A memory day...

The girls wanted to know what "memorial" means. I got the privilege of explaining that memorial is to remember.

So today the girls and I remembered. We remembered Uncle Dustin, and how he served our country, and then we talked about all of the other men in our family tree that blessed our lives by serving the country for the future generations, and that is US!

We made a memory wall with one name on each star, and then talked about each war briefly and  explained why each war was fought. It blessed me to tell it.

The highlight of our remembering happened at the War Memorial. What an amazing place. So many names on the wall, so many bricks with lives attached, so many lives sacrificed and so many broken hearts left behind. One day the girls will understand the significance. Today, though, they just wanted to go to the water.

 

It was good for me though. I needed to do something for my brother today! I love you Dustin!

The Uplands of God-

This is a beautiful quote I heard during a bible study and wanted to share.

Not many of us are living at our best. We linger in the low lands, because we are afraid to climb the mountains. The steepness and the ruggedness dismay us and so we stay in the misty valleys, and do not learn the mystery of the hills.

We do not know what we lose in our self indulgence. What glory awaits us, if only we had the courage for the mountain climb, what blessing we should find if only we would move to the uplands of God. - J.R.M.

Justin Blu

Today I just want to cry out to God, and all who will listen. I want to tell you how thankful I am for the husband God gave me. He is everything I need and so much more.

This was driven home the last few days. We have been talking/struggling through an issue. It was a long three days of frustration and some arguing. The issue is not the point, there is no need to tell what it was about, or why we argued. The point is how peace came back to our marriage and how thankful I am for it.

We came to a peaceful place because we talked to it out until we were done. We didn't walk away still angry and hope it worked itself out. He didn't give up trying to understand my perspective, or give up the opportunity to share his.

Communication has always been the strongest thing about our relationship, from the first time we wrote an email to each other (oh, little butterflies in my tummy) to now when we have learned even more how to talk things out. Justin really is the one who taught me how to communicate and work things through all the way. I remember when we first started getting serious and he would get so agitated with me, and tell me to just "say what you are trying to say, stop worrying about my feelings". And I would get so upset with him about being so "Harsh" as I called it. It is SO amazing to me the place that we are now, the middle ground we have found. My heart just overflows with gratitude when I think of all of the marriages that fail because people cant express themselves, and share without everything exploding.

I am so grateful for my Justin Blu because even in the frustrating moments he can be logical and Godly. I am so thankful to my God for giving Justin the desire to love me. I am so thankful to Justin's parents for raising him in a way that he desired this healthy form of communication. I am so thankful that he is willing to make sacrifices for us.

I absolutely adore my husband, and I feel absolutely protected by him. He is the knight in shining armor that I always dreamed of. By that I mean that he is a warrior. He stands for what he believes in and protects his family at all costs. BUT... he is submissive enough to be under the leadership of his God, and in turn leads his little family! That is a true warrior! A man who can lead, but be lead.

It is so hard to put Justin in a nutshell. So I won't! I pray that if you are searching for this kind of Godly man that you find him. I know I prayed hard for my man, and God blessed me beyond what I could have ever imagined!

Comparing Part 1

 

Comparison, it can become a bondage to you, as it has to me!

It consumes me, it suffocates me every day as I measure myself against others. I measure myself against what type of home they have, what kind of Mom they are, how well they school their children, how well they decorate, whether they talk too much, or not enough, how they dress, how relaxed they are in a group of people,... I WEAR MYSELF out! It has become a bondage beyond any other area of struggle in my life. This act of comparing has sent me into depression over what others think of me many different times, and more often than not, made me feel like I am not enough! It has given me false expectations of what my life should look like, how my children should behave, how my husband should perform in public, what my home should look like and how I should express myself to others. Are you tired yet? I imagine you are. I am exhausted! I am tired of carrying this burden. God has identified this bondage to me over time through different avenues, but just recently through the harsh fire of bible study He has revealed the magnitude of this captivity.

Now what? Now I know these chains are there, and suddenly feel their weight, but how do I get them off of ME!!

Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners...

Christ was sent to set me free!!

James 1: 22-25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror
24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-- he will be blessed in what he does.

I must stop looking everywhere else to see what I should become and who I should look like, but search the "perfect law", the word. This is more than just reading the bible though, it says "look intently".

My Father- in- law once gave us (a college class he was teaching) a visual. He said this verse should inspire us to have a flip down mirror, like in our cars, to consistently check ourselves. I should consistently check myself against the word of God to see what I look like.

"... not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it". vs 25

"...keeping oneself from being polluted by the world". vs 27

I realize though that most of my captivity has to do with my insecurities with who I am. WHO AM I!?

Job 31:6 Says that God weighs me on honest scales. HIS conclusion of who I am is true and honest. He doesn't get confused on who He sees, and He is not fooled by the front I hold up for all to see.

So what He says about me IS! Do I trust that, do I believe that?

I say... "I am unattractive"

He says "... You are fearfully and wonderfully made"    Ps. 139:14

I say..."If  people knew who I really was, they wouldn't think  much of me."

"He says "... I knows you." Ps 139:1

I say... "I am going to ruin my children. I am going to scar them for life."

He says ".. My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."2Co 12:9

Do I believe those things!? Do I believe God?

I have so many more thoughts on my mind concerning this, but I will post those later.

Give me your feed back. What scriptures come to mind when you think of comparing?

LOL

 

There are SOO SOO many things I love about my girls! One of them is their sense of humor. I guess they get that from their Daddy!

These pictures speak for themselves!

Visit with my Niece and Nephew

And my brother in law! (Though I didn't get much visiting in with him.) Justin and Joel picked up where they left off and hung out like the bestest buddies that they are. Justin and Joel grew up together and have been long time best friends. I realize every time that we hang out with my sister and her husband that it is a unique thing for brother in laws to love hanging out with each other so much. They are a blast to watch! There is usually fire involved, and some type of invention. I didn't catch many pictures of them this time.

Like I said I hung out more with my sweet niece and my all boy nephew. It was loads of fun to spend time with just them, and see how they have grown. I got to see the hilarious side of Austyn, and see how grown up Ethan has become. There is nothing like the bond between cousins! I truly was blessed by the sweet attitudes and good manners that they had. Obviously a sign of good parenting! Great job SiS!

You might not be able to tell, but if you know Austyn and Jenna it is quite obvious that there is a performance going on here. Austyn is singing a solo, while Jenna looks on and applauds! This is a "long" standing tradition!

Here they are when they were 2 years old! They haven't changed much!

Tears of Joy

As I looked at the pictures I just cried. I cried with gratitude to my God, for giving me such a beautiful (not only to look at :) family, I cried to see how big they are, and I cried with joy that my Mom was able to capture OUR family just like we really are. I stared at each of my sweet girls faces and was amazed that it was them! Exactly their personalities and sweet temperaments. I hope you enjoy them as I much as I did, and will continue to!
Thank you mom so much! Love you

The pictures are on my mom's blog. Have a look!
http://pjkphotography.xanga.com/