Our House

While it is not finished it has come a long way! Wanted to share the excitement with you. John has been painting our house (when it is not raining) and I am SO excited about the new colors!

Here is the before:
And here is the after:

There is still stuff to do but I am so happy with the results of the outside transformation!

I hope to post pictures of the inside in the coming weeks as I continue my spring cleaning and prep for the kids to be home with me all summer!

Have something exciting to share about your house? Please share it with me...I love looking at houses and decorations. Post a link to your post on "Our House" so we can see what you are up to!

Mom

It's her birthday! Happy Happy Birthday to you mom! I know it won't be a fun day because you are having a colonoscopy but I pray that it is the beginning of a fun year for you. I love you and am so thankful to have you in my life. You are a beautiful, strong, smart, loving woman and I am blessed to call you mom!

Jorja's first Pillowcase dress

Well it is really a first for both of us. It was my first pillowcase dress to make and her first pillowcase dress to wear! I have been wanting to make on of these for a while now. My dear friend Tamara shared the idea with me and I finally decided to sit down and give it a try! It was pretty easy. And I have lots of ideas how to improve the next one! These pillowcase dressed are really cute with antique pillowcases - so keep you eyes out for some unique old pillowcases that will transform into cute dresses for your little girl. Hope to have more of these to show - summer is almost here and it is the perfect time for a pillowcase dress!

The tutorial I used for the pillowcase dress can be found here

Trusting Him

The current bible study I am doing has been a blessing to me - daily! I am thankful that God reminded me that I never finished this study that I started almost 5 years ago. The timing seemed to be perfect - which means it must have been His timing!

The verse that is the focus of today's study is Psalm 9:10

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

The writer (Kathy) brings up the most brilliant point here is what she says- "In the past I had always focused on God's promise never to forsake me - but this time I realized it also meant I could trust in Him, no matter what happened to me! I had to make a decision: I decided then and there to claim His promise that I would trust in Him, and I am so very glad" she is speaking of a different situation when she talks about this interpretation but for me it is real in my day to day. Times are hard - everyone is feeling a little pinch in the pocketbook. We get very consumed with the loss of funds in the retirement account or less money in the savings account or will we even have a job tomorrow. But in reality I should not be worried about any of these things - I should keep living for Him and fulfilling my call and trust in the ALMIGHTY Lord! He will not forsake me - I must trust in Him.

This is simple and what many of us know to be true but its the daily life that sometimes removes the focus and allows the worry to set in. But I glad that God continues to remind us of the things that we file away as simple. I think sometimes we do file away trusting Him as simple but is it really simple - for me it isn't. Even though I love the Lord with ALL my heart, I know that He is with me, forgives me, loves me (even when I am not loveable) but I find myself having this trust battle way to often. I have gotten better but I know that He is still at work in me - showing me new ways to trust or as a dear friend puts it "Let Go Let God" (thanks Kimberly for that easy way to remind myself to trust Him).


Father, thank you for your MANY promises, your promise that our faith in YOU will hold strong in times of trouble. Thank you for showing me how to trust you and for forgiving me when I don't put my trust in you and fail. I pray that you will continue to show me outstretched hand when I stop depending on you.

He Makes Me Brave

Last night I told John "I am going for my walk after I take the kids to school because it is starting to get warmer in the afternoons and tomorrow it is suppose to rain." So this morning I got up, didn't shower because I knew I would be walking around 9:30 and would shower when I returned.

So I take the kids to school and stop by the house before I head to the park (potty break) and then get in the car and get almost to the park and it starts to rain. I am not exaggerating the next part...I start yelling at the devil - I am so tired of you getting in my way and holding me back. I want to walk - for my health, for my kids, for my energy level. So I call John to tell him that I am sick and tired of the devil being in my way - he needs to move over because there is NO room for him in my life. John listens like a good husband and one that truly knows how much I want to walk this morning. So then I just say you know what a little rain never hurt anyone...I am walking anyway!

I get out of my car put ear buds in, turn on my music the song comes on and it says "...so long status quo, I think I just let go you make me want to be brave..." And there I was - walking my walk - a little rain never hurt anyone!! God is Strong and He makes me want to be brave - if I believe in Him it changes everything - the rain stopped. And I think I shouted - "Move over there is NO room for you"

I got my walk in, praised the Lord the whole time!
Got back to the house to re-read my devotional for today (Jorja was a little cranky this morning so I think I read it but I did not remember it)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus Romans 8:1
If I had not gotten my walk in today then I would have felt like a failure and the guilt would have gotten me down.

Father, thank you for setting me free from guilt and condemnation. Thank you that Jesus resides in me and that I can be victorious and brave!

James lost a tooth!

My little snaggle tooth!

Can you believe that my big guy lost his first tooth today! He sure did. In preschool during lunch in Ms Prell's class he lost his tooth. He has been working on it for a few days but today is the lucky day and tonight the tooth fairy will come! His new tooth is already coming in - it pushed the old one out - which I thought was strange but the dentist assured me this happens often.

So my question to you bloggers is "How much does the tooth fairy leave at your house?" I think she will leave $1 here.

Writing His Word on your heart Verse 2

It's time to work on another verse - the goal is to memorize 24 verses in 12 months. I will write tomorrow about what I learned from my first verse and how God has already used it in my life.

The second verse I would like to memorize and fully understand is:

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Matthew 7:24 NIV

This verse already has me thinking. I hear His words but putting them into practice is not easy and since we are being honest with one another I don't make it a priority. Which is why there are so many parts of my life that feel like they were built on sand. Much to come from this verse. Thanks again for helping me by holding me accountable.

Again if you are intersted in joining in on this scripture memorization go over to the LPM blog and read Beth's writings.