Christmas Morning 2009

Christmas morning we got up at 5:00am to get ready to head down to the Coalition. When we got there, we (along with lots of other volunteers) packed up at least 350 Bibles in backpacks that were already filled with hygiene kits. From there we served breakfast and spent some time with some of the men there. (We're not allowed to take pictures so I left the camera at home.)

We got home shortly after 10am and had a quick lunch, we napped before heading over to my parents' house to celebrate with everyone. Tradition: Papaw reading the Christmas story before opening gifts.Lots of help was needed to pass out all those presents!Sedona, my brother's dog, found a seat on Jackson's lap. I don't like dogs but I like that dog. Very well trained!My mom made the boys snuggees with their favorite football team logos all over them. Emma spent time earlier in the month with my mom working on a surprise for me...a beautiful hand-made pillow.

Christmas with Meme & Papa

The Sunday before Meme and Papa drove to NC to celebrate Christmas with family up there, we spent the afternoon at a local park and then went back to their place for dinner and gift exchange.

Wii Boxing

Monday's Motto

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;

your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.

Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Psalm 138:8

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work

in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:6

He's got a lot of work to do in me! I'm claiming these verses because I sure don't want to stay as I am.

Wanna Be Part I

"What kind of girl are you going to marry, Gray?"

"I don't know. Like you."

Oh, how I want to be the kind of wife I want my boys to marry. I want to be be the kind of wife my husband deserves and God wants me to be.

Have you ever thought about your future daughters-in-law? Do you want them to treat your boys the way you treat your husband?

Hmmm. Something to think about.

Have you thought about what you will teach your daughters about being wives...what the Bible says about being a wife? Have you ever thought that what you want to teach them may not line up with what you're living? I have! And I have some work to do!

Here is what I want to teach my daughters about being wives and how I hope my daughters-in-law are with my sons.

I'm using another acronym. I got it from Proverbs 31:30 which says:

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,

but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

...fears the Lord...

Friendly
Encouraging
Affectionate
Rejoices with the Truth
Serves

Teachable
Helpful
Ever Understanding

Loving
Overlooks Offenses
Respectful
Deferential

I won't overwhelm you with all of it at once. And I'm only giving a snipet of each subject that I would cover in greater detail with my girls. I'll start with F.E.A.R.S first.

Friendly - Titus 2:4

...and so train the young women to love their husbands and children...

Did you know that word "love" is the Greek word for a friendly love? We are to be friendly to our husbands. Do I treat my husband in the friendly manner that I treat my girlfriends? I should.

Encouraging - Ephesians 4:29

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Proverbs 18:21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Our hubbies need us to be their cheerleaders. They have the weight of the world on their shoulders. They are going to be held accountable for us and the children. Are we criticizing or cheering them on?

I have been guilty of criticizing. Why would my husband want to lead in prayer or family devotions when I thought I could do it better and let him know how I thought it should it be done? What if I was just thankful for what he offered to us and let him know that instead. It's made a difference to be sure.

Affectionate - I Corinthians 7:5

Do not deprive one another...so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

All of our husbands need physical affection. It's really not just a desire, it's a God-given need. So what do you do when you're exhausted from taking care of little ones? One idea, schedule in a nap for yourself in the middle of the day. If I can do it, you can do it. Might take some training with the kids but it can be done!

Rejoices with the Truth - Proverbs 12:19

Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

Dishonesty has no place in marriage. NONE. Did you know there are wives who lie about shopping trips? Crazy, I know, but it really does happen. I know someone who once hid her new clothes in the dryer so her husband wouldn't find them.

Do you adhere to your husband's wishes with the kids when he's not around? Ever said to them or yourself, "We won't tell daddy." Not a good idea.

Dishonesty includes flat out lying as well as not telling the whole truth, sneaking or hiding things from him.

Serves - Mark 10:45

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve...

Do we see the things we do for our husbands as chores, tasks, or do we see them as opportunities to imitate Jesus and serve?

Does it make us mad if our hubbies don't notice the overflowing trash and empty it? Wouldn't it be better to serve him and take it out ourselves?


Part II to come...

Oh How He Loves Us

Just sit back and soak this in...

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.

When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us oh.

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.

And Heaven meets earth like an unforseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way...

Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Monday's Motto

Pleasant
Attitude
Though
I
Enjoy
Not
Circumstances in
Existence

Patience is a lot of things. I made an acronym to help me remember one aspect of it.

Patience is having a pleasant attitude

even though I may not enjoy

the circumstances that currently exist!

Nursing Home Visit

I'm still catching up from December.  Here are the kids making cards to take to the nursing home where we caroled with the Fittros.

All eleven of 'em... 

Haiti

A 7.0 earthquake pummels Haiti with numerous aftershocks adding to the catastrophe.

All of this happens just 12 hours before Roddy and Emma (10) were supposed to be at the airport getting ready to fly to Haiti with a group from our church.  All flights were canceled last night and the trip obviously postponed.  They were to fly in today and come back Saturday.

Thanking God for His sovereignty and grace and mercy and timing. Praying for the people there and those from our church's Christian Academy that are there trying to get back.  None of them were injured but they are anxious to return home.

Haiti's main religion is witchcraft, voodoo.  I'm praying that they see that those who are first to respond to the crises they have encountered in recent years are Christians.  And that the love of Jesus through those first-responders will change that country.

Parenting Classes

Six years ago we took a parenting class at church that changed the course of our lives and the lives of our children.  When I went into it, my mindset about the teen years was mostly dread.  I left the very first class hopeful and ready to have more kids.

At the end of it all, we were asked to fill out a survey.  One of my comments was...

This class is essential for any parent.

I still believe this today.  We've taken the class 2-3 more times and been to a weekend seminar of the same material.

It is first of all, and most importantly, Biblical.  It doesn't just throw in a few Scriptures mixed in with a bunch of psychological, modern day mumbo-jumbo.  It is founded on and saturated with Scripture.  It clears up the confusion that I think most parents have because we are bombarded with so much worldly "wisdom" that eventually we start to believe it. 

In addition to being Biblical, it is also practical and eye-opening.  It reveals things you don't even realize you do that actual sabotage your authority in your home.  But it doesn't just tell you what you shouldn't be doing, it gives you practical ways to apply Scripture to your everyday life so that you can bring order, joy and peace into your home.  You just have to apply it. 

There have been plenty of people who have been through the class and it didn't do a thing for them. I'll give you a couple of reasons. 

Maybe they didn't catch the vision.  Either they're vision has been so clouded that they couldn't grasp it, or they just weren't ready for the truth of it and couldn't accept it into their lives. 

Or maybe they didn't apply it in love and so gave up on it claiming it's just not for everyone.  Any parenting done for selfish gain will not result in a profitable, God-pleasing outcome.

Anyway, I say all of this because this Wednesday the class starts up again at our church and Roddy and I get to facilitate!!  I'm so excited.  I'm excited I get to go through it again and I'm excited for all the families that I pray will be changed because of it.

Will you pray for us?  We need wisdom and discernment as we lead, answer questions and share what God has done for us through it.

Will you pray for the hearts of the parents to be open to a godly, Biblical plan for their families?

By the way, for those out-of-towners who are interested, the video series is Biblical Insights into Child Training by Reb Bradley.  Here's his website. If you are local and interested in coming, let me know.  We'd love to have you!

Monday's Motto

"Enjoy those kids today!"

This is what Roddy tells me everyday when he leaves for work.  Good advice.  Enjoy them now, before I know it, they will be grown and out of the house. I will miss all the work, interuptions, and messes.

Red Shouldered Hawks

Saturday afternoon Emma and I were on our way to spend some time together after a baby shower when we called to check in with the rest of the fam.  Roddy said Gray had something to tell me so he put him on the phone.

"Guess what, Mom!"

"What?"

"I heard the chicken in the woods {past our backyard} and it sounded like something fell on her because she made a loud squawk and then kept squawking. So I ran to the back door {which is mostly glass} to look for her and I saw the chicken and the hawk flying toward the house.  They both hit the window and then I opened the door and the hawk flew off.  The chicken ran into the guest room and hid under the bed."

"Oh my word!"

We have been waiting for this.  We have woods behind our house that belong to the church my parents attend.  So we get lots of fun wildlife including red shouldered hawks.  During lunch one day we saw this one sitting on our swing set in the rain. (Yes, that is a toy tracker at the top of the slide!! No, they don't ride it down. Although once we had a smaller riding toy and they did ride it down. Nothing broken.)

Another day we saw these two hawks flying over the house.

Most of the time we see one of them on our friend's rooftop or in a tree at the edge of our yard. I'm thinking about borrowing my dad's BB gun.  I'd have to find out if it's legal, though.  I would love having them if they would just leave our egg-laying pet alone!

Silly Sisters

When I found out my fifth child was going to be a girl, I was excited that Emma would have a sister but I still thought it would have been nice if God had put them closer together.  I wasn't sure they would be close being 5 1/2 years apart.

What do I know?!  These girls have a great relationship.  They love each other very much and are very close.  Here they are being silly on the swings together.

Playing in the Rain

I love that we live where it's warm the majority of the year!  First week of December and it was still warm enough to play in the rain!

That was one muddy load of laundry.

Just a Swingin'

O' Christmas Tree

I've mentioned before how I don't like to decorate the Christmas tree.  I'm a perfectionist and don't really have an artistic eye so when I decorate it, I end up picking at it until the day I take it down.  Last year, the kids decorated it and did a fantastic job.

This year, we were having a family Christmas party so I called in the expert ~ my mom! 

She did such a great job that I don't even want to take it down.  I'd like to throw a sack over it and store it for next year.

Christmas Card Pics

I told you I'm behind!  Here are the outtakes from our Christmas card picture taking.

Roddy had the day before Thanksgiving off, so I took the opportunity (and help) to get everyone ready for pictures for a Christmas card.  It was the dreariest, rainiest day we had all month.  Which meant indoor pictures and terrible natural lighting.  If I knew how to use the Photo Shop program I have, I should have lightened up the background or something. Oh well!

I liked this one but it was a little boob-a-licious.  Once again, should have Photoshopped it.

We chose this one.

Getting Caught Up...Just the Beginning

I finally downloaded over 300 pictures from my camera and also figured out how to use our external drive on the laptop Papa gave us.  This means I can be on the computer while the kids play out back and, hopefully, I will be catching up on the things that have gone on around here the last 2 months.

First off, we received a letter in the mail from our HOA saying we couldn't have chickens...grrrr!  Emma cried at the thought of giving them away.  Luckily our friends were given our chickens' cousins and agreed to take them in.  We sent one at a time but after the first two, we decided we would see if we could keep the last one. 

We keep her in a good-sized dog cage in the garage (lights on and door up a little to let in natural light and fresh air) and let her out back several times a day depending on when we're downstairs and can keep an eye on her. I hung a Publix shopping basket that I found in someone's trash from the top of the cage and put an old towel in it for her to lay eggs in.  Before I made it, she had been using a laundry basket in the laundry room.  November 12 she laid her first egg.

Looks big in Iris' little, play-doh covered hands.

But next to our store-bought egg, you can see how small it really is.

Since then, she's laid an egg 5-6 out of 7 days a week. Yum!

Just For Fun...

Can I come in?

I keep on knockin'...

...but I can't come in!

Monday's Motto

The entire law is summed up in a single command:

"Love your neighbor as yourself."
If you keep on biting and devouring each other,

watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Galatians 5:14-15

I hope your new year is filled with love for one another...in word and deed.

We're so fallible as humans in our understanding of each other. I hope we can see that in ourselves and learn to accept each other as unique creations in need of help from a perfect, infallible God. This is certainly something I need to continue to develop in my life.