We are getting back to a routine of sorts as school begins. This will be Elizabeth's first time at preschool. She is very much looking forward to it. Thomas, I think will enjoy his "mommy" time all to himself and playing without any competition for toys.
Today, we get the kids new beds. I think I am as excited, if not more so, than they are. I can finally start making this house a "home". It has been 2 years since we moved in. Is that sad or does it just state that having children only 14 months apart and at the time of the move only 1 1/2 aned 8 months old.
Everyone is out of diapers. Yeah!!!
I am going to LBC on Tuesdays and will sub Mon & Wed for our churches preschool. After Elizabeth's school on Tuesdays & Thursdays I will be watching Addison (our friend's daughter and Elizabeth's friend who she will be going to school with).
Hopefully we will also be getting together with friends more for fellowship for us as well as the kids. I hadn't realized how much I miss my friends since the summer started.
Other than that, cleaning and laundry. Hopefully more painting. Cody's sister, Crystal, did a great job on the kids rooms.
Cody is great, kids are great, life is good and God is great!!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Friday, August 25, 2006
Walking In Love
You could say this has been my "motto" for the last year, as those that attend bible study with me can tell you. But it is not just my motto, it is the prescription God gave us to live our lives by.
God is love! (1 John 4:8) When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God poured out His love into us through the Holy Spirit. (Rom 5:5) We just have to choose to walk in it.
I have really noticed a change in my life when I decided to do just that.
The word says to love your neighbor as (you do) yourself. (Matt 22:39) To treat others as you would have them treat you.
God said to love Him with everything and to love everyone around you as you love yourself. He said these commandments summed up the Law and how we are to walk, for if you love, you would obey all the commandments (old and new).
When you put yourself in that mind set, you will notice a change. When you have to stand in a long line at the store - you don't tend to let it get you inpatient. When your order gets messed up in a restaurant you don't chew out the waitstaff or make rude comments about the service. You start to think about the checker or waitress or cook and maybe something you can't see or know about, has happened. You start to think, what if I was the checker or the waiter, how would I feel right now? How many people have chewed them out already? What would a kind word or gesture - a smile, do for them? Everyone can have a bad day. I have also experienced that when I walk in love - I have a better day!!
Walking in love is what we are commanded to do (John 15:17). We are even commanded to love our enemies (Matt 5:44). We are supposed to love others as God loves us (John 13:34). Love does no wrong to one's neighbor (Rom 13:10). In 1 Cor 8:1 it says love edifies and builds up and encourages one to grow (to his full potential). We should be edifying people instead of tearing them down. In chapter 5:6 in Galations it says that only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love shows that we are in Christ.
I could go on and on and quote scriptures that tell us to walk in love. God is love and love never fails. Love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). We should fear for or about nothing.
Love endures long, it is patient and kind; love never is envious or boils over with jealously, it is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant); it is not rude and does not act unbecomingly. Love does not insist on its own rights or its own way, it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it (it pays no attention to a suffered wrong), it does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything without weakening. Love never fails. (1 Cor 13:1-8)
The word also says you reap what you sow. (2 Cor 9:6) That is in everything not just money. It is also words. Words have power. God created the universe with his Word, the earth, man. The Word says that whatsoever you say with your mouth you shall have. Matt 12:36&37 says that we will be judged by the words we speak. Prov 18:21 says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. It is a two edged sword. It works both ways to do you good and to do you bad. 1 Peter 3: 10 says "For let him who wants to enjoy life and see good days keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from deceit."
If you give love you will reap love.
Love is the foundation of everything. Just as much as you love and want all for your children, that is just the beginning of God's love and wants for us. He said he would supply all our needs. 2 Cor 9:8 says God is able to make every favor and earthly blessing come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need, possess enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance every good work and charitable donation. 2 Cor 9:10-11 says And God Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your resources for sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness and charity. Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous and your generosity as it is administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God.
So by walking in love we are adding to our lives the abundance of God's love and everything He promised us - salvation and the blessing of Abraham (the abundance in all areas of our lives: health, relationships, finances, etc [Ps 23 & Ps 91& Eph 3:6]) - and people will see God's love in us and we will be a testimony to Him. We should be a living example of God's love. It is like the story you often hear of someone honking and giving the finger and cussing out someone who cut in front of them on the road and when the car passed them they had a Jesus fish on the back of their car. Is that the example God or we want to set?
Be an example - walk in love.
God is love! (1 John 4:8) When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God poured out His love into us through the Holy Spirit. (Rom 5:5) We just have to choose to walk in it.
I have really noticed a change in my life when I decided to do just that.
The word says to love your neighbor as (you do) yourself. (Matt 22:39) To treat others as you would have them treat you.
God said to love Him with everything and to love everyone around you as you love yourself. He said these commandments summed up the Law and how we are to walk, for if you love, you would obey all the commandments (old and new).
When you put yourself in that mind set, you will notice a change. When you have to stand in a long line at the store - you don't tend to let it get you inpatient. When your order gets messed up in a restaurant you don't chew out the waitstaff or make rude comments about the service. You start to think about the checker or waitress or cook and maybe something you can't see or know about, has happened. You start to think, what if I was the checker or the waiter, how would I feel right now? How many people have chewed them out already? What would a kind word or gesture - a smile, do for them? Everyone can have a bad day. I have also experienced that when I walk in love - I have a better day!!
Walking in love is what we are commanded to do (John 15:17). We are even commanded to love our enemies (Matt 5:44). We are supposed to love others as God loves us (John 13:34). Love does no wrong to one's neighbor (Rom 13:10). In 1 Cor 8:1 it says love edifies and builds up and encourages one to grow (to his full potential). We should be edifying people instead of tearing them down. In chapter 5:6 in Galations it says that only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love shows that we are in Christ.
I could go on and on and quote scriptures that tell us to walk in love. God is love and love never fails. Love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). We should fear for or about nothing.
Love endures long, it is patient and kind; love never is envious or boils over with jealously, it is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant); it is not rude and does not act unbecomingly. Love does not insist on its own rights or its own way, it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it (it pays no attention to a suffered wrong), it does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything without weakening. Love never fails. (1 Cor 13:1-8)
The word also says you reap what you sow. (2 Cor 9:6) That is in everything not just money. It is also words. Words have power. God created the universe with his Word, the earth, man. The Word says that whatsoever you say with your mouth you shall have. Matt 12:36&37 says that we will be judged by the words we speak. Prov 18:21 says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. It is a two edged sword. It works both ways to do you good and to do you bad. 1 Peter 3: 10 says "For let him who wants to enjoy life and see good days keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from deceit."
If you give love you will reap love.
Love is the foundation of everything. Just as much as you love and want all for your children, that is just the beginning of God's love and wants for us. He said he would supply all our needs. 2 Cor 9:8 says God is able to make every favor and earthly blessing come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need, possess enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance every good work and charitable donation. 2 Cor 9:10-11 says And God Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your resources for sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness and charity. Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous and your generosity as it is administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God.
So by walking in love we are adding to our lives the abundance of God's love and everything He promised us - salvation and the blessing of Abraham (the abundance in all areas of our lives: health, relationships, finances, etc [Ps 23 & Ps 91& Eph 3:6]) - and people will see God's love in us and we will be a testimony to Him. We should be a living example of God's love. It is like the story you often hear of someone honking and giving the finger and cussing out someone who cut in front of them on the road and when the car passed them they had a Jesus fish on the back of their car. Is that the example God or we want to set?
Be an example - walk in love.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
LBC
Things are headed back to the old routine with Ladies Bible Class starting. It was really nice to see everyone again, catching up on how the older ladies spent their summer. There were a lot of new young mothers this year, so it looks like it is going to be fun again this year.
Some of us "young" mothers went to Fazolli's after (definately looking forward to the adult conversation and child-free lunches again).
Elizabeth will start pre-school next Tuesday and she is very excited. I will be a sub for GL's preschool so it should be interesting.
Crystal is painting Elizabeth's and Thomas' rooms today and tomorrow so I can put their new beds in their rooms and start working on getting their room's just like I want them.
I had a great summer but am looking forward to my old schedule again and seeing friends more frequently.
God bless!!
Some of us "young" mothers went to Fazolli's after (definately looking forward to the adult conversation and child-free lunches again).
Elizabeth will start pre-school next Tuesday and she is very excited. I will be a sub for GL's preschool so it should be interesting.
Crystal is painting Elizabeth's and Thomas' rooms today and tomorrow so I can put their new beds in their rooms and start working on getting their room's just like I want them.
I had a great summer but am looking forward to my old schedule again and seeing friends more frequently.
God bless!!
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
God's Beauty
We just got back from Ruidoso and it was beautiful. We usually go in July and it is usually pretty dry. But it was lush and green and rained 2 days while we were there. When you get to see mountains and trees and it is really peaceful and laid back, you can really enjoy the beauty of God's creation.
We went with my mother and Brice. They hadn't been since they moved from there 15 yrs ago. Cody wanted to go so he invited them to go with us. It was fun for them to see how it has grown and to get to visit with some people they hadn't seen in so long.
The kids LOVED it!! Cody took them on nature walks and they got to see deer and play in the puddles after the rain. We went to the Flying J as usual and the kids loved it. Elizabeth danced in the aisle and Thomas just sat in my lap w/his hands folded staring at the stage.
It was nice to get away. I know Cody really needed a break. It was nice to go to Ruidoso since we didn't go there for our annual Dye family vacation.
You know the Bible said give thanks in everything we do. He is so good and when you look and think about how he cares even for the tiniest of things how much more He cares for us and wants for us.
3 John 2 "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." That is what John prayed for us and that is what God wants for us. Know that He is good. He loves us, he hates when we sin and turn away from Him but He wants us all to go to Heaven. Repent and accept Jesus and feel God's love and know that He has taken care of ALL of your needs and we will see Him in Glory!!
We went with my mother and Brice. They hadn't been since they moved from there 15 yrs ago. Cody wanted to go so he invited them to go with us. It was fun for them to see how it has grown and to get to visit with some people they hadn't seen in so long.
The kids LOVED it!! Cody took them on nature walks and they got to see deer and play in the puddles after the rain. We went to the Flying J as usual and the kids loved it. Elizabeth danced in the aisle and Thomas just sat in my lap w/his hands folded staring at the stage.
It was nice to get away. I know Cody really needed a break. It was nice to go to Ruidoso since we didn't go there for our annual Dye family vacation.
You know the Bible said give thanks in everything we do. He is so good and when you look and think about how he cares even for the tiniest of things how much more He cares for us and wants for us.
3 John 2 "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." That is what John prayed for us and that is what God wants for us. Know that He is good. He loves us, he hates when we sin and turn away from Him but He wants us all to go to Heaven. Repent and accept Jesus and feel God's love and know that He has taken care of ALL of your needs and we will see Him in Glory!!
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
7 Years
Monday, Cody and I have been married 7 years. It is so hard to believe that it has been that long. It has just flown by. There was seven yrs between my divorce and my marriage to Cody and I will tell you those were the most lonely in my life. But I prayed every single day for the Lord to send me my best friend, my soul mate, a Christian man that would love and take care of me. The Lord gave me everything I asked for and more. From our first encounter I knew that Cody was the man God sent for me.
Cody loves the Lord and it shows in his whole attitude and the way he treats others.
He is a wonderful husband. I am bossy. I know that. Some people think that I boss Cody around and that he does everything I tell him to do. It might look that way but it is certainly not. But that is one of the things about Cody that is genuine. He doesn't care if people think that because he knows the truth. He will even joke around that I am the boss - but believe me he knows when to put me in my place.
He is a hard worker and loves people. At work, his main priority is the health and wellfare of his patients. If he gets paged and we are in the middle of something, he could tell them that he is busy and they will have to wait, but he stops what he is doing and heads right over to the pharmacy. He works 4 days a week and his on call everyweekend and week night - even if he is off that day. He gets maybe one weekend off that he is not on call. But he loves what he does it is in his heart.
He is the best dad. I might be irritated at the certain ways he does things - which I find most wives/mothers have about their husband/fathers - such as when they are off they want to be off from everything. But those are minor and really just a selfishness that I need to work on. He is the best dad. He plays with the kids, watches movies over and over with the kids, reads them the same book over and over again (within an hours span). He plays with them in the pool and at the park. Just very attentive but firm. He helps me every night to bathe them and put them to bed. He is definately more patient than I am (I think some days it has to do with the hours I spend with them). We laugh together about things they say or do that we find funny or odd even. He is the best dad I have ever seen. He will be a great example for Elizabeth in what to look for in a husband and for Thomas in how to be a husband. He puts us first always - even if he would rather be playing golf he will stay home with us - because he knows that we need time with him even if it is just sit around the house and hang out.
The Lord answers prayers and I have proof of that. He gave me more than I could have hoped for and everything I needed in a husband. I thank Him everyday for Cody.
Thank you for 7 wonderful years and many more until we are forever in the presence of our Lord.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Not much going on here. Maybe getting some beds for the kids and a mattress for us at my uncle's store. Saturday ate dinner with Will and Pam-the couple who Elizabeth was their flower girl at their wedding. It was nice to see them and hear about their honeymoon cruise. Sunday we went to church - usual routine. Monday I went to visit my sister and hang out for a bit. Today had the last playgroup before Ladies Bible Class starts up. And I have been doing alot of reading. I used to read all the time but since I had kids I just couldn't find the time but I will tell you that the Lord has opened up so much more time for me since I have been studying His word and getting my hands on great teaching books. One of the BEST that I have gotten recently is "the name of Jesus"by Kenneth E Hagin, Sr. It is excellent. If you want to know what all that name entails, you have to get that book. It makes me think how much we truly put Him in a box and how we trivialize God, Jesus and everything They have done and everything they have given us. It should truly make us fall on our face and give Him praise.
God Bless!!!!
God Bless!!!!
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