i'm getting married!!!!!!!! AHHHH!!!!!

Last night the most AMAZING man asked me to marry him! Some of you may be wondering who that is, IAN LUGG! I am the future Mrs. Ian Lugg & I am loving it! Here are some pics from the engagement! Hope you enjoy!

new year's resolutions

So while we were in Hawaii on family vacation, I completed my new year's resolutions. To find out what that was... you will have to come and read my post at the end of the year... my new goal is to do twice as much as I had planned by the end of the year! I better go and get going on it! 

recipes for cleaners

For those of you who couldn't make it on Tuesday.... here are the recipes 

laundry detergent 

ingredients:

1 bar Ivory Soap or (Grated)
3 pints water
1 cup borax
1 cup baking soda
splash of dish soap
splash of rubbing alcohol
2 gallons hot water
2 gallons cold water
5 gallon bucket
jugs to store in

directions:

-Melt 3 pints water and the Ivory soap over low heat.
-Once melted add in borax and baking soda
-Pour mixture into your 5gallon bucket
-Add 2 gallons HOT water and 2 gallons coldwater -Add a squirt of dish soap to act as a de-greaser and a squirt of alcohol to kill germs
-Stir mixture together and then let it sit for 24 hours
-Then fill your jugs (milk cartons). Leaving a little bit of room at the top so that you can give them a good shake before each use. I just press the jugs into the bucket to fill them and then rinse the sides off.

all purpose cleaner

ingredients:

1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
1 tbsp Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap (any sent)
20-30 drops tea tree oil
10-15 drops essential oil

directions:

-Pour vinegar and water into a spray bottle.
-Then add soap and oils.
-Gently mix.

all purpose cleaner II

ingredients:

denatured alcohol
water

directions:

-Put 50% denatured alcohol and 50% water into a spray bottle.
*great for mirrors, windows, granite, etc. DO NOT use it on leather or wood.

veggie wash

ingredients: 

1 cup hot water
1 cup vinegar
1 Tbsp baking soda
20 drops grapefruit seed extract

directions:

-mix everything together and then transfer to a spray bottle
- rinse fruit and then spray with veggie wash
-let sit for 10-15 minutes.
-rinse & enjoy

soft scrub 

ingredients: 

baking soda
Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap (any liquid soap will do)

directions:

-mix soap into baking soda so that it is the consistency of frosting . Then go to work scrubbing away at your sink, tub, toilet, etc.

deodorant 

ingredients:

2 Tbsp baking soda
2 Tbsp starch
3 drops tea tree oil
5 drops essential oil
olive oil

directions:

-put all ingredients into a small container and mix with a spoon. Put olive oil in until you get the desired consistence.
- Either spread on with 2 fingers or pack the mixture into an old deodorant container and use as normal.

conditioner

ingredients:

vinegar
water
*for dry scalp, put a few drops of tea tree oil in the mixture and use like normal.

directions:

-Put 25% vinegar and 75% water into a small holed container.
-Put mixture into wet clean hair (you can rinse it or not). Hair does not smell like vinegar once it dries.
-Use 2-3 times weekly

cleaning party

you are all invited to my...

spring cleaning party 

come & learn how to make homemade cleaners for just pennies

every family will go home with laundry detergent

 & recipes for other cleaners 

tuesday, may 26, 2009 from 7:00pm-8:30pm

at the weinberg’s house

11729 108^th st ne lake stevens, wa 98258

 

learning how to make:

laundry detergent - all purpose spray - soft scrub

hair conditioner - deodorant & more

please bring your favorite finger food & the recipe to share

PLEASE rsvp by sunday the 24th, 

so i can get enough supplies for everyone

feel free to invite whomever

rsvp by leaving a comment letting me know that you are coming

the one hundredth post....

I would have NEVER guessed that this would have been the content of my one hundredth post... BUT HERE IT IS!

So this morning... I had to get up at 7 so we could have time to milk the goat... YES I SAID "MILK THE GOAT"! :) Who would have EVER thought that I would milk a goat!?! Here are some pictures to prove it! (there was a video but I was unable to send it to my computer!) 

here is the glory of the milking!

look at that bucket of milk!

the milk, the empty jars, and the filter!

filling the jars with milk the warm, fresh milk!

HERE IT IS... look at all that "yummy" goats milk... mmmm! :D

"polygamy" in its fullest

While we were eating lunch today, Bonnie looked out the window at the cows licking one another in the field and said so enthusiastically...

"He's so lucky, he gets two girls!" 

-Bonnie

Okay, so they are cows... its not really polygamy.. but its funny :D

murgh ghee

Jen gave me this recipe while I was staying at their house! This is now one of my personal favorites! Enjoy a night of Indian food! It's SO YUMMY!!! 

 murgh ghee

from jen vanderbeken

2/3 cup plain yogurt

½ cup ground almonds

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon of crushed bay leaves

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon garam masala

4 green cardamom pods

1 teaspoon ginger pulp

1 teaspoon garlic pulp

2 cups canned tomatoes

1 ¼ teaspoon salt

6 ½ cups chicken , skinned, boned, and cubed (Jen does 2-3 cups)

2 tablespoons butter

2 medium onions, sliced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

cilantro springs for garnish

 

Put yogurt, ground almonds, all the dry spices, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and salt into a mixing bowl and blend together thoroughly. Put chicken into a large mixing bowl and pour over the yogurt mixture. Set aside. Melt the butter in a deep pan. Add the onions and fry for about 3 minutes. Add the chicken mixture and stir-fry for about 7-10 minutes. Stir in about half of the cilantro and mix well. Bring to a boil. Serve garnished with the remaining chopped cilantro and springs. Serve over rice! Serves 4-6. 

the zipper pouch

Keri... this ones for you! :)

Here is the zipper pouch I made.. it's SUPER easy! Here is the tutorial for it! The only thing I did different was I took a bunch of scraps I had and cut them into 3 1/2 inch squares (which makes them 3 inch squares once they are all sown together) and then quilted them together for the outside pieces of fabric. It was SUPER easy and I used up all the extra fabric I had and got to put some of the 193o's prints that I LOVE into the pouch! 

family quotes

Tonight we were going through old quotes that we have and I thought I would share some with you!!!! Enjoy!

Dec. 27th 1998

Debbie williams sneezes! 

Garrett says, "You sound like our cat!"

Debbie says, "I sound like your cat when she sneezes?" 

Garrett says, "No! You sound like our cat when she is harffing up a hair-ball."

 

April 17th 2008

(after taking one of the icky tasting pills) 

"It tastes like someone pooped in my pants!"

-Me

 

Dec. 24th 2008

(trying his vanilla milkshake pop tarts)

"Never buy Hot Fudge Sundae poptarts, you should add another "O" for POOPtarts!" 

-Garrett

 

Aug 6th 2004

(family conversation) 

Me: "Mom can go to Fred Meyer's while I go to the movies"

Dad: "And wait for 2 hours!?!" 

Grant: "She can find something to do"

Garrett: "She can wait for the prices to go down!"

 

Sept 10th 1996

walking out the door on their way to school, I turns to Grant and says....

"I hope you're not telling anyone that I'm your sister!" 

 

Oh, the joys of family! :) 

baked oatmeal

Here is the recipe that many of you have been asking for... so instead of trying to e-mail everyone who has ever asked for it... I thought I would just post it! Hope you enjoy it!

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:
2 1/4 c. oats
2/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar (I USE SPELNDA INSTEAD)
3/4 c. raisins or other dried fruit (I use craisins, dried cherries, chocolate chips…)
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (OPTIONAL)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. skim milk
1 ¼ water
4 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 tsp. veggie oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
(I ADD GROUND FLAX SEED AND WHEAT GERM TO MINE TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE HEALTHY)
Milk, yogurt, sugar, and/or fruit (optional; for topping)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine oats, sugar, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. In a medium bowl, combine milk, egg whites, oil and vanilla and mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well blended.

Pour into the baking dish. Bake at 350 F for 55-60 minutes or until center is set and firm to the touch. Cool slightly.

Serve topped with milk or sugar or yogurt and fruit, if desired. Store leftover oatmeal tightly covered in the refrigerator. Re-heat or eat right out of the refrigerator the next morning! (or if you’re my family for breakfast, lunch, & dinner!)

do i have to fall asleep with flowers in my hair?

I bought this fabric to make a blanket out of it but I ended up making a pillow case out of some of it instead! It was so easy and it only took a yard of fabric. Go ahead... try it! The tutorial is a bit vague but nothing a little commonsense can't handle :) 

the cork board

I was about to throw this old cork board out because there were pieces of the cork board missing but then i thought... hey... i can just cover it with fabric! So that's what I did! It was really, really easy! I used this tutorial as a reference. So instead of throwing our your old ugly cork boards... just cover them! Or you can do it to a new one to add some color to a room! 

look at the baby...

Here is me with my new Hotsling! :) And yes... that is my cat trying it out for the first time. I had both of them in there at one point and they didn't seem to mind it :) They hung out in there for about 10 minutes. Good times! I then got really hot... they are very hot cats with all that fur of theirs. Oh, and just incase you mothers who's babies may be going into my hotsling... it is in the wash RIGHT NOW! Don't worry I would NEVER put my pet in there and then put a baby in there without washing it first! Icky! :) Anyway... hope you enjoy the picture!

christmas blessing

Tuesday of last week, I was getting a bunch of stuff for my parents 25th wedding anniversary, for c&k catering, for the one28 Christmas party, Priceless Christmas party, and a bunch of other things. I have been having trouble with my debit card and had gone to the bank earlier that day to have them send me a new card. As I was standing in line at Walmart I was talking to the check out lady about all the different things going on this week and all the different events I was buying the stuff for (clearly I was buying for parties.... 64 ice cream bars, 6 tables clothes, etc...) As I was trying to pay, my debit card wasn't working. I ran it 3 times, and still NOTHING! I had a $100 bill in my wallet but I owed $128. I was so embarrassed! I was just going to ask the lady to start taking things off but before I could that the middle aged gentleman standing behind me, who was buying toys for his children, said to the check out lady. "Just add my stuff to hers and I will pay for it" I instantly started crying! I was so overwhelmed with his kindness, all I knew to do was cry! :) I tried offering him my $100 but he wouldn't take it. He said that I had a BIG week ahead of me and that he wanted to pay for it. I then thanked him like 100 times and continued to cry as I went out to my car. I just couldn't believe that a complete stranger would pay for all my stuff! Praise God for that man. He doesn't know how many people he blessed! It really makes me want to find little ways to bless strangers! 

So there is the story... and here is my mom's journal entry about it. It so good, I have to share it.. it makes me tear up ever time I read it... 

"Today, a total stranger, saw a need and then met it. Why does this take us by such surprise? In this day and age, in this state of economic disaster... a kind, undeserved act that brought my sweet daughter to tears. Now, that made my day, that taught my daughter so much and was such an example of Christlikeness. 

Thank you to that stranger for that! May God bless you for this act of kindness. 

Our hearts are dearly blessed. God is so good to meet out needs and how he uses us to do that if we would only let him and cease the moment to bless others." 

a little tribute to my man!

Look at how cute he is!!! I love this picture of him! He is turning into such a cute, well behaved, charming, little man! (good job Sean and Mo! Thanks for your faithful parenting and example to so many!) I love him so much! He will FOREVER have a place in my heart! :)

So two little stories about him... Pointing at his belly, I asked him "Who's tummy is that?" He said "my wifths" Then, pointing to my belly I asked "who's belly is this?" He then replies "Your husbenths" Then I asked... who is your wifths? and he replied "you!!!" oh so cute! I taught him the first part... but that last part was all him! :)

Second story... I told Calvin that we were going to go on a date for his birthday! He was so excited! But then he looked at me a little puzzled and concerned but still excited and asked "WHAT DO ON DATE?" I thought that was so cute!!!

martha dorcas

First off, for those of you who didn't know... Liala Bour and I are going to Martha Dorcas on Tuesday mornings at the church! We have been going for about a month now and LOVING IT! "We are learning how to quilt!!!!!", I think I say that EVERY SINGLE WEEK! It just amazes me that I am learning how to quilt! I didn't even know how to thread a machine until I went in there! Thanks to our WONDERFUL teachers I can now even sew somewhat straight! :) Today was our Christmas party. What a great way to spend your Tuesday morning! We quilted for 2 hours, then we all made something and brought it in for lunch together! Judy, one of the ladies there made us all bags for Christmas! So thoughtful and so cute! She has been working on them since the summer! We all loved them! Here's the group with our bags! What a great morning! Oh, and then I dropped Liala off at home and got to hang out with the kids for about and hour and a half! So much fun! :)

wreath making

Who would have thought that I could make a Christmas wreath? Its actually REALLY REALLY easy (except tying the bow... that was the hardest part!) :) It was super fun! Here is Amy, Aisha, and I with our BEAUTIFUL wreaths at our monthly ladies night out at church! :) Good times!

do i need pictures to prove I am crazy?

This IS Grant being crazy! :)

Garrett and I being our silly selves :)

Here is the boys and I being our crazy selves as we drive down to Olympia for Thanksgiving lunch to then stay for a few hours and drive back for another engagement. It was a long fun day! (Some of us went to midnight madness... it was a REALLY LONG fun day!) :)

Oh, and not that anyone noticed... but this seems to be my thanksgiving day outfit... I wore the same sweater last year for Thanksgiving too! :)

Thanksgiving 2007

sick and tired of ugly matches?

I have JUST the solution for you! :) I saw this on etsy.com.... one of my favorite websites and they were trying to sell 2 little boxes of matches covered with paper for $4.50. I really liked them but I didn't want to spend that much money! So I thought, "Hey, I can make that for almost free!" :) So I did! Here you go! You can now have cute matches in less then 5 minutes... I know that is what you ALL have been waiting for! Now, your wait is over and you can now finally get on with life! :) Enjoy your happy matches! 

my new favorite...

I am so sad that my new favorite is MARBLE! But I still LOVE it! Look how pretty its! I thought I would share this with you! Enjoy!

welcome baby higgins

Okay, so I have like fifty million things I want to blog about! It's been so long. So I am just going to start and hopefully get you all up to date sometime soon. First off... WELCOME HALLIE HIGGINS! That was such an awesome experience! I loved every moment! (Thanks Higgins' for letting me be apart of that experience with you!) Oh, I guess for those of you who don't know, I got to be in the delivery (surgery) room with Sean and Mo during the c-section! So cool! Here are some picture from Sean's iphone from the day she was born. You can find more pictures at the Higgins' Flickr account. Hope you enjoy them!

skh and i all prepared for surgery!

daddy holding hallie for the first time ever... she is looking very concerned about life here.

mommy, hallie, and me in the operation room! 

(this is quite the eventful picture and you wouldn't even know it. mo is being sewed during this picture and hallie is peeing on my hand, but the cuteness of hallie seems to be distracting us!)

so cute sleeping!

trusting god

"Regardless of the nature of the circumstances, we must learn to trust God if we would glorify God in them." - Jerry Bridges 

GOD IS ENOUGH

This John Piper sermon clip is SO GOOD! It is such a great reminder of where we find our joy! May we be people who are all-satisfied in God, people that in the deepest pain can say God is enough!, and people when ALL else fails we can say that He will get us through this and He will satisfy us and He is good and He will take care of us! May we look to Him for our satisfaction for God is most satisfied with us when we are most satisfied in Him through the deepest of pain!

Here's the video... watch it... its worth the time! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukcV-xtU3hc

comments on the blog

So, I just changed the comments settings on my blog so anyone can leave a comment! So, if you have tried in the past and it didn't work... please try again now! I love hearing all the feed back! It's great!

someday...

For the few of you who don't know... I really struggle with contentment. Since I have been out of High School it seems to be getting worse. I have been repenting of this constantly it seems. But as of the last week or so I have come up with another one of my mind games to help turn my focus! As soon as I start to think about something that could make me discontent (getting married, having a house of my own, having a baby, and the list goes on and on and on!) I then tell myself "someday..." or "MAYBE someday" :) Since we all know it is totally IF THE LORD wills! But this has really been helpful for me to do and an easy way to turn my negative thoughts into something more positive... instead of "Oh, if only I could be married or have a kid..." I then instead think "Oh, someday it will be so awesome to have a family of my own... but for now I am going to be happy in what I am doing RIGHT now!" It really has been helping me be more content and rejoicing in this stage of life with SO MANY uncertainties and seemingly no plan... I like plans... but I am even being tested in my faith with no plan because I know He has a plan... I just don't know what that plan is yet. :) And there is great hope in His plans for my life!

homemade cleaners and such

Okay, So I have been looking for ways to save money and go more natural with cleaning and homemaking things. So I thought I would share some of my findings with all of you. I will most likely be adding more later as I find more things. Hope you enjoy!

FABRIC SOFTENER:
You can either take your liquid fabric softener and do %50 softener + 50% water in a spray bottle and then spray a dry old rag 3-5 times and put it into the dryer with your wet clothing.

Or you can just add a 1/2 cup of vinegar to your wash loud and this will keep things still absorbent, soft, and fresh... GREAT for diapers and such. And then you don't have to use fabric softener at all in your dryer...

LAUNDRY BOOST:
Add a 1/2 cup of baking soda or borax to your load to make them brighter, cleaner, and oder free! Use like Oxiclean (its just cheaper)

WET PALE CLEANER:
Add vinegar (you can also add like 5-10 drops of an essential oil you like to help the smell of the vinegar if you don't like that smell!) to your wet pale to help get ride of the odors, make them more absorbent, softer, and cleaner. You can also use Tea Tree Essential oils instead of vinegar... it can just be a bit spender but has a different smell... you can decide which smell you like better! :)

SOFT SCRUB:
Use baking soda instead of soft scrub. Make a thick paste with water and apply to your lightly damp sponge or towel and scrub away.

ALL PURPOSE CLEANER:
Put half part vinegar and half parts water into a spray bottle and clean surfaces such as counter tops, mirrors, sinks, toilets, showers, etc. DO NOT USE ON GRANITE! Use Denatured alcohol in place of vinegar for granite surfaces.

This is the ALL PURPOSE CLEANER I use, thanks to Keri Ronk! (she and I have been talking lots about all of this kind of stuff... YEAH for saving money and going natural!) :) Okay, so its 1 cup vinegar + 1 cup water + 1 TBSP Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap (any scent) + 20-30 drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil + 10-15 drops Essential Oil (any scent) Just mix ingredients into a spray bottle in the order above, shake gently and there you have it! The perfect all purpose cleaner! For surfaces such as counter tops, mirrors, sinks, toilets, showers, etc. DO NOT USE ON GRANITE!

Okay... that was your teaser. Lord willing, there will be more to come in the future! Have fun with those and let me know what you all think! Hope you enjoy them as much as I do! It's so fun to save money, make your own stuff, and be healthier all at the same time! These things really do make cleaning WAY MORE fun and satisfying! ENJOY!

be thankful

This last weekend we had our annual one28 staff retreat. One night we shared what we were all thankful for. I had to sit there for probably 20 minutes before I could come up with something... THAT IS SO BAD! I realized how unthankful and ungrateful I was! I am now, by the grace of God working on being thankful each and everyday! I have to MAKE myself stop thinking about the situation I am in and find something to be thankful for! There is so much and I FINALLY saw that and now I am working on being actively thankful! It crazy how sin can cover all the good things Christ has done in our lives and given us! May we not be ungrateful people!

home-making: husbands

Sorry it took me so long to post this.. While I was in Germany I was reading "Home-Making" by J.R. Miller! I think it's a must read for EVERYONE! It talks about all the different roles in a family! It's so good so far! You really do have to read the book to get it all! I know I said I was going to write to husbands and wives... but I only had time to finish the post to husbands while I was still over at the Green's... so if I ever get the book and finish, or go back to the Green's :) I will then address the wives... and I know this is kind of a weird post for me because its more "instructing" than what I am learning but I think this stuff is worth the post... hope you enjoy!

Okay, I am finally going to just jump in with two feet! Here we go!

These are all different aspects of love... since that is what the husband is commanded to do in Scripture! "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church an gave Himself us for her..." Eph 5:25.

First off, Husbands are to be affectionate in regard. When a man chooses a woman to be his wife, he is saying "that his heart has made choice of her among all women, that he has for her a deeper and tenderer affection than for any other. At the marriage alter he solemnly pledges to her a continuance of that love until death." That is quite a statement! But its more than just that! Just as Christ gave himself up for the Church, the husband is to give himself up for his bride, forget himself and wholeheartedly devote himself to the wife he has chosen!

Here is a paragraph to you husbands, or men looking for a wife, or woman looking for a husband! It was so good I have to put the whole thing in! "There is something very sacred and almost awe-inspiring in the act by which a wife, at her entrance into the marriage state, confides all the interest if her life to the hands of him whom she accepts as her husband. She leaves father and mother and the home of her childhood. She severs all the ties that bound her to her old life. She gives up the friends and the friendships of her youth. She cuts herself off from the sources of happiness to which she has been accustomed to turn. She looks up in to the face of him who has asked her to be his wife, and with trembling heart yet with quiet confidence she entrusts to him and to his keeping all the sacred interests of her life. It is a holy trust which he receives when she thus commits herself to his hands. It is the lifelong happiness of a tender human heart capable of ineffable joy or unmeasurable misery. It is the whole future well-being of a life which may be fashioned into the image of Christ, or marred and its beauty shattered for ever." That paragraph adds QUITE a weightiness to marriage!

Husbands are to have the utmost gentleness in manner! They are to not speak any word that would cause her pain! Husbands are to be the most kind, gentle, and compassionate to their wives! Why would they want to say something that would cause the one they love the MOST pain? Don't fall into careless habits at home! If your wife has had a hard day and is struggling to carry the weight of the day... don't add to that! And the absents of harsh words is not enough! There much be much encouragement and communication!

You are to honor your wife! You are to treat her like what she is, the queen of your heart and home! You should honor her more and more with each passing day! You are to help carry her load for her and shelter her from the storm! You should come home and want to involve her in the affairs of the day! Listen to her wisdom and really SHARE your life with her! She wants to help you carry your load to and to be praying for you specifically and sympathize with you! How is she to be your helpmate if she doesn't know how to help you!

Those are just a few things I liked from the chapter!

things i am going to miss about berlin

I can't believe I have just one more day left in Germany! CRAZY! This last month has FLOWN by! As I was hanging up some laundry on the rack to dry I started thinking about all the things I was going to miss about Germany. First off, I am so going to miss the Green's! The kids are all such a blessing and fun in their own way! They make me want to have 10 kids! (okay, at least 8) So besides the people, I am going to miss hanging up laundry on the drying racks and trying to fold them when they are all stiff and awkward. I am SO going to miss walking to the store with the girls to get groceries with a stroller that looses its wheel and the "chariot" (a plastic wheelbarrow). I am going to miss cooking for 10 with the girls! We have some of the best memories in the kitchen! I am going to miss German breakfast on Saturday morning with fresh bread from the bakery (REAL GERMAN YUMMY BREAD!) with half Nutella and the other half super thin crispy bacon like meat and gouda cheese (and in Germany they pronounce it correctly... not with an "oo" sound... but with an "ou" sound!) :) I am also going to miss Miss Stacy and Miss Katie :), the girls who have been helping while the Green's are gone. Thanks girls for all your help! You're the best!

There are so many things I could keep on listing but i have to go and hang up another load of laundry and get going to bed so I can get up at 5:45 to let this guy I think from Grace Community in. :) Anyway... Can't wait to see you all! I am going to try and post before I leave on husbands and wives... I have come upon some good stuff while here at the Green's! :) Well, good night!

Oh sad! I just realized this is my last night as Mommy Kimmy (ie- mimmy) :( It has been so fun! I am sad to see it go! I guess I will have to find another family to pretend to be my own until I have my own! So.. if any of you want to leave your children for a week or two or three, just let me know! I will be their fake mommy for a while! I have a HUGE kid whole in my heart to try and fill! So let me know! :)

blessings in fulfilling HIS plan

Tonight was so fun! I stayed up with the girls just talking and laughing... good times! I really needed that because I was getting home sick! Missing all of you! :) I am LOVING BEING A MOMMY! And can't wait to have my own! :) The kids are such a joy! This trip has really showed me a glimpse of the joys and blessing in doing what God has designed me to do/be! Although it is so much work and there are times you want to pull your hair out, the blessings and joy WAY OUT way the other side! I can't even imagine what it would be like to have my own... I have so much love for these kids, I can't imagine having even more love, and joys with my own! Now, I must continue to work on patiently wait for my time to fulfill God's design for me! In His time! I am sad that my time being a mommy is almost up! 2 weeks is NOT long enough! :( But once again, IN HIS TIME I will have little ones of my own (Lord willing!!!!)

And seriously... to you single woman or wives with no kids... You have no idea what we are missing! It's great! We have so much to look forward to! I can't even communicate it to you! It's great! And the fruit of your labor IS SO WORTH THE LABOR!!!

so much more betterer

Here at the Green house we are doing much better! Lord willing the flu is through! :) (hey that rhymes) The kids slept through the night (for the most part) and the house work is pretty much caught up from the few days of being sick! We are rejoicing in the Lord and He is giving us His strength to make it through each day! Thank you all for your prayers! It could have been much worse but the Lord know just what we could handle! I can't believe I have just over a week left... the time has flown by! Well, I am off to make lunch while the kids do some puzzles and I am greatly anticipating my nap with the kids after being up since 3am! :) But once again.. that shows off God, I need MUCH sleep and he has made it so I am doing great with very little! I think that is God's provision for mothers (and fake mothers)! :)

we made it through the night

PRAISE GOD! Last night was quite a night! I had Ruthy throwing up yesterday morning and still having a fever through the night, Abby waking up lots due to her high fever and aching legs, and then Bopie waking up with a high fever and throwing up! I am truly a mother in training now! :) I would call this pretty much a sleepless night... And I am IN NO WAY complaining! It was a great experience for me and I couldn't help but be thankful for my mom and all her sleepless nights! Thanks mom! There is something about taking care of kids... even though you are so tired, the Lord give you patience and a great love for them, even through the night! Praise God for that! But do please be praying for the kids and strength for me! Thanks!

Oh, and this is a great opportunity for me to put into practice some of those Nancy Wilson "sick day" ideas! :) Movies, slumber party, fun but plain foods (homemade applesauce and homemade chicken noodle soup) , ect. Good times!

the real puritan

Abby (2 years old) was praying for dinner and this is what she said...

"... and please help us to enjoy You... "

That is quite impressive for a 2 year old! It was so darling!

the expert on the apple computer

Bopie was looking intently at my computer and said...

"I don't like apples because they are white and white isn't a color"

Spoken like a man of fashion! :) So if you have any computer questions... you can just ask Bopie! :)

much prayer is needed

Tomorrow the family (minus the youngest five) are off to Israel! That leaves me (with the help of two other young ladies) to watch the kinder! :) Today Jonathan (6) came down with the flu! Please pray that he would be feeling better, that the others wouldn't catch it, that I, as the care taker, wont get it, and that I would have wisdom! I am excited to be mommy kimmy instead of just miss kimmy but with that... much wisdom is needed! Please pray! I am so excited and it should be a great time! Also pray for those going that they would have a great time, safety, and that they (essentially Lois) wont worry about us back here at home!

GERMANY in all its glory

here are some pictures I have been meaning to put up on my blog... so here we go... 

matching shirts!

the hair cut

(I have done 4 hair cuts now... Eshte, Bijou, Labri, and Kristin... and the joke that I am going to open up a salon here in Berlin) 

THESE NEXT PHOTOS ARE IN HONOR OF ESHTE... SHE WANTED ME TO PUT THEM ON MY BLOG WITH THESE CAPTIONS... 

making Joshua's birthday cake... 

the experienced chef 

anger!

sneaking a bit... yummy 

the cake in all it's glory 

(and its a hot dog for those of you who couldn't tell what it was... that's what Joshua wanted and it was kind of hard to make a hot dog out of cake!) :)

fight

Tonight during family devotions, Lois read 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." It was such a great reminder to look to things eternal! We so often get caught up in things of this world and looking forward to the things to come... the next new thing, the next exciting event, or even the next stage of life. It was a good reminder for me to be focused heavenward and to be fighting the temptations of today since I am NOT guaranteed a tomorrow! I need to focus on todays fight while thinking about the end... heaven!

to the man of my life

Dad,
I wish I could be with you on this father's day but the Lord (and you) had a different plan for me! :) I just wanted to publicly thank you for being such a great dad! Thank you for your leadership and for taking a stand against the rest to do what you thought best for me! Thanks for putting up with all of my emotions and me not getting on board quickly with change! You have been so patient with me! I really do appreciate you standing on your word! If you say I am doing something... I am doing it. Many people would give in but you stand strong! Thanks you so much for that! I really do appreciate that! It makes it so I feel secure! You are such an example to me of how to give, how to work hard, how to seek out wise council, and how to lead while serving! The Lord has truly blessed me with you as my dad! I could NOT ask for a better dad! Happy Father's Day! I love you dad!

love,
boog

miss kimmy the dinosaur?

This is a picture that Bopie colored for me! I wanted to point out the "pink" toe nails on the dinosaur! (just like Miss Kimmy's toe nails!:) Bopie insists that they are red! I think that is suppose to be me when I wake up! :) That's at least what I was told! I think my mom would agree! :) Hope you enjoy the picture! And look how well he wrote his name! Quite impressive for a 4 year old!

wash like abigail

1 Samuel 25:41 "Then she arose, bowed her face to the earth, and said, 'Here is your maidservant, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.'"

Tonight during family devotions we talked about this verse. Lois was saying that this was one of her friends key verses while serving some missionaries! As Lois talked about Abigail and her friend I realized that is what I want to be! I want to be a woman who serves the Lord's servants! I want to be washing others feet! As I am here in Berlin I want that to be mindset! I want to work as hard as I possibly can, unto the Lord!  May we all be servants who wash the Lord's servants feet and may we all be like Abigail as we serve one another!

ice cream

It is the Weinberg tradition while here in Germany to take the Green kid who has a birthday and go get ice cream for them and the rest of the family. On the way home they get to eat an ice cream cone... and then they get one with the whole family. Two ice creams in one day is quite a treat! 

So today Joshua and I did just that because it was his birthday on Friday! So happy birthday Joshua and happy ice cream!

the bbq

Today was the first official Church BBQ for the summer here in Berlin! It was so good to see old faces and meet some new. It was so fun to feel apart of the Church even though I don't know the language! I was able to serve right along side them and that is what I love about believers! You don't have to speak the same language or have the same culture or eat the same kinds of food to have a love for our saviour! Today was a great day of fellowship! Praise God for His Church! 

As I was in different conversations over the past two days I realized how good of a Church I really do attend! I really have alot to be thankful for! As I was reading "The Power of Prayer in a Believers Life" tonight I realized I need to be thanking God more for my Church! There are so many people here in Berlin and other places that come from such horrible Church's! They are not being taught and feed the Word of God! And here I get it week in and week out and I so often forget what a blessing that really is! So I am publicly thanking God for Grace Bible Church! 

Oh, and for the sake of keeping the drama down... I am NOT talking about Bibelgemeinde Berlin! :) That is a great Church and the people are being feed the Word! So many of them come for untaught backgrounds! And it makes me sad and thankful at the same time! It is only by God's grace that I am where I am! Praise God for that! 

And thanks you all for your prayers! The Lord is answering them! I am not too home sick! He is guarding my tongue! And the wisdom for the last 2 weeks... I will have to let you know how that one turns out! :) I still have a week and half before I will know how that one is answered! :)

This is a long post for me with a very scrambled thought process! I am sleepy... so I am going to go to bed now!

submission

So I have been struggling through true submissions. I knew that the wife was to have a relationship with her husband and they were to talk things through... but I could never figure out how a woman could give her opinion or her feelings and still be in true submission... but today as I was talking with Lois is became much clearer to me. The wife is to talk things through with her husband and give him her opinion but she is to do it knowing that he is going to make the ultimate decision and she must be ready to follow in the decision! Now, any wise man will listen to his wife and value her opinion, but ultimately he is responsible to lead the family just as the wife is responsible to follow and support her husband!

2am? phil johnson? 90 degrees? what?

Today was a day of trying to get on the new time! I woke up at 2AM and was unable to go back to sleep. So that meant at 8:45AM I was ready for a nap... that is not a good thing! :) But I was able to take a nap this afternoon! And I am actually getting sleepy right now! Praise God for that! I thought it was funny that here I am in Germany and I was listening to Phil Johnson while ironing! :) Who would have thought that I would come to Germany to listen to Phil Johnson talk about Jonah while ironing? Good times! 

It is like 90 degrees here! It's pretty crazy! Whoever said germany is like Washington... I think they really meant Germany is like LA! :) Actually, this is pretty strange weather for this time of year... but its kind of nice! :) Well, sorry for all the random facts... but here are the pictures I promised! Enjoy!

egg + egg holder DOES NOT = yummy

So tonight at the dinner table Bopie and I had this conversation! It's just too cute to pass up! 

Bopie (all serious): We have egg bowls!

Miss Kimmy: Really? Do they make the eggs taste better? 

Bopie (just as serious): No! Salt does!

safe but sleepy

I arrived here in Germany to the Green house at 1PM. It was so good to see all the kids again! They all look older... its crazy! I am excited to see what the Lord has in-store for me over this next month and to see the different opportunities I will have to serve the Green's. This Saturday a Girl from (I believe) LA is coming over to be here for the month to learn from the Green's and then a girl from Arkansas (NOT silver beach... I got her mixed up with another girl) is coming to help with the 5 youngest while the Green's are away in Israel. The family is so looking forward to Israel. It's so fun to see their excitement and to be able to serve them in a way that enables them to get such a great opportunity! I know they will just have the time of their lives! 

Well, Lord willing tomorrow I will be able to take some pictures of the kids and get them up online. It is crazy how they have grown! Well, it's off to bed for me! I only got 4 hours of sleep Sunday night and then 3 hours of broke sleep on the plane... that is NOT enough sleep for me! Goodnight all! Oh, and thanks for all of your prayers! I need them! I will try and keep you updated on specific prayers requests along the way! Okay... this is really enough on the random post! :)

beginnings of berlin preparations

I can't believe that Germany is only 4 days away... That's CRAZY! And just to let you all know, I am going to Germany and I am excited! :) (there have been some questions about that so I am putting it all out here) The Lord knew JUST the right time to send me and has been preparing my heart for this trip for quite sometime. It should be a great opportunity to serve the Green's! God is good and knows EXACTLY what is best for me and for HIS glory! Praise Him for that!

Just so you all know... I am leaving this Monday, June 2nd at 2PM and I return Wednesday, July 2nd at 8:15PM. Please keep me in your prayers, specifically for wisdom as I watch the youngest 5 kids for 2 weeks during the Missions conference and that I would be a blessing to the Green family during this next month!

to fear

SKH gave this quote in his sermon this last Sunday and I think it is blog worthy. Thanks SKH!

"Fearing God is not less than showing respect to God, but it is so much more than that. It is an all-consuming attitude and approach to every moment and event that includes awareness of His presence and humility before His prominence and appreciation for His power. It is a minute by minute consciousness of God's character and His control. To fear God is to be more concerned about Him, His standards, His authority, and His sovereignty than anything else. Fearing God is not a Sabbath or Sunday only event. It doesn't take place only during your daily spiritual disciplines. It means you don't take a step without thinking about how where your foot lands relates to the God who made your foot and created the thing your foot is stepping on and the direction the foot is aimed."

teach them the word

I have been reminded again of the importance of teaching your children the Word of God. The Sarr's just started to read Ellie the Bible at night and it is so amazing how much she remembers! Here she is only 3 and she can tell you about the story we read over a week ago. It is so important to teach your children from the Bible! Use the actual Bible! You will be amazed at how much they will understand! God said His word will not return void and that is so evident even with a little 3 year old! Praise God for the power of His Word!

happy birthday grant!

Grant, I love you so much! It has been so great to watch you grow in your love for the Lord and for others. You are so tender hearted and I love your hugs! :) You're so much fun and its a joy to be your sister! I am so glad that we got to have you on your birthday! PRAISE GOD for that! It truly is a miracle that you made it to your 18th birthday! I love you so much!

training a child

On Wednesday I had the opportunity to gather together with some of the young mom's in our church at the Green's house. Rhonda Luse was giving some parenting advice. Here are some of the things I came away with. (Renee, I am "journaling" this just for you!)

Have a teachable heart. Bring things to the Lord and then to your husband. The husband and wife relationship should always come first in a family. Spend time "alone" in front of the kids. This gives the kids a sense of security.

Don't have child-centered parenting! Proverbs 26:12 You don't want children who are wise in their own eyes.

Discipline: afflicting pain for the purpose of amending behavior. Discipline for a non-happy heart! We are always trying to get to the heart! If they say that the punishment didn't hurt or they are fake crying, discipline them again.

Make sure your kids are fed, clean, and rested. If they disobey and they are tired, spank them and then put them to bed. Don't make them stay awake and then keep punishing them for not obeying when something is physically wrong.

Never give a command your don't expect to be obeyed. Be decisive and in control! If you don't know what you are doing, fake it. Make a decision, stand on it, and then later go to your husband and ask what he wants you to do in the future in that situation.

Correct with a sweet and cheerful voice! Give eye contact when you are instructing or correcting! Do not threaten or repeat yourself. They need to learn to have first time obedience! Teach them to respect and honor you and others.

While at home, play the sitting game. See how long they can sit without saying anything or moving! This comes in handy when you are in public and need your kids to be quiet! Make if fun for them by making it a game. Train them not to touch things at home so that in public they know what "no touch" means!

PRIASE! PRAISE! PRAISE! Praise your kids! Find the positive so you aren't always just correcting them!

Know the difference between childishness and foolishness. You must train your child before you can punish him in that area! Childishness gets taught through, but foolishness gets punished. If you have not established a rule then you can't punish them for it. Keep an even voice! Don't get upset. Never spank when you are mad! Take a break if you have to! You must be the example!

Don't look for faults! Find the good and praise them for it! You shouldn't be finding more faults in your kid than good!

Thank you Rhonda for taking the time to share some of your wisdom with us! Hope this was helpful for some of you.

money savers

here are a few things I've learned from the Sarr's so far about saving money!

Do cloth diapers and wipes, and for those of you who don't like the idea of the wipes... Cut your baby wipes in half since you can't use the whole wipe without getting poopy on your hand. :)

Make a compost pile or feed the bunnies as they call it instead of throwing your apple core, lettuce that has gone bad, or your orange peel in the trash. That will save on your trash bill.

Cut coupons. Stock up on none perishables in your garage when they go on sale, that way you never have to pay full price for those things. Oh, and those of you at Grace Bible Church... GLEAN, GLEAN, GLEAN!

Shop from your pantry! Making trips to the store for just a few item costs you money in gas and all those little trips to the store add up with out going noticed! Learn to go without and use what you have! Get creative!

Have a budget and stick to it!

Don't use credit cards if at all possible! When paying off credit always try and pay more than the minimum. This will save you oodles of money in the end!

Well, There is much more I could share... but this will have to do for now!

at the sarr's

For those of you who don't know... I am at the Sarr's now. I will be there till mid may. I have a post to come on the practical things I am learning there... But for now I wanted to share some pictures with you of the girls and I. The girls are so cute and so much fun. Hope you enjoy!

the power of prayer

I have been so humbled in reading the book "The Power of Prayer in a Believers Life" by Charles Spurgeon. Here are just a few quotes form it...

"Shall not my thankfulness ascend into joy and shall I not feel that I am made recipient of great favors when I am permitted to pray? Why, then, is your countenance sad when you stand before the throne of grace? ... If your sorrows are heavy, tell them to Him, for He can comfort you. If your sins are multiplied, confess them, for He can forgive them. O you courtiers in the halls of such a monarch, be exceedingly glad and mingle praises with your prayers."

"Souls abiding in Jesus open the day with prayer; prayer surrounds them as an atmosphere all day long; at night they fall asleep praying"

"It is not just upon a few special occasions that you shall pray prevailingly, but you shall possess this power with God as long as you abide in Christ and His word abides in you. God will put His omnipotence at your disposal, putting forth His Godhead to fulfill the desires that His own Spirit has worked into your life."

May we this day come crawling humbly before the throne of grace, rejoicing in His gift of salvation, being thankful for the prunings that come our way, and giving thanks for the good work He has done in our lives to glorify Himself! May we be marked by much prayer this day!

abortion

Many of you know that yesterday I went in to have sinus surgery. What you didn't know is that I would be mistaken for another patient who was about to have an abortion. A doctor whom I had never met approached me to ask me some per-op questions. My parents were sitting with me. My dad asked if I had ever met this doctor because the questions she was asking me seemed irrelevant to my surgery... We finally figured out she was doing surgery on the girl in the room next to me. I then broke down into tears. The girl was about to have an abortion. She decided not to go through with the surgery that day because she needed some more time to think through it. My dad was able to give the man his business card that said "We know 3 families who would love your baby." And with out a word they were gone. PLEASE BE PRAYING that this couple would not choose to have an abortion! Pray that they would come to Christ and that this life would be saved! PLEASE PRAY PRAY PRAY! She has an appointment tomorrow! Lord willing she will not go through with it!

the update

Its been a long time since I have posted! I am currently staying at the Van Derbeken's house! It has been a great time and I have learned lots (more than I even know) :)

One of the things that I really like is Monday morning cleaning! I like the idea of setting aside one morning a week and cleaning the whole house! We get up, stay in our jammies (I love that!) and we just go "gangbusters" cleaning the house! This is when we do the cleaning of the bathrooms, windows, floors, etc. That way the rest of the week is just maintenance! I think this is going to have to be something that I adopt!

The second thing I really like is "room time"! The kids each go in there rooms for about 30 minutes. This gives Jen time to get bills paid, clean, finish cooking, or just breath for a second. The kids love that they get sometime to play by themselves and then Jen can get stuff done! I think this is a great idea!

date night

I can't remember if I already posted about this... but I was thinking that I really want to do this when I get married, and that is "date night". Pick a day once a week and have "date night"! The Green's have theirs on Sunday nights (they don't have an evening service). The kids have their Sunday night dinner, cereal, and they are in bed by 7:00. They can listen to music and read until 9:00, but they have to stay in their beds. Lois then makes dinner for her and Cary and they eat in their room. This is a great way to spend time with your husband without spending a fortune! Watch a movie or just relax. Your date nights don't have to cost you an arm and a leg... and you don't have to find a baby-sitter for those of you in that stage of life!

I am sure I will keep thinking of things from Berlin and will continue posting about them... here is the first!

thanks

Thank you all for all your prayers for Wednesday night as I spoke to the girls in One28! The Lord was gracious and I am still alive :) I would ask you to keep praying that the girls would be submissive, Bible centered, home centered, lovers of others, and lovers of Christ, who is our Great High Priest and the supplier of our needs!

(Gale, this ones for you! :)

bittersweet

As I come to the end of my trip and think about the whole process, it is so amazing to see how God used this for my growth and to teach me about the benefits of submission! I must admit... this post is humbling to write because a part of me didn't really want to come to Germany for 2 months, but I knew that this is where I was supposed to be, despite how I felt. Submitting to something we naturally want to do is easy, submitting to authority, even when it is not intended for our good (1 Peter 2:12-3:6), is hard but God honors our submission to those over us. And in my situation, my authority did intend this for my good to begin with. Originally I thought that I was going to be in Berlin for 9 months but due to "visa stuff" that went down to 2 months. Even 2 months was a little overwhelming since I naturally like being at home... but God has used this time to create in me a soft heart to sin and this was also a great opportunity to reveal much sin in the areas of pleasing man instead of God, not trusting in the Lord, and even submitting with a trusting, happy heart! I was submitting... but not trusting that the Lord would use this whole thing for MY GOOD and HIS GLORY (I pray it was all for His glory!)

The Lord was very gracious through the whole trip to keep me busy and focused on Him and on being content while away from home. He has really shown me that! I have had a great time! The Green's have taught me so much and my love for the Lord has deepened while I have been here! I can't believe the time is almost gone... I think I could stay for another month! I am going to miss each one of the Green's! It is a bittersweet thing coming home! I really do miss MY church and my home but a little piece of my heart will forever be with the Green's.

things to remember part 2

Discipline: It should be for the sake of the child, not because you have had enough! It's to teach and conform to the Word of God, not for peace and quiet! Discipline and then pour on the love... the child may be disobeying because their love tank is low (or their love hole is empty, that's for you dad!) (Hebrews 12:11) Don't always say no... don't say no out of laziness... get the play dough out and then clean it up, or find something else to say yes to! Make the rules fun (bed time rules include no playing with the moon, etc) Pick your battles... make sure you are willing to spank over the thing you tell them to do! Teens should have more say... they need freedom to make decisions. They should know that the family rules may be lifted but God's rules will never be lifted!

Education: Teach your sons with the mindset of them being leaders of the family and faithful providers, daughters should have the mindset of exceptional help-meets for godly husbands! We need women who are trained to think and act biblically! They should stand head and shoulders above the ideal "career women" of today for they have a calling that has an important and significant end! (and I'm not saying having a JOB is bad) Give your children the best education you can and "rest" while you work for they are in God's hands. The woman in Proverbs 31 is one who knows how to get food and clothing for her family (vv. 13 &15), she knows how to make money for the family (vs. 24), she was wise (v. 26). These verses all prove that this woman was not stupid and was educated in the things she needed to know to make a good home! We should be teaching the girls in the church the same thing! (Titus 2:3-5)

I was very convicted about the fact that our homes should be clean for we are cleaned inside by Christ... and after all, our outsides and our insides should match! Christian wives and mothers must see a devotion to the home and family life as a duty and calling, not as an option! We should be training our girls to be domestic! They should be domestically equipped!

I also came across an interesting concept from Nancy Wilson in "Praise Her in the Gates." She said that a woman who fears God in her child rearing (or whatever may be the case) doesn't have to fear the future! Proverbs 31:25 reminds me that I need to be more focused on fearing God and submitting then on what the future holds!

let it snow

It is TOTALLY snowing here in Berlin! It is so beautiful! Here the girls were just having a tea party and it started to snow! It is now DUMPING snow! It's so pretty! I can't believe it is November 10th and snowing...


I guess Bopie thinks that one of the essential elements of a snow outfit is a helmet...


I finally got the pictures to work! YEAH! Now you can actually see that it is snowing....


It snowed all during church today too! Very exciting! But then after church the singles went out to lunch and we had to walk in the freezing weather with our Sunday clothes on... not quite as exciting then :) But it sure does feel like winter here! :)

things to remember...

Bath time: While the kids are little put them in the bath with some toys and then clean the bathroom... They love it and you get stuff done!

Bedtime: Put the kids to bed with a treat on occasion... sing and pray with them... Do jammy rides... put all the kids to bed and lights out and them get them up and go out for ice cream or wake them up and watch a movie! Make bedtime fun!

Holidays: Cultivate your OWN traditions! Don't worry about what the pagans are doing... having Christmas trees, etc... just center it all on the truth! Birthdays: let the kids stay up as late as they want! Christmas: have a slumber party around the tree!

Sickness: Make it fun by watching old movies, playing games, and sleeping in sleeping bags. Teach spiritual things in these times such as frailty of life. Don't take your sick kid to church! Sick children should be at home being nurtured!

Church: Train your kids to sit still so they can worship not just so they won't distract others..

Mealtime: Meal time is the family rejoicing over a hard day of work! Teach manners with love and kindness... your kids shouldn't dread mealtime! Make reading as a family a habit!

For Sons: Use words like admire, proud, or respect with them with association to accomplishments! Don't protect your sons from consequences... have him go to the teacher or the boss to work things out... NO EXCUSE MAKING! The father should be the son's role model not the mother!

For Daughters: Don't take offense, be impatient, or attribute motives, rather be kind and not exasperating! Teach them about meekness, submission, respect, courtesy, and holiness by example. Praise your daughters! They are a bottomless pit when it comes to love. Daughters need boundaries for security not for protection like boys... Emotions should follow NOT LEAD! Education is to prepare them to be very smart wives and mothers! See that your little girl is feminine and likes it! They will grow to embrace being tomboyish if you teach it! Teach modesty and propriety. Beauty is good with boundaries! The outside beauty should reflect the inside beauty!

heavenly minded

As I was sitting at the dinner table during family devotions (Matthew 6:19-22) I was thinking how the Lord has really caused me to be more heavenly minded on this trip! I just pray that would continue! I have a new excitement for heaven that I have never had! I have been reading Hebrews, which I think is helping cultivate the excitement for heaven, and it has been so good to be reminded of what Christ did for us and how he was the PERFECT high priest who paid for all of our sins once and for all!

I cannot tell you how important it is to have Scripture be the center of the family! I think the Green children know more about the Bible than I do. This family spends a lot of time in the Word and it has really helped me stay focused while I am! My love for God, His Word, and excitement for heaven are growing stronger with each day! (I know that is how it is suppose to be... but that isn't always the case...) Make the Bible the center of your day and your families! You will see the power of God working through that! It is quite an exciting thing! :)

the bald headed boy

Last night we heard a BIG crash! We entered the boys room to find Joshua on the floor crying... He had fallen from the top bunk onto his head. We then realized that he had lost a BIG chunk of hair in the process... here are the pictures to prove it! He now has a good story to one day tell his children! :)

happy reformation day

Due to the fact that today is reformation day... we all dressed up as Bible characters... From left to right Buddy (king Jotham), Joseph (Joseph and his "shirt" of many colors), Bijou (Ruth), Josiah (king Josiah), LAbri (Jairus' daughter), Yvonne (Naomi), Joshua (David the shepherd boy), Eshte (Asenath... Joseph's Egyptian wife), Jonathan (the wolf the shephards fought off), Kimberly (Lydia), Abby (sheep that David cared for holding Hannah's baby for her!), Christina (Hannah)

little ruthie

isn't she cute! I just had to post these pictures...

happy birthday bopie!

Today was Joseph's 4th birthday... well, actually it was on Tuesday but due to the fact that the Green parents were on vacation... it was today! We celebrated with Mexican food (a rare treat for the Green's), a monkey cake that Eshte and I made (good times), ice cream, and lots and lots of presents! It was really fun! We all said what we liked best about Bopie... his smile, sense of humor, cuddles, kindness, and he is always quick to share (just to name a few!). The house was full of excitement and toy cars! It was a great day of celebrating another year in this little guys life! He is such a blessing to this family!

Bopie and his monkey cake...

The cake...

I have more pictures to put up but my computer is being dumb...
but there are a few...

a personal savior

It seems that I have been reminded a lot lately that we serve a personal God! He is a God who has been through the most grievous sorrow that day on the cross, and was tempted by the devil himself in the desert and yet did not sin, and He experiences great joy when we come to saving knowledge of Him. It comforts me to know that my God knows exactly how I am feeling. I just started going through Hebrews and found much encouragement from these verses... Hebrews 4:15-16 "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Praise the Lord He gives us the grace to make it through our greatest pains!

craziness

For those of you who don't know... the Green parents + little Ruthy went on an anniversary trip... so today was the first day of watching and home schooling the 9 Green children. It was a very good day with much parental practice!

As we took these pictures, I told Joseph to look up at the green light at the top of the computer and that is what I got. Speaking of Joseph... Tonight at the dinner table I told him to stop playing with his cup because we had already had one spill that night. He then turned and looked at me with his finger pointed up in the air, as if a light bulb had turned on in his head and he said "Miss Kimmy, how about I play with the salt." I died laughing... He thought the saltshaker was a better alternative to his cup... That is just one of the many smiles/laughs I get in any given day... Well, I am so tired from a long fun day with the kids! Tomorrow it will be even more fun for we will have 16 poeple staying here at the Green house... Bea and Pascal and there 2 little kids, Catherine, Yevvon (a girl staying with the Green's to learn english), me, and the 9 kids.... craziness, that's all I can say about that!

theology + respect

As I have been talking to the Green's or reading various things I have found some things that are going to be key in me picking a husband! (actually my dad gets to pick out my husband...) First, He must be a man with the same theology as me. As the woman, I am to be submissive and it would be very hard to be submissive in teaching my children what my husband thinks about the Bible if I don't agree. That would put me in an interesting and not fun position! Second, I HAVE to marry a man I respect! Love is the easy part... but respect that is a whole different thing! If I respect the man... I can sure learn to love him, but if I love the man, I can't necessarily learn to respect him.

practical bible knowledge

Lois and I had our first Thursday naptime meeting yesterday. I have been so convicted about my lack of Bible knowledge. As we were talking about Bible reading and memorization she was saying now is the time for me to be reading tons of scripture and hiding it deep in my heart because I will have to teach it to my children (so I have to know it to teach it) and then also when you have kids, you will not have lots of time to sit down and study your Bible. You can't remove your children from you to go and study. She was saying that the Lord has been gracious to bring up the scripture that she knows in time of need. She was also saying that although she would like to read the Bible 4 times a year, that just isn't realistic with 10 kids running around, so she shoots to read it once a year. It is my time to fill my head with scripture so I can then teach my children.

She also said that I should read my Bible looking for verses or principles that I can teach my children. For instance, instead of telling my kids not to be mean "because mommy says so," I should teach them that Jesus says to be kind to one another. Not only will I be teaching my children the Bible then, there will be less arguing with because they know they can't argue with what God says.

eye alert

Tonight we went to Mariah's house for dinner (she is one of the single ladies in the church). On the way to her house we passed by lots of bad billboards. The Green's have this thing were one of the parents calls out "eye alert" and then all of the kids respond with a "yes mama" or "yes papa" and then they all close there eyes until they say it is okay. Just thought I would share this idea... It works in movies too... They do it when they are in a theater but is passed down the line to close your eyes instead of shouted out loud! :)

sunday preparations

When you have 10 kids to get out the door on a Sunday morning there has to be some order. This whole process starts on Saturday night with bath time. To save money on water, all the kids bath in the same water. Bath time starts about 5:00. This is when all the kids get there nails clipped, ears cleaned, and dressed for Sunday morning. That is right, dressed for Sunday morning. Lois puts the girls in their stocking and tops so all she has to do in the morning is put on the dress. This saves lots of time for this family of 10. (I thought that was a very good idea that seems like it would cut down the stress level of Sunday mornings.)

Another things that I like, is all the kids get dressed in their PJ's before dinner, that way they can go right up stair and get into bed. It makes the evening run much smoother and dinnertime is the winding down time for the children.

bible time

It amazes me how much the Green family spends time in the Word. We do devotions first thing in school, then at the end of school. (Lois does those two.) Then after dinner, Papa (Cary) does the formal family devotions. They are going through three different books of the Bible. They review all they have already studied, starting from the first chapter until the chapter they are at. They are to give a brief sentence on what happened in each chapter (for example, Acts chapter 1, Jesus went up into heaven) This way they know what happened through the whole book of Acts chapter by chapter. It is quite impressive and I really like the format. I want to do tons of Bible with my kids.

Also, the older kids (10 and up) memorize whole parables. They then recite them to the whole family. What a way to put the Bible in school by memorizing parables like poems!

The Bible is the center of this family and I pray that would be the case for mine!

home centeredness

In an e-mail from my dad, he said that I should write on being home-centered. The funny thing is that Lois and I were just talking about women who try to have jobs such as being a police man (that was just the job we were talking about... but there are many more that can be put in place of that job) and then when they come home they try to be submissive to their husbands and gentle with their children. That is a hard switch to make, not impossible, but hard. It seems it would be difficult to be hard and strict at work and then come home and be gentle and submissive. Everything girls/women do should be with the mind set of "home centeredness". The training that we get should be to make us better in the home. It should teach us to be better wives and mothers and to have a gentle and quiet spirit.

I did not go through most of my high school years thinking ... "how would this make me a better home centered woman?" If I could do it again, I would study with the mind set of teaching my children what I am learning. As I have been helping with the home schooling of the Green children each morning, I am realizing how much I don't know and how much I need to learn to be able to adequately teach my children what they need to know. I have a lot of learning to do still and I want to learn with the mind set of being a home centered, God glorifying woman.

do what works best for you

Now, just as a reminder... these next posts will contain lots of methods! Yes, they are methods! Please don't be catty or judgmental! Now, on to the blogging...

The other day the kids all went into the bathroom after lunch to brush there teeth. I asked Lois if they brush after every meal (in my mind that seemed like a lot of work with 10 kids and half of the kids you have to brush there teeth to even think about getting them clean) Her response was that because of the home schooling and the crazy mornings that come with that it just works better for there family to brush after lunch and dinner instead of breakfast and dinner. Even though this seems like a duh thing to do, I know I would be legalistic to do it in the time that the dentist recommends, but with 10 children, you have to do what works best for you and for your family with those kind of things.

Some of you may think this is a strange post... but I think it will have a big impact on my thinking when it comes to planning my days with kids.

I had to put this picture in here...

take up your cross

Today was a great day of spiritual focus! I was so glad that Daniel was able to interpret the message second service for my parents and I! I was desperate for spiritual feeding! The Lord knew I needed to hear today's sermon and provided a translator! Praise the Lord! The message was on Luke 14: 25-33. It was such a reminder to put aside all others and all other things and make sure that you love Christ first and FOREMOST! And also, it was good to be reminded of the cost of following Christ... EVERYTHING! And the fact that the cross is a death sentence and we need to be ready to die for Christ! We are following Christ to our deaths! It was good to be reminded about those things, get my focus back on Christ, and then take the Lord's supper!

Today was of course another fun day at the Green's. I am actually "babysitting" right now while the parents are out to dinner. The kids are all in bed... most asleep :) and now I am writing this blog and missing you all! I think this is going to be a great opportunity! Just keep praying I would stay focused! :)

stone + shopping

Today was a day of stone! We went to a granite factory and hand picked out 6 containers of granite (my mom and i took a little nap in the car for a little while because we didn't get back from the dinner until like 1 am) We then went to the stone show for a while.. and I got to meet lots of new people.

Nico + my dad doing business!

After all of the stone stuff, we HIT (that was for you Gal! :) Verona at night! It was very fabulous, but our feet were hurting from all of the walking! So we called it an early night.

This is a picture for you Mo, just to prove I am still alive! :)

We are now just packing our stuff to wake up at 6.30 AM and drive back to Berlin!

Please be praying that I would continue to be excited about what I am doing right now, that I would be able to stay busy enough to stay distracted, and that I would trust in the Lord with all my heart!

the gala

Last night we went to a gala dinner (code for the nicest dinner ever!) with a stone company. This was the most amazing meal ever. For each person there were 4 sets of silverware, 4 glasses, 5 plates, and the list goes on from there. There were per-appetizers, appetizers (like 7 different ones that they brought to you), pastas, salad, a grapefruit sorbet drink (i think that was my favorite thing!) , meat, veggies, potatoes, and then gelato served over thin sliced pineapple with berries. Trust me... we did NOT go hungry. Just to let you know how big this dinner was there was a professional firework show between the main course and dessert. It was quit amazing!

Really, It was about 50,000 times fancier than Daniel's, and the only thing at Daniel's that is close in yumminess is the mash potatoes! :)

It was really fun because we sat next to the only American people there besides us. They were from the LA area. We hit is off. We acually saw them the next day at the stone show and ended up talking with them for about another hour. It was really nice to talk with people who spoke English! :)

And just to make you feel like you are here with me... I put in a picture of the building we ate in and a few pictures of the fireworks.

venice

Venice was beautiful! The water was gorgeous and the building where amazing. We took a train there and then just walked around the city all day long. We did some shopping, of course and walked the streets.

Today our feet were very tired; actually they felt like they were going to explode from all the walking... but it was still a fun day! :) I miss you all, but at the same time am having fun.

I am actually look forward to getting back to the Green's and having my post be a little more substantial! :)

Sarah Zimmer... all the pictures are just for you! :) I finally figured out how to get more then 2 on there! :) So hopefully there will be more pictures to come!

verona

The last two days have been crazy and fun! We did a little more Florence shopping and then drove through Tuscany! It was beautiful. That is what I pictured Italy to be like; big rolling hills, vineyards, Cyprus trees, and beautiful old buildings of orange, green, and sand color. We then found our hotel and due to the one way streets, lost it and it took us another hour and a half to find it... it was crazy. (it was a hole in the wall ghetto hotel :) But... we survived. The next day we were awoken to the receptionist calling our room at 11:15 telling us it was time to leave the room! We rushed to pack and get to our next hotel where we could shower! We arrived just outside of Verona at a very nice Best Western, cleaned up, and then hit the streets of Verona. The building were beautiful! (and the gelato was amazing :) And for dinner we went to this super fancy restaurant. Oh, and I tried sword fish for the first time and I don't eat fish and it wasn't all that bad (and Micah... it didn't take me 20 minutes to try it like at SKH's birthday party! :) But it was a fun evening!

So for the Kim moment of the last 2 days...
I tripped over this huge metal chain in the middle of the street and bruised and scraped both shins up pretty bad. Oh, and I have HUGE deep red bug bits that itch like crazy all over me :)

frolicking in florence

Today was a perfect Italian day. The weather was great and the streets were busy, but not too busy! We did some good Italian shopping in the morning and then headed off to see the Duomo. We didn't get to go up to the top because it was closed today but we got to stand in awe of some amazing painting! We walked along the streets and enjoyed some good old Gelato, of course (being here with my dad! :)
We ate dinner at Za Za. It was very busy so we actually ate dinner with these two other ladies! It was fun to hear about their travels and it was nice they both spoke English! One was originally from Europe and then moved to the states. They have been best friends for like 40 years, and they were traveling together. That was a very fun, real Italian dinner. We spent about 45 minutes after that to find our hotel again! But we are finally back at "home" and heading to bed...

italia

Today was a day of travel. We drove from Berlin, Germany to Florence, Italy. It was a long day filled with little naps. The coolest part was we were able to see the Alps. That is quite amazing! It was so awesome to see the hand of God in creation as we drove though the mountains. It was so beautiful. There were a bunch of little villages with big churches along side the range. (We think we saw the Matterhorn... and not the one in Disneyland :)

We arrived safely to our hotel and then went and ate at a little pizza place. It was very good and we are all very full! :) We are now heading to bed!

safe and sound

After landing in Berlin, Cary and Sam (the intern) picked us up and brought us home to the 10 children and Lois. It was fun to be able to hear all the children's stories and see little Ruthy's (7 months) 2 new teeth! The kids are getting so big and Abby (2) is talking up a storm! She is a story teller! And then Joseph (3) is trying to keep his mouth up with his mind! So after catching up with all the kids we sat down to a great lunch of potatoes, meat, and veggies.

After lunch, my parents and I took a 4 hour nap to then be woken up to Joshua singing "I Could Have Danced All Night" (from My Fair Lady) in his opera voice! (the team knows what I am talking about :) After eating dinner and having family devotions, I got to play with little Ruthy for a little while. We were also greeted by a thunder storm tonight, the kids were loving it! It's been so fun to be back with the Green family once again and thank you to all of you who are praying! Your prayers are much appreciated!

preparation + prayer

I am half packed and anticipating tomorrow morning! Sean is picking my parents and I up at 9am to go to the airport. My parents are taking me to Berlin and then on Sunday we will head off to Italy for a few days and then after that I will officially start my stay at the Green's. (my parents are going to the world's largest stone show there in Verona, Italy)

At this point I would appreciate prayers for safety, me keeping my focus on Christ, serving others, and worshiping our Lord! Please pray that I would have a cross centered perspective while I am over there! Thanks you for the much needed prayer! I will try and keep you updated as much as i can. I might even get some pictures from time to time... And if you have any good questions that I could ask Lois... let me know!

the verdict is in

For those of you wondering what I am doing this fall... I am off to Berlin, Germany on September 27 until November 15! This is an opportunity for me to serve the Green's and potentially other families in the church. So you all can be praying that I would be a blessing to those that I am serving and that I would be teachable and ready to learn! Thanks for your prayers!

hope in GOD

I was listening to a John Piper sermon while cleaning at Priceless and this quote really hit me:

"Take all your hope for happiness and pin it on God!"

It really challenged me to think about where my hope is! So often we can put our hope for happiness in family, friends, and even in ministry and none of those things will ever give us true happiness. It is only when our hope is in Him will we have true happiness.

let your fruit be known

This weeks sermon really challenged me! It caused me to take a good look at my fruit and my lack there of! As I look at my own life I see all the opportunities I could have had to impact this world for eternity but instead... i took the easy way out! Instead of being bold and sharing the gospel with the check out lady, I just smiled and paid, or instead of asking the hard question, I just walked away! Let us be different from the world and cause the world to question why we are happy when life tells us we should be sad, or we are kind when we should be mad. Don't just sit around and wait for something to happen but let us be actively pursuing Christ and through Him let others see our fruit and give HIM all the glory!

my heart + His will

As you know from my last post, I went to Canton, Ohio this last week. I really enjoyed the trip over all! They people are great and the state is beautiful! As far as me moving there... that is a different story. As I went there it was confirmed in my heart that that is not where I want to be or feel led to be but...
I would ask that you would all pray that my heart would be where I am suppose to be and that if I am to be in Canton... that my heart would change and that I would want to live there. The other thing I would ask you to pray for is that I would be ready to submit no matter what the out come is! If my parents think that is the best place for me to be I pray that I would be ready to go with a happy heart (as Maggie would put it!). So in short pray that the Lord's will would be done in my life, that my heart would aline with His will, and that I would joyfully submit to His will!

canton, ohio

I can't believe that my trip to Canton is almost over! It has been a very good trip! The people are great and it has been fun to worship with other like-minded believers.This trip has stretched me and caused me to totally rely on Christ. It will be interesting to see if the Lord would have me live here for two years or if He has other plans for me! The last few months have forced me to not have a plan, to trust in Him, and to be ready for ANYTHING! (and that is REALLY hard for me!) Just be praying that the Lord's will would be done, and that my heart would be in total submission to His Word and his will!

Well, as we were reminded in Church today... may Christ get all the glory and may He be exalted above all else!

the cross + others

Today we had our annual senior share Sunday! The two things that I shared where love the cross and others! As far as the cross goes... live in light of it! Have a burden for the lost, and see the gospel in all you so! As for others, seek to see them grow in Christ likeness! Share what you know with someone else! Don't just sit on your bum and do nothing! Make disciples! Get evolved in ministry and love the body of Christ!

That's all for now.. and i think this may mark the beginning of blogging again! :)

a living sacrifice

Today as I was reading Romans 12 I was thinking about what it truly means to be a living sacrifice! Am I truly SACRIFICING for Him? Am I giving my all to Him? Here it says we are to be a "living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God". How pleasing am I to God? Do I conform to this world, or am I transformed? Am I living a life heavenly minded? These are things for us to think about! Are we truly living our lives focused on Him, seeking to give Him all the glory or are we living our lives for ourselves and for our own glory?

HIS plans NOT ours

God is so faithful to have us depend wholly on Him no matter what happens! I love that even when OUR plans don't go the way we plan them, they all work out for His honor and glory! (and they generally work out better then we could EVER plan them, even if the process hurts!) I love how much God shows Himself off through our trials! Yesterday, my dad and I got into a bit of a disagreement and my plans for the evening were changed, yet it worked out for His glory and I think my dad and I are even closer than before! Praise the Lord.. He gets ALL the glory for Himself!

selfless small group

Micah's sermon yesterday in one28 was very challenging to me! I really had to check my motives for going to small group! Am I going to be with people I love, or to pour my life into other girls? It really got me thinking about what I am doing for other girls! Am I pursuing them outside of small group? Am I seeking to see them complete in Christ? Am I seeking them all week long, or just in small group! I really need to work on not focusing on what I can get, but what I can give! I was just talking to Kari Boston (the mother of the kids I nanny, for those of you who don't know her) the other day about this very thing, giving to others! It is so amazing how God will bring things back into your life until you apply it! I pray that I will truly apply the knowledge I have this time instead of just being challenged and moving on! This topic seems to be a re-occurring thing in my life!

foot note: these things can be applied in other areas ... that is just were I was challenged!

through HIM alone

In small group, Sarah Zimmer gave us all these prayers out of the book "The Valley of Vision". We were reading the one titled "God the All". As I sat there and read it, I was very convicted! I don't pray like that at all! The writer says, "There is no comfort in anything apart from enjoying thee." That goes right along with what we are learning in One28, enjoying the process! I can have no joy in the things I do if it is for my glory and my own praise! It is only through Him I can have true joy! He goes on to say, "I rejoice to think that all things are at thy disposal, and it delights me to leave them there, then prayers turn wholly into praise, and all I can do is to adore and bless thee." WOW! If I would just trust in Him, and lean on Him WHOLLY, then all I could do is praise Him in every circumstance! He goes on, "I can of myself do nothing to glorify thy blessed name ... that every good work or thought found in me is the effect of thy power and grace!" It is only through Him, that I can glorify Him! My focus needs to turn off of me, and wholly onto Him!

selflessly serving

The Lord has been working on my heart alot this last month! Something that I have been learning is the point of all relationships! I have been reading this book (Yes, I have been reading! :) and it is all about relationships. The book was aimed at couples, but I have been reading it to help my friendships, and the whole point was that we are to be in a relationship completely for the other person! Everything we are going to say to them we should ask the question "Is what I am about to say going to encourage, or benefit them spiritually?" In the time that we spend with them, we should be completely focused on how we can serve them! We should be so focused on the other person, that our needs don't matter!

I have been talking to Natalie about this ALOT, and I have realized how far I am from this! I am SO SELFISH in my relationships! It is all about what I can get out of them, and not how I can serve and encourage the other person! And as Christians we are called to be SELFLESS! I just thought I would share that with you!

in CHRIST alone

The Easter concert last night was so awesome! It was great being able to praise God with other fellow believers through song! It was a great reminder of what God has done for us, and the price He paid so that we might live eternally with Him! He gave His ONLY Son for us! If that doesn't make you want to worship Him for all of eternity, I don't know what will! Last night at the concert, I was ready to go and be with Christ and worship Him forever! That was a sweet time of worship. I pray that during this week of remembering what He has done for us, that we will truly give Him thanks for the sacrifice He gave on the Cross.

The following quotations are taken from a song we sang last night, "In Christ Alone". I love this song because it reminds me of all that Christ has done for me! I pray that this would cause you to think on Christ and all He has done in your life!

"Till on that cross, as Jesus died
The wrath of God, was satisfied
For every sin on His was laid,
Here in the death of Christ I live."

"And as He stands in victory,
Sin's cures has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine,
Bought with the precious blood of Christ."

"No power of hell, no scheme of men,
Could ever pluck me from His hands,
'til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand."

in His time

Today's sermon really encouraged me. It was a great reminder that all things are in God's hands, and that I am not in control of my life. I don't have to worry about the future, because it is all in God's hands, and He already has my life all planned out! All things will work out in His timing and for His good! It is so encouraging to know that even the bad things in our lives happen for a reason, whether we know that reason or not. But in the end, God gets all the glory, and that is encouraging!

Another thing that challenged me was the fact that God should be in the center of my life, yet so often I am so focused on myself. I get so narrow-minded, and forget that I am to be living to glorify Him and not myself! It is when I put myself first that I then begin to feel sorry for myself and I found myself with no joy or happiness. And that all comes back to what we have been learning all year, "joy in God, or joy in self (or anything else for that matter)?". I love that phrase that SKH said in his sermon, "People need to be reminded more than they need to be instructed" (or something like that!) That is so true! Well, I just thought I would share a few things that I was challenged by today!

love for no other

As I was sitting in church Sunday morning, something hit me! Pastor Zimmer said that no matter what happens, true love will always love. I thought that was a very interesting statement. As I sat and thought about it I began to think on all the different relationships I have. Then I began to think about my relationship with Christ. No matter what I do He will love me! That was very encouraging to me! I often think in my relationships with people and with Christ, how can they love me? I am so difficult. But true love always loves. So often we base our loves on ourselves, if we would only base them on Him! Even in our relationships with others, our love for Him should be first. When our relationships are based on Him, and have Him first, our love for that person will be an overflow of our love from God. That was also a challenge to me to love others no matter what they do or say to me. And, if I am struggling with someone, I need to pray for them! It really does work! I just need to do it!

Also, on Sunday night we were singing a song and these lines really stuck out to me. "I have no longing for another, I am satisfied in Him ALONE!" This really challenged me to think about these things: Am I putting Him first, longing for nothing but Him, and am I satisfied in Him ALONE! Well, I hope these things challenge you as much as they did me!

a desire for GOD'S WORD

This week in chapel, the speaker started out by describing God's Word. "It's perfect, inerrant, sustaining, divine, the way to Christ-likeness, and His love letter to us." As I thought about it, if it is all the things we say it is, why don't I read it more and why don't I memorize it more? The only thing I could come up with is that I am lazy, undisciplined, and don't have a strong desire to do so. I need to meditate on His Word more whether that be through reading His Word or memorizing it. It is the only way I am going to grow spiritually.

My Love for God is NOT what it should be! I am sitting at work and listening to Sean's sermon from last Wednesday night and it went perfectly with what I learned in chapel. Here I go and drink from other cisterns when God's Word is right in front of me! All I have to do is turn to Him, yet I so often don't.

a single womans calling

Last night at small group, we were talking about what we had been learning, and in that process, we started to talk about the role of young women. We started to talk about the three responsibilities that single women are to have. First off, our relationship with God. We are to be following Him whole-heartedly. Second, we are to be submitting to our parents, and lastly, we are to be discipling other young women, and being discipled by older women! This last point really hit me. I started to think. How much do I reach out to younger women? Am I pursuing a discipleship relationship with any younger girl? Then, I realized that I have to be pursuing God first, and then submitting to my parents before I can disciple someone else. Now I know I will never be perfect, but my priorities need to be in line, and I need to be pursuing these things. I was very challenged to get my act together and to start pursuing these things again! Just thought I would share that with you!

take up your cross

Today in Bible, I was challenged by three things. The first was about taking up our cross. This whole idea was made clear to me when my Bible teacher said that back then many of the believers would have been crucified for their beliefs. This was a very real concept to them. When Jesus says "Take up your cross and follow me." that means to the death. As I was sitting there I was asking myself if would I take up my cross and follow Jesus to my death! That is a very real was to think about it. Would you pick up the very thing that would cause your death and follow Jesus?

The second was, as a believer am I different from the world? Do others look at me and see Jesus, or do they see me? I can so often get caught up in this world and forget about who I am to be living for, JESUS! (NOT ME!)

And the last thing, when I am in the middle of a trial, do I pray that Christ would get me out of the trial, or that He would give me the strength to get through the trial. These all come down to one thing! My focus needs to be on Christ more, and not myself!

wisdom or folly?

Well, Here goes my first REAL blog. As I was sitting in One28 today, I was thinking about the snow retreat and all that I had learned there. As Sean was preaching about Wisdom and folly I began to think about how these where the very same things I was challenged by at the 06SR. Here I was convicted about my loves being in other places, and not having a deep love for God and already after only a few weeks back I am falling into the very same things again! I am drinking out of the same old cisterns!

Something else that hit me while I was sitting there was the question "Am I pursuing wisdom or folly?". As I thought about it I think the more dominate one is folly! I push off Bible reading, when I get together with friends we so often talk about vain things, and the most convicting one, is my thoughts! So often I waste so much time with foolish, vain things!

I need to think less about the things of this world, and myself, and more on things above! Well, sorry about the scrambled thoughts. Just thought I would share that.

work

I sit at work every Saturday and read everyone's blogs, and I thought to myself why not have my own blog? So here it goes!