GOT A MINIVAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At this point in our lives it would be very unwise to go into any more debt and take on a car payment. So, I prayed God would provide a bigger vehicle....since we were driving a 2002 toyota corolla...matchbox on wheels....and we have baby number 3 on the way. I had been looking on craigslist but of course any late 90s toyota or honda minivan (which is what we really wanted) was way too expensive and had lots of miles on it. I looked again tuesday night just for the heck of it and found a 2000 Toyota Sienna with 85K miles on it. They were asking $5,900 for it. I prayed and then I e-mailed them, told them our situation, and asked if they would be willing to sell it to us for $4,000 (yeah right) IF we could sell the corolla for that much (yeah right, again...it had rust on the hood, a big dent in the bumper, etc.). They said they would love to help us out but they were gonna check with carmax to see how much they could get for it. They said if carmax offered $4,800 or less then it would be ours for the 4k. So, Wed. morning we put the corolla up on craigslist to see what we could get. We had two guys come out and offer $3,000 for it. We were like, ok, we could maybe come up with another grand but not really a good idea. Our friend encouraged us to wait on God and be confident that if this was the van He had for us then ALL of the details would fall into place. We had one other guy...total surfer college dude....and his dad come look at it Wed night. They said they would offer $3,750 to keep the competition away. They also said that if the other people made a counter offer then he would too ;) So, I considered the car as sold. Then they called back later that night and said that they would just offer $4,000 cash straight up!!!! Then some lady called and offered $4,200!!! What? That is crazy!!! God does provide.We decided to go with surfer dude though. Then we had to wait until noon Thurs. to find out if we would get the van or not. I got an e-mail from the lady and guess how much carmax offered them? $4,000!!!! SO THE VAN IS OURS!!!!!!!!!! I am still in shock!!! We picked it up Thurs. night. So WOO HOO!!!! God is SO SO SO SO gracious!!!! I knew he would provide a minivan (or at least a bigger vehicle) but never in my dreams would I have imagined that he would give me a toyota Sienna, the exact van I have always wanted!!! Praise Him!!!!! Here is a pic of our newest family member ;-) Isn't she pretty?

My prayer for today

When I feel heavy, may I think of the weight of the cross on Your back as you walked to your death
When I think people do not like me, may I remember the hatred that You the Son of God endured
When I doubt that You could possibly love me, may I remember what You said to the criminal hanging on a cross next to you
When I feel despair and rejected and alone, may I think of how You must have felt when Your Father turned His face away from You!!!!!

Oh Lord, these things are the things I pray for today. I want to reflect on Your sacrifice for me and to remember that all that comes into my life is for a reason. Nothing that I encounter is a mistake nor could it compare to the hardships that You endured!!!!

Being a mom of a preschooler, and a 5 month old while at the same time growing a new little life in my tummy, I get SO tempted to seek my own comfort and rest. But the season of life that I am in right now is one that requires me to have patience with my little ones so that I can build into them the things of the Lord. So I covet your prayers today dear friends that I would run hard the race marked out for me and that I would serve my family (husband included) with joy!!!! As well as serving my Lord with joy!!!!!!

My love for the Lord needs to be put first. When that happens I know that how I perceive each situation in my life will look much different. Not that they will be easier but I will see them through the lens of the Gospel and oh how great that will be!!!! How rich and sweet will each trial prove to be when I am focused in the right.........PERSON!!!!!

Praise God for His patience with me ;-)

The Lord knows our heart

Ok, so in my reading today I came across this verse:

"The Lord will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God." 1 Corinthians 4:5

AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!! If God were to give me my "commendation" (note the word is not condemnation) today I would be afraid I would not receive anything!!!! You know how you just have some days where your heart is just ugly? That has been me today!!! I have been yelling at Stinker left and right!!!! He has a cold so he is not feeling well but sheesh, that boy does not want to listen to me at all the last few days!!!! I ask him to do something and he does 500 other things before doing what I ask him to do!!!!

I know that he is three and all but how do I deal with this? At what point do I assert discipline? How do I know what things are important enough for that? I just get so frustrated repeating myself a zillion times, ya know? Any advice would be wonderful by the way ;-) He he he ;-)

So, as I had my quiet time today I just asked God to be renewing my heart. That I would have a heart of love and compassion towards my family. That I would seek to carry out careful, calm, and gentle discipline. Ultimately I want to honor God in my mothering (and my wifing!!!). I just get so wrapped up in myself and wanting Stinker to obey me that I forget that I am supposed to be cultivating an atmosphere in which he learns what it looks like to love and honor the Lord above all else. As he learns that I pray it would become his desire to please the Lord. And as a three year old really the only thing God asks of him in order to please God is to obey his mommy and daddy. I think that idea gets twisted in my head and then I try to force it on him. I want to view that command rightly!!!!

Lord, please assist me in this role in my life. I want my heart to be one of grace, mercy, compassion, gentleness, kindness, love, selflessness, and wisdom. I pray that when you do look into my heart you are pleased by what you see!!! Help me dear Jesus!
Amen

Blast from the past

Here is a video of my best friend and I singing a song we wrote together our senior year of college.
ENJOY!!

Time for some funnies......

Ok so everything I have to say is not always serious and contemplative. In fact, a lot of what fills my day is quite the opposite ;-) So, I thought I would share some funny things my 3 yr old son has said as of late.....
"Mom, you're a dude." No clue, he just told me that one day ;-)
"If you discipline me on my bottom I will take you to your doctor and he will snip your ears off!!!" What the what? Where in the world did he get that from?
Driving down the road in Chicago looking for a gas station because we are on E, I tell Brendan that we should pray and ask God to get us to one quickly. So, we pray. A few minutes later a cute voice from the back seat says "Did He say yes?" Priceless ;-)

And here is a VERY cute pic of our kiddos for your viewing pleasure ;-)

Through the Precious Blood

This week has been full of ups, downs, twists, turns, and anything else you could possibly think of!!!! We babysat a neighbor girl Tuesday. Then Tuesday night I had to help set up for our MOPS meeting. Wed. was our first MOPS meeting as well as Brendan's first night of AWANA. Thursday was his first day of 3yr old preschool!!!!!! Too cute!!!!! The kids just played for an hour to get used to the room and everything. So it really did not seem like a big deal. Then Friday morning he had Tae Kwon Do.

But the biggest thing that took place this week was on Thursday evening. Jason and I attended a celebration service for a little 2 month old baby boy named Renner who passed away on Sunday August 31st. Of course this is a very heart wrenching thing. However, watching his parents Thursday night you could see God using Renner's passing for good things and to bring Glory to Himself. God does not work in our ways (as Pastor Mike put it that evening). God does what is going to bring Him the most Glory. He works in all things for our good and His Glory, that is just how it is. We may not be able to see how He something works for our good, especially something like the death of your child, but He is.

Renner's mom and dad have been pointing back to the cross throughout all of this. They are clinging to Christ. They are speaking God's truth to themselves and to others as their story continues to unfold. I am AMAZED (to say the least) by the strength God has given them. Here is their website if you would like to read their story http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/babyrenner . I know that Donnie was planning on taking some time off of work without pay but I am not sure for how long. I know they are trusting God to provide financially for their family. Please let me know if you would be interested in helping their family out in anyway during this time of grieving.

All I have in my mind is a picture of Ruth (Renner's mom) on Thursday night singing praises to her God!!!!! It was truly awesome!!!! There is a song that they requested the worship team to sing and Ruth had her arms outstreached singing the song with all her might. Watching her was so encouraging and humbling at the same time. It made me wonder if I would look like her during a time of loss. I pray that God would help me to resemble the faith that Renner's mom and dad have shown!!!! Once again I am posting the lyrics to a song. I am a music girl so when I hear something that speaks to me, I want to share it !!!! This is the song the worship team played as Ruth cried out to the Lord!!!!

Lyrics - Through the Precious Blood

You have ordained every breath we take
In pleasure or pain, there is no mistake
Gladness and grief, both are in Your hand
And sufferings brief carry out Your plan
And our fleeting sorrows
Will yield an endless prize
When some bright tomorrow
We’ll see You with our eyes, and

Grace upon grace flows down, flows down
Grace upon grace flows down, flows down
Through the precious blood of Christ

Father of lights, Giver of all grace
Your mercies crown our lives all our days
River of Life, quench our thirsty souls
For no true delight does Your love withhold
And in every season
We are satisfied
For just one reason
Christ was crucified, and

Grace upon grace flows down, flows down
Grace upon grace flows down, flows down
Through the precious blood of Christ

All good gifts, every good thing
Comes to us freely, so freely
All good gifts, every good thing
Comes to us freely, so freely
Through the precious blood
Through the precious blood

Grace upon grace flows down, flows down
Grace upon grace flows down, flows down
Through the precious blood of Christ