~Happiness~

Eatin'

It's time for a story!

Always smilin'

Lookin' good

On the tree

The craft

Puttin' things together

Awww ... love his smile!

So precious!

A happy little girl!

Playin' his special song

The next "Mozart"

Finding the hidden "Baby Jesus" (love my hubby's portrait ~ ha!)

"I found a good place to hide" (Hide 'n Seek)

"You can't find me" (Hide 'n Seek)

Playing "Hot Potato"

Getting ready to play a game

Playing Hide 'n Seek

We had a party for my Sunday school class this evening. I have been planning this for a long time, but things haven't worked out until now. It seemed like the perfect night since all of my students were able to come. They had a lot of fun eating pizza, chips, and homemade sugar cookies together, listening to a Christmas story, making an ornament, playing games, and chatting. Oh, and I must not forget, we were serenaded by Mr. Aaron on the piano for a time! :o) What a cutie! Loads of fun, cheerful laughter, and energetic running were the highlights of the evening. I must not forget that talking in our very loudest voices was okay too. We were not in Sunday school class this time (ha ha). I love my Sunday school children and know they want to grow up and live for Jesus. I pray that this will remain true throughout their lives.

Last Week

The past few days have been so fun! I am mostly finished with my Christmas and birthday (Christianna's) shopping! This is a great feat indeed! My parents came to our house on Thanksgiving Day and James helped my dad put in a new front door. This has been needed since we moved in almost nine years ago. It looks so much better and I feel a little safer (ha)! I think one kick on the old door would have made it immediate history. Yes, it was much needed and very unsafe. Who ever heard of using a wooden door for a front door anyway? The wood was actually pealing away (ha ha). Joshua's fourth birthday was also last week on Tuesday. I cannot believe he is one year away from being five years old! Life is flying by for sure!

Reminiscing

Time flies! My little buddy turns four Tuesday, November 22nd. It is so hard to believe he is this age already. Every birthday comes with mixed emotions as he gets older. Of course, I want him to grow and develop, but it makes me sad that life is passing so swiftly and he will be grown up before we realize. I want to make every day count in his little life. I love these baby pictures and thought I would post them to share with you.

What is your Daily Priority?

Does the days and weeks seem to be flying by for you? They certainly are for me. One thing is for sure, I don't want them to flee so quickly that God is dismissed from my daily activities. It is easy to become so caught up in the busyness of life, that we forget God until something goes wrong. Then, we are begging Him to forgive us for our lack of time spent with Him. I don't want this to happen to me during the hustle and bustle of life. God is our Redeemer and Savior, the One to whom we owe our lives. May we be faithful to place Him first in all we do. I'm certain that if He comes first, our lives will be abundantly blessed. The Bible says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33).

"Mom, this is my School Work!"

"Mom, this is my school work!" Joshua has become acquainted with my daily regimen in recent weeks. This is how I found him as I walked into the living room. Presently, he is very adamant about not going to school, but he must be embracing the idea of this sort of school instruction. Only time will tell of his future school plans. We are trusting in God's will concerning this all-important decision.

My Life Right Now!

Aside from cooking, cleaning, laundry, mowing the lawn, daily exercise, and caring for Joshua; this is my life! It is a busy one, needless to say. I have not yet started some of the classes, but shortly will be deeply involved in all of them. I'm plugging along toward graduation which will hopefully take place next school year. It was going to be this year, but I made my final decision as to what degree I wanted: BA in General Studies or BA in Elementary Education. I finally chose the latter, even though it is going to take me a little longer. At times, I have thought I would get the degree that would bring me closest to graduation, but since I'm this far along, I know I will be dissatisfied with something lesser than what I've always hoped for. Pray for me when you think of it, and maybe in a few years when Joshua is old enough to be in school, I will be in school too! :o)

What Makes the Difference?

~http://bestfreechristian.com/gallery_01.htm

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately: reflections upon the past, the present and the future. A question has been mulling over and over in my mind. What brought about the godly men and women of the past that we so often read about? What was different then, compared to now? I definitely know there is something missing or we would be seeing more evidence of God within our church services and in people's lives.

As I was reading an article published in a Centennial book of God's Bible School and College, (Erickson, R. L. "A Day on the Mount of Blessings." God's clock keeps perfect time: God's Bible School's first 100 years, 1900-2000. Cincinnati: Revivalist Press, 2000. 75-78.) my heart was stirred and convicted. On a normal day back in the early 1900's, students rose early to pray, went to breakfast, and returned to their rooms to pray more. At times, more students would be praying than would be present for breakfast. When it was time for classes to convene, prayer and praise frequented the classrooms as students continued in the presence of God. Following classes, the students made their way to the dining hall shouting, testifying, and praising their Heavenly Father! The praises did not stop there, but continued as they ate and on through the day. What a sight it must have been! What glory must have been prevalent as students lifted their hearts toward God Almighty. I wish I had been there!

My mind turns to our present day. What has changed? How often do we see people so joyful and on fire for God that all they can do is praise and rejoice wherever they are? I surely have not seen it too often, if at all. I was smitten with conviction and shame as I read this account of a typical day at the Bible College. What is my "normal" day like? I need to spend more time in prayer. Our days are too taken up with trivial tasks that does not count for eternity. We are too materialistic, and lack the desire for blessings from above. I think it would be helpful if we all consider each of our days, and put forth more effort in spending time with God on a daily basis. We need to praise Him more, for He truly is worthy of our praise and focus. One day we will wish we had.

This brings me to my last thought. What about our future? If action is not taken now to bring more of God into our lives; what will the future hold for us, for our children, and our grandchildren? Will God be even thought of? Will people still desire Him and His way? This is a staggering and startling thought, for I want my children and grandchildren to know my Savior too. I don't want them to just know of Him, but I desire that they know Him personally.

God will only come if He is invited. We must put forth the effort to make Him welcome presently as He was welcomed in the past. Furthermore, we must exemplify Him before our children so they will experience who He is, with the purpose that God will not be forgotten in the future. We must place that desire within our children through our godly influence. May we each be found faithful with the insatiable desire of thirsting for more of Him. He gave His life for us; we owe everything to Him!

Cincy Zoo!

We've been wanting to take Joshua to the zoo for a long time, but just have not gotten around to it. Saturday seemed the perfect opportunity! Since Christianna is at G.B.S. in Cincy and there is a zoo there, we thought we could see her and go to the zoo too. Although it was a VERY HOT day, we enjoyed our time together! We hope to go again soon on a cooler day. It would be so much more enjoyable! Hopefully the annual Christmas lights they have at the zoo will be a time when we can visit! It is so beautiful then!