Acceptance

Jesus calls us to love and to accept no matter how different people are or how different their beliefs are from ours. He wants us to be a light in this dark world. To reach those who are difficult to love, to accept those who are different, to lay aside our desires and put others first. Those who are strong, are so because God has allowed them to be for a reason. Let us love the weak and accept them as Jesus accepts us. Show grace because we were first shown grace. Let us invite those who are weak to eat with us around our table. To share the love of Jesus, letting our lights shine bright.

I confess...I have not loved or accepted the way Jesus has called me to. Ashamed, I come before the throne of grace, thankful for the one who gives freely.

Scents of Autumn

Autumn is my favorite time of year. I just love the smells and sights all around me. Here in Oregon, we've been having some wonderful weather. The leaves are turning beautiful colors. We've spotted several squirrels digging and storing in our yard and blue jays appear carrying nuts for the winter. The scents coming from the kitchen are some of the most wonderful smells in the house in the fall, warming us all up and bringing comfort to our little hearts. We've been enjoying sipping lots of tea and coffee and enjoying some good reads during snacks, lunch and in between times. We're thankful for the sunshine in these parts as sometimes the gray clouds and rain can be quite tiresome.

Time to take the pumpkin bread out of the oven and get ready for my mom's Bible study tonight. Enjoy this beautiful day that the Lord has made!

Roller Coaster Days

It's been one of those days.....ever have one? It started with a little girl who's not feelin so great and wound up in my bed at 5:30am. My dear hubby had a 7am meeting so I was flying solo. Sweet girl, Kaleah, never went back to sleep and neither did I with all of her coughing, sniffing and sneezing in my ear. After I finally dragged myself out of bed, I had to deal with another sweet child who wet her bed. Sascha is 3 1/2 and has not wet her bed in months. I was trying not to secretly get irritated with hubby since he was the one who suggested we skip taking her potty before we fell asleep. BIG MISTAKE! After I cleaned her and her bed all up, I heard shrieks coming from Jayden's room who said one of the cats pooped in his room on the carpet. So began the chasing of the cats to put them in the laundry room so I could clean up the mess! Four shrieking kids and 2 wild crazy cats on the loose....We were finally able to begin school at 8:50 am but I really wasn't wanting to do anything by this time except curl right back up in bed! My mind was not focused on my Bible reading either after all the craziness and the kids weren't wanting to settle down for school. They were all wound up and ready to run wild! We had our ups and downs all morning and finally I decided to make a trek to Costco and get the kids out of the house. How can you make a roast with no carrots, potatoes or onions? Small detail I overlooked when meal planning. OOPS! Kaleah has decided that for this year she doesn't want me to make her B-day cake. She wants to order one from Costco. I finally gave in and so we went to pick one out for Friday.

It was a crazy day but I am thankful to have a fresh start tomorrow! To top it all off, all the kids loved dinner and said it was delicious! Couldn't ask for a better end than that!

Reading

Have you ever tried to teach a child to read? I have been discovering how rewarding and fun it is to finally see a child "get it." My sweet kinder daugther has been on and off again trying to read for the past year. We had to give it a break a few times since not only daughter was getting frustrated but mommy as well. I am so glad we persevered after the 3rd time. It's amazing to see this puzzle coming together. Our first child, Jayden, went to public school in kindergarten and a classical christian school for 1st grade. Last year, his 2nd grade year, we decided to home school after the christian school closed for financial difficulties. I didn't get the pleasure of teaching him but it was awesome then to see how it all came together. He loves reading any free second he has or can sneak in. Since hubby and I are such avid readers, it's such a joy to see our kids loving it as much as we do. This time around, I'm the one teaching my daughter how to read and it's so exciting! I'm not sure which one of us is more excited about it but she is working hard and it is finally starting to pay off!

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I had my second Bible study group tonight. A while back I had decided I needed to start a group in my home. Wasn't sure who was going to come or if anyone would for that matter but God has sure blessed our group. We are reading Sally Clarkson's book Dancing With My Father. It's a book about finding true joy in the midst of mothering. So far it has been so wonderful. Since our last meeting there are 2 new women who are joining us so that brings our total to 15 wonderful mom's. I am so thankful for this group of women. It's such a blessing to hear what's going on in their lives and hearts and to hear how God is working, changing, molding and shaping each of us in different ways. If you could use some encouragement in your walk as a mom, check out Sally Clarkson's books. She has written several books and each of them has touched me in a profound way. My heart as a mother has been changed and I am so thankful for what God has done in my life.

As I begin this blog, my hope is that you will be encouraged in some way. For so long I have hidden who I am, not allowing people to see the real me. Fear of not meeting expectations. Dealing with depression, anger and bitterness. The list goes on...

In the last several months I was convicted that I really needed to start sharing with others and giving them a glimpse into who I am and what I've been dealing with. Amazing things started happening. I saw that I wasn't alone. So many people are dealing with the same issues. Healing had begun. God is working and he is real.