Savannah's Fifth (Hard to Believe) Birthday!

In efforts to not go stir crazy waiting for an answer on our future with the Air Force, I have decided to upload pictures from Savannah's party for you few who are not on Facebook :) We had close to 30 kids at the party! It was SOOO much fun and I think everyone had a great time! What a fun day!

Grammy and Grandpa Tom!

Our big FIVE YEAR OLD (almost)

Birthday girl ready to party!

The decorations...

....and party favors...

Hey hey hey

Most of the party....fun shot!

Happy birthday sweet princess

Best friends

If we are moving....

We have about another week before we should hear at least a sliver of what is going to happen with our future. Even in this short time of uncertainty, we have said on numerous occasions, "Well, IF WE ARE MOVING, then....". Here are some examples:

"Gross, we need a new shower curtain." "Well, IF WE ARE MOVING, we should just hold off until we get into the new house."

"Let's hang out with our new friends." "Should we really be making new friends IF WE ARE MOVING?"

"We need to plan family vacation." "Well, until we know IF WE ARE MOVING, we won't know if/when we will be able to."

"A new couple wants to join our small group." "Well, IF WE ARE MOVING, will there even be a small group next year?"

"We need to register Parker for preschool next year." "Well, IF WE ARE MOVING, he will not go to school here."

"Where will Savannah go to kindergarten?" "We are waiting to find out IF WE ARE MOVING, but if we stay here, it will be Quest."

You get my drift? It is always something. However, I am sure that IF WE ARE MOVING, there will be a whole new set of "ifs" to go along with that too :)

I am not stressed out about it, but I will be glad to find out at least a little something. It is unsettling knowing that, in a matter of days, our lives could drastically change.....or maybe they won't change at all!! AGH! ;)

I hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday!!

"Trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." -Proverbs 3:5-6

Little Seeds

Let's imagine, for a moment, a little seed, flying through the air. That seed has no control as to where it lands. As the seeds flies around in the air, it may land, for brief moments, only to be picked back up again to continue on its adventure. If it is lucky, it will land in some rich soil so that it can be nourished and blossom.

I feel like that little seed right now. The wind that blows us around has never been as unpredictable as it is at this time in our life. We could be facing some major major changes over the coming weeks, and with each major direction, there are two or three more minor avenues that have to be considered. Some of the major changes will be decided for us, some we will have some input in, and some we will make for ourselves. We keep playing out all of these scenarios in our conversations. "Well, if this changes happens, then we will do a) b) and c). However, if this other thing happens, then we could do this a) b) or c). It is so time consuming imagining all of the "futures" we could have after a few little decisions are made.

We are placing full faith in God to provide for us. Although our journey thus far hasn't always been easy, we have been able to find blessings even in the rough spots. We have also been so richly blessed through the experiences and relationships along our journey. God knows what He is doing. I believe that the majority of people would be FREAKING OUT right now if they were faced with the same uncertainty as we are. However, our past has proven to us that God is there with us for every step. How can we worry about tomorrow when God has given us more than we can imagine to bless us today? We know the outcome we would like. We know the outcome that others would like on our behalf, but that doesn't mean it is the outcome God has in store for us, and we have to be ok with that!

So, again, I can't help but think of our little family as a seed waiting to find out where we will plant ourselves, where we are supposed to be to bloom and grow. The winds are changing, and we are ready!

I will leave you with this thought:

If you could journey with a seed, where do you think it would take you? How do you think you would be used once you landed?

Potty Training

Savannah was trying to help me motivate Parker to pee pee in the potty. Here is a sketch of "Parker" pee peeing in the potty. He is standing over the potty (the circle with the green "pee" in it). The picture is also anatomically correct. I asked Savannah what was happening and she said the pee (all of the green in the picture) was coming out of Parker's bottom and going into the potty. I asked again to clarify, "So Savannah, where is that pee pee coming from?" She said very innocently, "Oh, just his bottom."

If I could Cha-a-a-nge The World (think...Eric Clapton)

So, my post has nothing to do with Eric Clapton, but when I began to write, his song is what popped into my head!

Last August, I was blessed to attend the MOPS (Mother of Preschoolers) National Convention in Orlando. I went to a class called, "Serving the World with A Toddler on Your Hip," by Hayley DiMarco. I really wasn't sure what to expect, but I figured it had something to do with service. I long to serve. It is a passion of mine, but has fallen to the wayside since we moved to Florida. I have looked into a few things, but nothing seems to work out....or what I should say is, I haven't worked hard enough to get them worked out.

Haley told us about her story. She was a writer and her husband was a successful business man. They had a heart for service, but like many parents, felt as though they could only do so much with the toddler to tow. However, they challenged themselves, moved out of their big Nashville home, bought an RV, and lived on the road. Their mission: visit homeless shelters all over the country, recording men reading the Bible. They, then, took these readings and composed an audio Bible, which they later used in future missions, including Hungry Planet.

She had several major points which stood out to me. I had forgotten about this class, until today. I started thinking about where we will be next year. Will we make lots of money? Very little money? Have a nice house? Live in an apartment? There are so many uncertainties about our future, but today, I was imagining that we made lots of money, and how, when we do, I will hire a personal masseuse to come to my home once a week. Then, I stopped in my tracks, and was reminded of this class I had attended.

So often we focus so much of our energy on money and what we will do with it, if/when we have any. One of the major things that I took from this class was about this very thing. She asked us the question (worded from memory, so it's not exactly the same), "How many of your luxuries are indirectly causing someone else to miss out on their needs." BAM! Slap in the face. Now, clearly, you purchasing a new Porsche does not mean someone's food is being taken away from them. Or does it? We could go crazy with this, but let's look at a few examples....and I will use myself, because I do not want make you think I've got it all together. One of my "luxuries" is that I can go to Chick Fil A pretty much whenever I want. What if I took all the money I spend at Chick Fil A and, instead, saved it up and sent it to Africa. They could probably feed 10 starving children for what my one meal cost. Another example: What if I traded my Odyssey in for a car, that would be safe, but was not as new or as nice....then I could use that extra money on a child's education expenses in Russia, or even in here, in our own back yards!

There are so many ways that we could live without our luxuries so that we may give more to the less fortunate. Matthew 25:40 even says, "The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of min, you did for me. "

I am going to challenge myself and YOU to find at least one luxury you could do without, and find a place to give. Bear in mind, that a great luxury you "own" is the ability to do with you time what you choose. What if you took some time out of your day to help someone in need, serve at a local mission, etc. That is also a great luxury to give up!

This brings me to my next point....or, I suppose, Hayley's next point. Because we were discussing how to serve the world with a toddler on our hips, she challenged us to think about this: Are you children your idols?

Wait, what??

She actually made a very valid point. God said to put no gods (idols) before Him. Do we use our children as a crutch? Do we idolize our children more than God? Her point was, God should be number one...not the normal things us moms think about--not our children's safety, not their health, not their naps, playgroups, sports, etc. No....GOD! I know for sure that I use my children as a crutch. "Well, Parker and Savannah are too young to be exposed to that." Or, "If we take them on a mission trip, they may get sick or hurt." HOWEVER, we must remember God comes first. Yes, lets be reasonable, but lets not idolize these children. We should never make their needs greater than God's need for us to show His love.

She gave an example of a family of five who moved to Africa to support a mission there. Their families gave them a very hard time because it wasn't safe or sanitary. Yet, they went. While there, their little tot got very sick and died due to the lack of medical care. However, instead of dwelling on the "what if's" or the "how could you have done this to him's", they moved on because they knew God had called them to do this....and God is supreme...even over our children.

Yes, I know....this is a VERY hard concept to grasp. We, especially as mother, are to take care of these children, not putting them in harm's way, etc. So, to be able to accept that their needs and desires, etc. should not be our greatest concern, is no easy task!! It is definitely something I am still trying to wrap my head around.

I truly want to serve as a family. This may not mean going to Africa, but I would love to find a place for us to serve as a family and stop letting the "luxuries" of my life control it.

I ask that you pray for me, because even though I love to serve, I often have a hard time giving up my luxuries and handing over my fears to the Lord.

Take small steps....ease into it...

This is my challenge to myself and to you....

Are you up for it? Are you ready to get off that comfy sofa or soft bed, and go be the light that God calls us to be??

Can I get an Amen?

Well, I turned 29 Thursday. I don't know what I am supposed to think of that. Some people get really unhappy with age, however, for some reason, that depression hasn't taken over....yet ;) Are there things about getting older that I do not like? Of course. Do I wish little wrinkles weren't appearing, things weren't sagging, brain cells weren't frying, fat weren't lingering? Sure. However, I do know that with each day, I strive to grow in wisdom. I have made plenty of mistakes in my 29 years, and I love that the Lord has given me another day to redeem myself and bring Him glory.

I was reading another devotion this morning titled, "Rebuilt."

The writer talked about how she used to have so much self confidence as a teenager/young adult. However, with age and because of some of her circumstances, she had lost a lot of her confidence. It made me think of Savannah and how confident she is. She is about to be five. As far as she is concerned, she is a princess, everyone wants to be her friend, she is smart, etc. I am not looking forward to the day that she comes home asking why someone wouldn't play with her, or when she gets a bad grade on a test. And, Lord help me the first time a boy breaks up with her. So, even though we may gain wisdom, we also lose our innocence.

The writer (of Rebuilt) talked about how moves, failed friendships, finding her place in new churches, etc. had caused her to lose confidence in herself. She went on to say how some things have to be torn down before they can be rebuilt. She asked if it were God's plan to bring these struggles into her life, which she quickly answered "No!" However, God does use the low points in our lives to guide us to a better place.

2 Corinthians 3:4 says, "Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God."

Instead of trying to get through life chanting "I can do it!," we should get getting through saying, "He can do it through me."

Philippians 4:13-" I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

So, it may be hard to have confidence in ourselves, but remember our confidence should come from Christ.

So, as I reflect on the fact that I am getting older, I want to grow in wisdom and confidence (in Christ) so that when the reality of life catches up with me, I will be ready to take it on!