 13 Silver and 19 Bronze medals. WOW! I am so proud of our athletes. And how about the women gymnasts, especially Shawn Johnson she is so talented... and they took Gold and Silver in the All-around. Not to mention Michael Phelps being the greatest swimmer in HISTORY and the women's 2 on 2 volleyball team, are they something, or what? And did anyone else see the men's swimming team 4 X100 Freestyle Relay? When Jason Lezak came up on the French guy (sorry, I don't know his name), I was out of my seat screaming at the TV! After all of the remarks the French team made, I was so excited for the US team...they really deserved it!

OK...OK...I know I'm a little too addicted. Better this than other things I guess. :-)

I pray all of the athletes are focusing on the these things...

"Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you." Psalm 37:3-5

Whew...I've gotta go...it's starting in like 6 minutes and I don't want to miss it!

Blessings!

It's a new day...and a new year...

OK...it's August 13th. I've just gone my first full day of the school year. Nathan left this morning looking waaayyyy to grown up.

There was no lunch to make, no planner to sign, no rush to get breakfast...I actually slept in a little. Wait a minute...is there really something wrong with that. NO! It felt pretty good really. But, it has been waaayyy too quiet around here today! I miss them already. :-)

My boys are growing up and they don't need me as much now...as much as I thought it would make me weepy, it actually feels kinda GOOD! Before you judge me or decide I'm the worst Mom on the planet, please know I've dedicated the last 17 years to my boys. We've been through the cub scouts, science projects, PTO, Little League and the latest adventures of Tennis for Nathan and Wrestling for Nicholas!

I'm so blessed they are becoming fine young men who have a heart for God and a desire to please him. They truly are young men after His heart. And, for that, I consider myself blessed beyond measure.

As the new year begins for our kids and students everywhere, it is critical we cover them in prayer. Reminding them daily of God's love for them and ours as well. Although, we are sure they know it, say it...often! The world we live in today is so full of temptations and peer pressure. They need to know, no matter what, we are there for them. We will always be honest with them and above all go to God's word for guidance. Lead by example. Psalm 78:4 says ~ "We will not hide these truths from our children but will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord. We will tell of His power and the mighty miracles He did."

Go to Him in prayer and petition for your kids and the other students they are with everyday. Pray, too, for the teachers and administration. They are with our kids most of the day and have such an influence on them.

We are blessed to have our boys enrolled in a Christian school, so we don't have to deal with a lot of the issues of public school, but the pressure is still there to "fit in" and "be cool".

Lord, you know our hearts desire is for our children to know You. Lift your hedge of protection around them tall and strong. Protect their minds and hearts from the worldly things that are unpleasing to you and help them to seek Your face in all they do. Shining a light so bright others will be drawn to them to find out why they are so different. In Your Son's Name I pray...Amen.

Blessings!

Is today the 8th already?

Well, let me just say, I am exhausted! We have three rental properties and all three are vacant at the same time. It rarely happens, but it did. We have been working like crazy to get them cleaned up and ready for new tenants before school starts and we lose our help. Nicholas and Nathan go back to school on Wednesday the 13th and the next few days will be filled with shopping for supplies.

My youngest, Nathan, is starting middle school this year. I am certain it is much harder on me than on him. He's just excited he gets to purchase his lunch a la cart this year! I on the other hand am trying hard to "handle" it well. When Nicholas started middle school I was OK, 'cause I had Nathan. When Nicholas started high school, I was OK, 'cause I had Nathan. Now, Nathan is starting middle school and I have no one else to be OK about!

Mother Teresa has a quote..."I know God will not give my anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much." I try hard to remember how much God loves me and won't give me more than I can handle, but I have to be honest...I feel like that!

Well, friends, please keep me in your prayers as I go through this transition...Nathan just bounded in with his new tennis shoes on...he's so much a boy, but quickly becoming a young man.

Blessings!

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven..." Ecclesiatstes 3:1

WOW! I can hardly believe I have my very own blog...and it is so pretty!

Thanks, Shauna...you really got inside my head and created something that is truly me!

I feel like Pooh Bear...think, think, think. Now that I have it, I'm going to have to give some thought as to what I want to say. And so comes the hard part. heehee

I'll post more later, I just wanted to get my feet wet!

Blessings!