Valentine’s day
Bobby and I are thinking about changing our focus this v-day to serving others. One thing that spiked my interest is…
St. Johns Cleanup
St. Johns Neighborhood cleanup is a one-time project initiated by the St. Johns Neighborhood Association and the City of Austin. 160 volunteers, split into teams of 10, for non-strenuous manual labor (debris pickup/removal) are needed. We see this as a great chance to continue our missional community efforts within the St. Johns neighborhood. Please note in the comments when you sign up if you speak Spanish or have a pickup truck that could be used for this event (this is much needed). Thanks!
Feb. 14th – 10am-1pm |
http://www.austinstone.org/serve/
all we have to do is find a babysitter! 
2009
2008 was a crazy year for me 5 births and 3 deaths.
Births- Maddox, Grace, Addison, Kai, Camp
Deaths- Penny (Bobbys aunt),Viki (Bobbys Step Mom), Poppy (My Grandfather)
I have come away from this highly impacting year with loads on my mind. I want my life to mean something, but more than that I want to give back. After Christmas and New Years Eve, this year I walked away kinda sick to my stomach. We have so much and yet it is never enough, we are forever wanting more…more…more…I am tired of our mass consuming society. Myself inculded. We are led to think that all we need is one more thing and it will truly make us happier. It will fulfill our emptiness inside our hearts. I have always had difficulty with yearning for more. Pining with all my might. Almost every free thought, was about what I would do if I won the lotto or received lots of money. Now I feel my heart being led to give back. To live modestly beneath my means. It is so weird, its like I was a mental slave to materialism and now my chains have been broken. On the other hand, to say I will never fall victim to materialistic things again is absurd. I am just saying they don’t consume my every waking hour, and these thoughts have been replaced with a found passion for others.
My New years resolution
1. To buy all of my children’s clothes, books, and toys from second hand stores.
2. To get creative with ways to live modestly.
3. Stay fit and gain some muscle
4. Research Charities and figure out where I can give back
5. Instead of asking for birthday toys for my daughters ask for donations to their college funds.
6. Pay off all of our debt, work until its done and then save ten percent, give ten percent and see where else we can give.
7. Keep my eyes and ears open to see if there are people within my sphere of influence who need help.
8. Dig deep into Gods word.
Fun times!
- Conrad to the rescue
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- Mama and Aliyah!
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- Cool Chick
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- Sleeping baby
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- Two dudes and a baby!
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- We are having so much fun woo hoo!!
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- Finding Nemo Shark
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- Keep the good times rolling
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- Suuuper kiiid!
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- Daddy loves his babies
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- Conrad to the rescue
The Circus
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- Aliyah
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- Grace
However, when we were at the circus there where animal activist there handing out pamphlets stating that animal cruelty was a problem at the circus. I had no idea but a few years back some huge controversy had taken place about the care of elephants. It does make me want to think twice about revisiting the circus again. In fact, I don’t even think having elephants at the circus are necessary. I have a graphic u-tube link here be careful its pretty heart wrenching! I am glad we went though because I had no idea that this was going on! I think it is good to be aware, and to make conscious decisions for the future of family entertainment .
Mercy
God is merciful. It is so cool to know that God is willing and able to forgive me even though I don’t deserve it. “God show me the areas in my life where I need forgiveness and what I need to do about it.”
Whisper
God is often found gently whispering in the quietness of a humbled heart. It is so hard to step back from the noise and activity of our busy lives. To hear Him to really listen is a challenge and a daily struggle of mine. To stop everything even for a moment and to feel His beautiful presence in my heart and then to act.
On Fire again
Today marks the beginning for me, the beginning of a new era. I awoke early to spend time in Gods word. Its a beautiful thing to me to see what was written so long ago and how it can relate to my life. I love it! Some times I just want to read and read to see all the enduring truths transpire in front of me. Today I studied about how the second son of Solomon lost almost all of the wealth from a single raid of the Egyptians. If you know anything of the wealth of Solomon he was the richest and wisest man to ever live! The Egyptians at the time were not even that powerful but this put such a bad wound on the kingdom, that Israel was never the same. God let this happen because of Israels heart was so far away from Him. “When God is gone from our lives, everything becomes useless no matter how valuable it seemed.”
Chew this
1 Kings 13 There is a profit who visits the king of Israel and ends up going against the word of God. A lion comes after him shortly and the profit dies. The first thing that went through my mind was….what a harsh sentence, but one must trust in the Lord and what He says as truth. Often Christians can be faced with contradictions in the world. The struggle is to be in the world and not of the world.
Understanding and Insight
I have been challenged to read the word of God. To read it and find meaning applicable to my life. Today I gained insight into my own life from the bible. In the old testament just after Solomon died, his sons were handed the throne to rule over Israel, unfortunately because of Solomons sin the kingdom would be torn away from their hands. At the beginning of the great divide the sons chose not to listen to the people of Israel and putting their own selfish desires before their own people. In result of this the kingdom begins to be stripped away. How easy is to make decisions based on yourself and then it backfires and causes you to lose more than if you had kept the welfare of others in mind. This really hit home for me. I would like to serve my family completely keeping in mind that everything I do is for the glory of God.
