is definitely my favorite time of year. I've thoroughly enjoyed the college football season so far too since our team is #1 right now. And I love that all the college football hype surrounds my favorite time of year. It's all one big perfect package. I've had the pleasure of going to 3 UT games this season and don't really know how I lucked out that much but it has been very fun and exciting to say the least. Although, I thought I was going to have a heart attack during the last game. The picture beside this is from that game. What a nailbiter!!! A little too close for comfort for me! But at least we came out of it with a "W"!My girls have gotten into the groove of school quite well and are doing good in the
ir classes so far. Although, mommy is really struggling with getting up at 6:30 in the morning lately and seems to be a bit frazzled every morning getting them ready since she's been dragging her feet getting out of bed. But we're still getting them to school on time, so that's good at least. ANd Rebekah and I have enjoyed some good one-on-one time at home while the girls are at school. She is growing so fast and I know it will be no time before all 3 of my girls will be in school. Here's a picture from our trip with all my girls to the Pumpkin farm a few weeks ago on Columbus Day. We met several friends there and had lots of fun!
ir classes so far. Although, mommy is really struggling with getting up at 6:30 in the morning lately and seems to be a bit frazzled every morning getting them ready since she's been dragging her feet getting out of bed. But we're still getting them to school on time, so that's good at least. ANd Rebekah and I have enjoyed some good one-on-one time at home while the girls are at school. She is growing so fast and I know it will be no time before all 3 of my girls will be in school. Here's a picture from our trip with all my girls to the Pumpkin farm a few weeks ago on Columbus Day. We met several friends there and had lots of fun!Speaking of fun, our Boxer puppy, Mocha, has also been so much fun for the family. She is 3 months old and is 20 lbs already (she was 6 lbs. when we got her) and she has really made a great addition to the family. This has been a completely diffe
rent experience than our other dogs we've had since we prepared ourselves before we got Mocha this time. And we're actually training her. We have her in training classes right now. She just started last week and did quite well for her first time there. We have 8 weeks to go. And she and Tim have been going on morning walks every morning which has been great for both of them. I will say that the hardest part right now is getting the girls to respond properly when the dog gets rough with them when she is playing. They of course start screaming and crying when she gets too hyper or jumpy, which makes her even more jumpy and hyper. I get onto the dog, but I get onto them too for reacting that way. So I haven't quite figured out how to stop that madness, but hopefully we'll figure it out soon. I feel I'm training the kids as much as the dog.
rent experience than our other dogs we've had since we prepared ourselves before we got Mocha this time. And we're actually training her. We have her in training classes right now. She just started last week and did quite well for her first time there. We have 8 weeks to go. And she and Tim have been going on morning walks every morning which has been great for both of them. I will say that the hardest part right now is getting the girls to respond properly when the dog gets rough with them when she is playing. They of course start screaming and crying when she gets too hyper or jumpy, which makes her even more jumpy and hyper. I get onto the dog, but I get onto them too for reacting that way. So I haven't quite figured out how to stop that madness, but hopefully we'll figure it out soon. I feel I'm training the kids as much as the dog.Now it's time for me to squeeze in some Rebekahisms that my mom shared with me when she was staying with her a few weeks ago. They are too good to not mention!
Rebekah chattering: Mommy said I was once baby Becka. But n
ow I turned in to Rebekah.
Rebekah said: I was a baby and Faith was a baby.
Gramma said: Did you know I was once a baby too?
Rebekah said: A Gramma baby!!!
When Gramma leaned over and hugged and kissed Rebekah she said: You smell like tuna!!!
And Gramma said she had just taken a shower too. She said she must have to return that body wash. Apparently it's not vanilla scented after all.
A few days ago, I was having to go down the NAMC hospital to get some medical records for Hannah and Faith's school and couldn't find a parking spot to save my life it seemed. Well, Rebekah chimed in finally and said in a very sarcastic voice"Just find a parking spot already, mom!"
ow I turned in to Rebekah.Rebekah said: I was a baby and Faith was a baby.
Gramma said: Did you know I was once a baby too?
Rebekah said: A Gramma baby!!!
When Gramma leaned over and hugged and kissed Rebekah she said: You smell like tuna!!!
And Gramma said she had just taken a shower too. She said she must have to return that body wash. Apparently it's not vanilla scented after all.
A few days ago, I was having to go down the NAMC hospital to get some medical records for Hannah and Faith's school and couldn't find a parking spot to save my life it seemed. Well, Rebekah chimed in finally and said in a very sarcastic voice"Just find a parking spot already, mom!"
Kids will be kids!
Moving along now, I've been doing a Beth Moore study ("Breaking Free") since the beginning of September and it has been such a revealing and monumental study for me.
I wanted share a few things that God has reminded me through it. One of the things is that instead of asking God to follow me every day and help me in my walk, I need to start committing to God that I am going to follow Him however or wherever He wants me be every day. When we ask God to follow us, we're pretty much throwing out the fact that it is His will we need. We're making it about our will instead. When we take on our day, we don't always stay in God's path, and He won't follow us if we're veering off from His will. So we need to be ready to follow God in every way, and that is when we will begin to experience the Spirit-filled life that we are called to. Whether it's how we are parenting our children, loving our spouses or not, whether we are reaching out to a neighbor or friend or not, etc. Most of the time, we just try to take off in the day ourselves, and assume God is going to walk along side us wherever we go. He may be with us, but He isn't gonna walk with us into a sinful life. We do that to ourselves. He'll stand by, watch us, and wait patiently for us to run back to Him. But He really just wants for us to follow Him ever step of the way and in that, We will know His will and plan. But we have to want it and receive it for Him to reveal it to us!
Another thing that God is showing me, is that a way to be free from any strongholds in our lives, we need to learn to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And I think that ties in to the first point I made. We won't want to follow Him if we don't love Him with every part of our being. That sounds hard to do, God. Well, that's because it is. There is no way we can do that without praying for God to give us the power to love Him in that way. But we also have to realize that the only reason we love God and others is because He first loved us. One thing I love that Beth Moore said is that God would have to stop existing if He stopped loving us. Because He is love! But if we can grasp how much He wants us to love Him back, and then ask Him to give us that ability, He will answer. Because that is us praying for something that is according to His will. Each day, I want to be praying that the Lord helps me to love Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, and that my husband and children will learn to do the same. Our fulfillment should come through Him and Him alone, and everything else is just overflow. I wish I could say I'm there, but I'm not yet. But I want to be there and I guess that's a start. What things am I trying to fulfill the empty places of my life with instead of God? And can I believe that God is enough? That has been the question that keeps coming back to me. O Lord, help my unbelief in this area and in this area with others. We need to believe that you are enough!
As we are moving into the Holiday season, I pray that I can learn to rest in His presence every day and that I can allow His Spirit to guide me into His will through the hussle and bussle of life and bring me to a place of fulfillment and contentment in Him and Him alone.
