A reflection of my 33rd year of LIFE!

OK, let me make it clear....... I am not "Debbie Domestic". As I was thinking back of all the things I have tried this past year. It may appear that I am crafty. But, I asure you that I am not. My goal this year has been to show my children that you can really do ANYTHING you set your mind too.

When I came home to be with my children fulltime. I wanted to make sure that I put as much planning and energy into them. As I did with my job that I left. This may sound kinda "weird" but, I knew that I always put all that I had into any "position" I held.

In the pictures below are some of the very firsts that my children and I shared together. From the bottom picture up: The very first dress that Sarah and I sewed. The peaches that Grandma, Sarah, William and I canned. The homemade Christmas presents that we made for our friends and family. We just started some seedlings for our garden that we are going to be planting this year. The top picture of me is just proof to everyone that I still have some sanity left:)

I celebrated my 34th birthday on March 13th.

The Discipline Of Dismay

Recently, I shared with a friend something that I was struggling with. The next time that we saw each other she brought this page out of her Daily Journal. It was just what I needed.

THE DISCIPLINE OF DISMAY

"As they followed they were afraid" (Mark 10:32).

At the beginning of our life with Jesus Christ, we were sure we knew all there was to know about following Him. It was a delight to forsake everything else and to throw ourselves before Him in a fearless statement of love. But now we are not quite so sure. Jesus is far ahead of us and is beginning to seem different and unfamililiar-"Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed" (10:32).
There is an aspect of Jesus that chills even a disciple's heart to its depth and makes his entire spiritual life gasp for air. This unusual Person with His face set "like a flint" (Isaiah 50:7) is walking with great determination ahead of me, and He strikes terror right through me. He no longer seems to be my Counselor and Friend and has a point of view about which I know nothing. All I can do is stand and stare at Him in amazement. At first I was confident that I understood Him, But now I am not so sure. I begin to realize that there is a distance between Jesus and me and I can no longer be intimate with Him. I have no idea where He is going, and the goal has become strangely distant.
Jesus Christ had to understand fully every sin and sorrow that human beings could experience, and that is what makes Him seem unfamiliar. When we see this aspect of him, we realize we really don't know Him. We don't recognize even one characteristic of His life, and we don't know how to begin to follow Him. He is far ahead of us, a Leader who seems totally unfamiliar, and we have no friendship with Him.
The discipline of dismay is an essential lesson which a disciple must learn. The danger is that we tend to look back on our times of obedience and on our past sacrifices to God in and effort to keep our enthusiasm for Him strong (see Isaiah 50:10-11). But when the darkenss of dismay comes, endure until it is over, because out of it will come the ability to follow Jesus truly, which brings inexpressibly wonderful joy.

William and Sarah's Favorite Song/March

Fruit of the Spirit Candence

I don't know what you've been told....
Galatians' got the fruit of gold.
Patience, joy, love, peace and faith....
With gentleness He'll get the praise.

Self-control with kind and good.....
We'll be like Jesus said we should....
Ask me what would Jesus do?
Galatians 5 Verse 22

Sound off: Galatians 5
Bring it on down: Verse 22

Galatians 5 Verse 22

WE'VE GOT-THE FRUIT!

(optinal ending)
WE'VE GOT- (clap)-(stomp)-THE FRUIT!

I hope that you and your kids have as much fun with this as we have:)