Thankful Day 18- Slumber Parties

I am so thankful for slumber parties.

I can't believe how much slumber parties bring joy to my daughter's heart.  Neela and I had a slumber party tonight and I don't want to forget it.  I mean seriously, she laughs with that deep within laugh that just makes you start laughing.  I love it!

Our slumber party consisted of:

Movie: Lalaloopsy.  Enough said.

A Crazy game of Candyland- She get so excited to play this game.  It's not just about the moving her Gingerbread Man piece but all that is included like the fun area's on the board and gobbling up all the candy as she moves her pieces.  Really is so fun to watch her joy.

Painting Finger Nails.  We do this every time at a slumber party.  Not sure why this is always included it just seems like that's a fun thing to do at slumber parties.  She loves it. She picks her color out and I get to paint maybe one nail and then she wants to pain all her nails and mine.  My nails are currently pink that is a little uneven but I don't mind. :)

Reading. Weird I know, but she loves reading.  So we picked a few books and read.

Taylor Swift dance party.  So I have a feeling taylor swift is a staple in my life right now and will probably in the future will remind me of this time of our lives.  But I don't mind. We danced to 3 songs with her stuffed bunnies and I loved this moment.  I want to lock this memory away because it's just so sweet.

I hope, in years to come, our relationship will include fun moments like this.  Full of fun, being our selves, vulnerable, and full of laughter.  Yes.

Thankful Day 17- Today's Message

Pastor Mark, taught the last of the 10 Commandment services.  This commandment is the only commandment that deals strictly inward not outward actions.  No one can see you coveting in your heart.  If you want someone's home, job, family, personality, or gifts no one can SEE this in your outward appearance. 

I don't think of my self as a covetous person, but when I start to look in my heart, I see this is true in my life.  When I am finding my identity in my the pursuits of this world, my heart is often discouraged and finding satisfaction in my abilities and not who Christ is and who I am in Christ.

Scripture says, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks".  Wow.  what do I talk about the most?  What does my heart dwell on most of the day? The heart is stated 900+ times in the bible.  Our heart is a big deal to the Lord.  

I need to fix my affections for the Lord not for things around me.  I need to set my heart for the things of the Creator and not the created.  

Coveting hurts God: God gives us the law as an extension of God's love. 

 

"As for the rich in this resent age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy." 1 Timothy 6:17

This convicted my heart.  The Lord is my heavenly, loving Father who gives me riches to enjoy and my heart does not always rest in this.  He is enough.  He is my identity. He is my hope.  Why do I look else where?  Why do I let me heart go astray?  

Coveting hurts people you love:

"What causes quarrels and what causes passions are at war within you. You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." James 4:1-3

These fights we are waring within our hearts and they eventually show eternally.  Because we are coveting others, we end up fighting with them because our hearts are not pure towards them and we are desiring what they have or have put an expectation on them.  Be sensitive to the Lord's leading and know what his word says.  Keep our eyes fixed on him and know where you are letting sin rule your hearts.  Confess and Repent to the Lord.

Coveting hurts people you could love

God reminds us to love others where they are at and not because of what they have and who they are.

"...It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35

Crushing coveting with contentment

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." Philippians 4:11

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

God is enough. He paid the price and we are given life. God continues to sanctify us through revealing areas of our life we are not giving him ultimate control, we confess these areas and repent.

Take Away from 10 Commandments

1. God is an amazing Father

2. Jesus is incredible and perfect

3. He sent the Holy Spirit

Thankful Day 16- Sweaters

I am so thankful sweaters.  Living in the northwest has given me a new love for sweaters.  It's really getting cold.  I mean, chilled to the bone cold.  Hopeful my body will adjust to the weather and the rain which I'm sure is coming soon.

I have a feeling my winter wardrobe will grow during my time here. :)

Thankful Day 15- Stay at Home Mom

I am thankful to be able to stay at home with my kids. I always knew it was better to make the sacrifice if we could and it is so worth it. Man do I sleep hard at night but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I work so much harder being a stay at home mom than I ever did working out in my field. THis job is 24/7.

My favorite part of staying at home with my kiddos is getting to be there for the questions and the aw-ha moments. 

Man, with my 4 year old is learning so much right now. She is a little sponge taking in all the information around her. I am constantly amazed by her questions and just how it of the blue she brings up a random topic she has been thinking about.

Here are a few of her questions or comments lately:

Why does the policeman drive around the parking lot?

Tim: Why did God flood the earth? Neela: to feed the flowers

Me: God hears the quietest whisper in our hearts. Neela: he hears Bubble Guppies in my heart. I think about them all the time!

"Mommy, I'm going to look out the window when we are driving because I don't want to forget what Portland looks like"

"When I grow up I want to be a teacher"

These are just a few off the top of my head.  

Thankful Day 14- Multnomah Falls

Bottom of Multnomah Falls

Top of Multnomah Falls

Family pic at the top of the waterfall 

Fun on the hike.

Thankful Day 13- Not for a Moment

It's been almost 3 months since our lives completely changed and we sold our first house in Texas, left our family and friends in Texas, and moved to the northwest (Portland).  Wow,  to be able to say it in such few words does not display all the details of how our lives have changed physically, emotionally, spiritually.  God has been good and faithful through this process and my heart is filled with gratitude to serve a God who knows the depths of my heart and is replacing my desires with His.

I trust and know the Lord lead us here.  As Tim and I prayed and sought God’s guidance, we knew this is where God lead us.  With that said, it does not take away all the transitions we have endured the last 3 months. 

I have lived in Texas my whole life.  So moving out of state, somewhere we have no family or friends within 2,000 miles of us, and knowing the weather was not going to be as warm as it is in Texas most year round, it’s been a transition. Not in a bad way, just different.  I do remember our first day in Portland just being in awe of the beauty that surrounded us.  The flowers are so big and vibrate here.  People have hydrangeas in their front yard! I mean, I have never seen that in Texas, or just didn’t observe it that much.  On the drive from Portland to Seattle, you can see Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helen, and Mt. Rainier.  I mean, truly breath taking sights.  Everything was so green and lush. The people here remind me of the “Keep Austin Weird” people so I felt right at home.:) As amazing as all of this sounds, it still was different for me. 

As everything that was familiar to me was striped away, God broke me in a good way.  When everything that is familiar was gone, the only thing constant was the Lord.  Yes my family was here with me, but we were all taking it in, learning the culture and adapting to our new environment so we were all changing together.  

But God was the only constant, unchanging person in my life.  My dependence and desire for the Lord grew so much.  I have always needed the Lord but I finally recognized how much I NEEDED Him.  I needed him to remind me why he took us across the country to glorify Him, to provide me with the words to have heart to heart conversations with my kids about why we moved from family and close friends, and to seek the Lord for my husband to love him well as he transitions to a new ministry.  Waking up early in the morning was not as hard as it used to be.  The Lord occupied my mind in the “little” daily tasks of the day.  Those tasks that bothered me before were seen in a new light, tasks given to me to glorify the Lord not me.  And my heart delighted in this.  My heart delighted to seek the Lord, trusting he alone is in control and is using us for His glory.  Of course, transition is hard.  New state, new town, new home, new church, new school, new everything! I needed the map to get to Target! Everything new is hard.  But God does not change,is constant and my Rock.  God has equipped me for every good work and desires to use our family for His glory! What a gift. 

“He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my might rock, my refuge is God.

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 62:6-8

God has always used music to speak to my heart.  I love singing songs of praise to Him, I can't carry a tune, but I know He is still glorified whether I am singing in tune or not. :) Parts of this song talk about how the Lord is constant and not for a moment did he forsake me. Not for a moment was he not present as were a week without furniture living on blow up mattresses, when our car got broken into our first week, or our crazy travel weekends to Seattle. Even though transition can have it’s ups and downs, His arms are always opened to be a place of refuge and clarity.  He is always with us and we are held in his hands.  He is Sovereign over all things.  

I am so thankful for this journey. I am thankful for how the Lord is revealing Himself to me and to my family.  We are experiencing a dependence on the Lord we would not have experienced had we not taken a leap of faith to do what we are doing.  I am thankful my Heavenly Father loves me with an unfailing, steadfast love.

Thankful Day 12- Taylor Swift

Ok, so I know this sounds weird, but I am thankful for Taylor Swift music.  My daughter loves Taylor Swift.  It literally puts her on her feet jumping around. How does every little girl love Taylor Swift? Well, mine does and I have fun with it.  We will have dance parties just the two of us and my son will sometimes join us, just excited we are jumping/dancing around.  

Today Neela has been a bit under the weather and we watched Charlotte's Web and jammed to Taylor Swift.  Also, when we lived in Texas Neela would listen to Taylor Swift when she would take a bath (I know!) and so it's fun for her to remember that and just sweet memories from our home in Texas and a great way for her to remember.

This is her favorite video: