Happy Halloweeeen!

Tis the night Momma steals all the Twix.  Bwaa haa haa!!!

Love these fellas...we have Duck, Obi Wan Kenobi, Suarez (he plays soccer for Liverpool and Eli was pretty disappointed no one had heard of him) and Journalist.  My boys are as different as the costumes they donned tonight...could eat each of them up!

Garage sale

Big ol three family garage sale Saturday at 7!!!

Future Grandkids!

The boys told me how many kids they are having...birth order and names to boot!  Whoop Whoop!  It made me quite giddy that I have some granddaughters in my future!

Cade's
1. Brody
2. Madison "Madi"
3. Derek

Eli's
1. Jane
2. Rob
3. Jack
4. Messi (he loves soccer, what can I say?)

Sam's
1. James
2. Kiley (totally his idea!)
3. Jacob
4. Miley
5. Jason
6. Kate

Funny how I can totally see Sam having a truckload of kids.  We told them all to not be afraid to have a ton of kids...they provide a ton of joy and God provides for each one.  It will be fun to see waaaay down the line what God does!

Little Pumpkins

Children truly are a gift...the best possible harvest ever.

 (Will someone please tell my why blogger is taking my black and white photos and turning them into more of a sepia look?  arg!!!)

Overcoming Labels

I was young and impressionable.  He told me I was fat, had a large rear end, and thunder thighs.  It doesn't matter who.  What matters is that I believed him.

I was digging through old pictures yesterday and found myself painted across Polaroids and Sears portraits.  Braces and pimples:  yes.  Tightly permed hair:  yes.  Fat: no way.

But, I didn't see myself that way.  All because I believed the label.  The lie.

Ever since, I have always felt like the fat girl.  It's funny how that thinking spirals into other thoughts as well.  If I am fat, then I am not beautiful.  Not worth much.  Not fun to be around.  Lies.  All lies.

I have been trying to walk again.  Enjoying the cooler weather, I have even found myself breaking out into a run.  Immediately, Satan, the author of Labels, told me that I have no business trying to run.  After all, I hyperventilated in the 5th grade after being made to run a mile in Physical Education.  I remember blowing into a brown paper bag and believing the lie that said I should never run again.

I believed the lie that labeled me as non-athletic and that I should stay away from all things sports.  True, my natural gifting is not in this area, but it seems that believing that lie would set me on a course of not taking care of myself...the very temple of the Holy Spirit.  Seems like the Enemy was scheming that day.

I am larger than I have ever been.  I knew that after having a baby in my "older age" it would be harder to get the weight off.  I was right.  I have only lost a pound or two since Asher was 2 weeks old.  I thought it would gradually come off like with the others, but it seems my body is stuck. It is disheartening and all I hear from the Enemy as I stare at clothes that don't fit is, "You are fat."

I think before I lose weight, I need to come to terms with something.  I don't have to believe the label. I can refute the lie that says I am fat...and all the other labels that are attached to that.  I can choose to continue to eat healthy, exercise, and let the rest simply rest.  I can remember that my identity is in Christ and not something another flawed human said to me.

I wonder what labels you believe that aren't true.  Ask the Holy Spirit to show you.  He wants to come in and show you how utterly beautiful you are.  He created you for His splendor.  He wants to yank off the heavy chains that keep you from freedom.  The truth sets us free.

 

I think about my boys and wonder if they have been labeled by others.  Has someone told them a lie that they have to taken to heart, believing it to be their very identity?  Lord, give us wisdom to parent these children well, recognizing any false labels and speaking truth over them.  Give them  identities that are secure in who You have created them to be.

We love the gift catalog!

I can remember sitting on the floor as a little girl, totally immersed in the Penny's or Sears' Christmas Wish Book catalog.  I would go through each page, dreaming and drooling, carefully narrowing down my list to the one or two or hundred things that I really really desired.  Later, those books would become great paper doll material.

Today, I get just as excited when the Samaritan's Purse Gift Catalog comes in the mail.  It points to one of our favorite ways to give as a family.  We sit down at our big table and read every single entry together.  Then, Eric and I sit back and listen to the boys' hearts and how they feel led to give.  It usually reflects their personalities.  The boy who loves to fish loves giving funds to stock a pond.  The animal lover loves to give goats.  The practical one always wants to give water. 

We let the boys pick ways to bless others in Jesus' name, then Eric and I pick out a few things as well.

What we love most about the catalog is that you can give some very needed and practical gifts for as little as $4!!!  We also love that Samaritan's Purse gives with no shame in mentioning the real reason for Christmas.  It is all about Jesus.  Christmas Day and all the other 364 days.  To Him be the Glory.

Here is the link to buy online or request a catalog.

Samaritan's Purse is also the organization that delivers the Operation Christmas Child boxes.  These are an amazing, tangible, and practical way to get your kids to buy for others and pray for them as well.  The boxes each have the gospel in their language included.  Here is the link on how to pack a box!  Fellowship Bible Church is the drop off place...mid November. 

I would love to hear ways your family blesses others during the Christmas season.

A Joyful Heart

It's been breaking my heart that I have practically zero pics of me and little fella together.  He brings such joy to this heart and I want to capture some of that before I blink and he is in 7th grade (like Cade, sniff.)  So, thank you, Erica for snapping these!