Monday, October 18, 2010

Zion of Jefferson County Launches - NewsReel

This is our home church. They just launched a 3rd site on 10-10-10 and ALREADY adding a second service!! Thanks be to God!

Time Warp Wife: The Gender Gap

Time Warp Wife: The Gender Gap: "We were created by an almighty God who fashioned us to uniquely fit the desires of man. Because of that master design, we shouldn't let any..."

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Tim is "reading"

I went in our room to talk to Tim because he was in there reading.  As a side note, this is also how he watches golf on tv.

Baby got her first pair of shoes!!!

Rori was walking in her new shoes like they were concrete blocks!

Stop me if you've heard this before....

On a recent trip back to PA, my girlfriend gave me this.  She said she was walking through a craft sale and saw this and thought of me.  I LAUGHED OUT LOUD when I read this!  I love when friends think of me...even if it has to do with toilet paper!

This was AFTER she came home from school

This is what August wore to school.  I wish I could say it was "crazy" something day, but this was her choice.  WOWZERS!

Technology Detox

this is all the technology that our girls have at their access!

Recently, we (Tim and I) decided to take away ALL technology (among other things) from our older 2 girls as punishment for a wrong choice they had made.  They went NUTS!  I'm not talking slightly upset with this punishment.  They were freaked out!  It was at that point that we realized that they were too heavily involved in technology and too removed from our family. 

I don't know how this happened.  I mean, after all, we are good parents.  We had set down the rules in the beginning when the girls got all of this technology.  They knew and agreed  to such rules.  I think over time they pushed the rules and we let them.  In reality, maybe we're not such good parents.

We have decided that we need to focus on the old fashioned stuff.  Stuff that doesn't require a cord or charger to be attached.  We need to cut the cords!  So, over the next couple of weeks, we will be a family going through technology detox.  We will be focusing on the "good stuff".  God willing, we will refocus on the "stuff" that REALLY matters...good ole fashioned family!

Zion Ladies Retreat--part 3 "The Perfect Storm"

Recap from part 3 of the retreat I was blessed to be at last weekend.

***Jesus had emotion.  He was not driven by emotions, but He had them.

***Jesus on earth was not swayed by other people's expectations of Him.

***We all need to drink in the water of the word.

***How to respond to emotions***
  1)  accept that you have them
  2)  restore
  3)  dedicate our mind, will, and emotions (actions) to God
  4)  identify the thought
  5)  practically speaking..get enough sleep
  6)  anticipate the time you will be weak
  7)  know what your triggers are

***We are not given a license of happiness to serve ourselves.


I, as a woman, know that I need to be extremely careful how I deal with my emotions.  I need to realize that they have been given to me by God.  They are a wonderful and blessed gift from God.  As with everything else in my life, I need to make sure I make wise choices with how to react to my emotions.  It's not always easy, but it's always worth it!  I GUARANTEE IT!

The beautiful castle
for all of my Indiana friends..that land that is steep and going down is called a "hill"
some people will do anything for a prize.  Even trying to get an oreo from your forehead to your mouth the quickest!
Holly..our speaker.  The picture is blurry..sorry
our "lady of honor".  Pastor Paul, our sound guy extrordinaire!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Zion Ladies Retreat...Part 2 -- "Riding the highs and lows"

`Here is some more information from my weekend.  It was such a great lesson..I can't keep it to myself :)

***God made us how we are with what we are and that includes our emotions

***Our emotions are like the wind, we need to set our souls on the word of God

***Emotions are anything that moves us

***Reasoning from your emotions is dangerous.  My feelings will override the right and wrongs

***We balance our mates

***We don't shut our emotions off

***Do you reason from your emotions or from the truth?

***Unpredictable emotions are a woman's greatest danger.  This is SOOOOO true.  I, as a woman, have to be extremely careful where I let my emotions go.  When I use them for the good, it can be an amazing thing but when I use them for the bad, it could affect my life in a dangerously negative way.

***You are the first victim of your own heart

***What you react to comes out of your heart

***God is looking for the conduct we choose.

***Feelings are rarely a gauge of reality

***Whatever you're fighting, stand on scripture to combat it.  That's how we fight it!

***As I'm riding my highs and lows, am I getting glory for myself.  I need to remember that in all I do, it's for the Glory of God..not the glory of man!

***Your balance is to be anchored in the word of God.  That is where I need to seek my knowledge and where I need to learn how to handle situations.

Here are some more pictures from this weekend! 



Miss Sandy getting an awesome case of the "I can't stop" giggles :)

Doesn't this make you want to LAUGH OUT LOUD!


Monday, October 11, 2010

2010 "Riding the Wave" Zion ladies retreat --part One

I AM REFRESHED! This past weekend, I was blessed to attend the annual Zion ladies retreat.  What an amazing weekend!  I loved the speaker, Holly Woodard.  I loved the fellowship.  I loved the lack of sleep :).  I loved hearing what God has to say about emotions.  As a woman, I surely can attest that I have emotions and OFTEN, I am driven by them.  Sometimes in a good way and sometimes in a bad way.   It's so important to keep our emotions in check....soooo important!  We had 3 sessions.  I am going to break it down in 3 different posts, as I remember.

***Soul = the part that makes you who you are.  Emotions are universal...E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E has them and women are often driven by them.

***Are you living for the 2 things that mean the most?  1) word of God and 2) souls of men

***How many of us PURPOSEFULLY empty spaces on our calendar in our lives.  (can I just admit now that I am sooo guilty of NOT giving myself the time I need to be with God.)  As women, we excel at multi-tasking..we need to find some time for stillness... CAN I GET AN AMEN!!!!

***You cannot have soul rest if you don't have a relationship with Christ

***3 questions you need to ask and answer for yourself...
    1)   What really matters in my life?
    2)   Who is my God?
    3)   Who does God say that I am?

I know, pretty good stuff, huh?

Here are some pictures from the weekend.  I love these ladies and am blessed immeasurably by them!


  

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

When the lock isn't on the cupboard, the baby WILL know...

she was trying to smile while having an overstuffed mouth full of poptarts
Here are some pictures of when Rori got in to the snack cupboard.  I didn't know, until this point, that she looooved poptarts!

Monday, October 4, 2010

We find her in the strangest places....

Disney

Shelby and August rode Expedition Everest 9 times!
We recently had a fabulous family vacation to Disney World.  We took over 500 pictures so I won't be posting all of them here.  I wanted to share some of our fun!