Witnessing in My Neighborhood

Where is my neighborhood? I guess I would say the area of homes all around me. But I am often in my car going to the store, bank, Sam's or even church. Do these count as my neighborhood too? Why am I having this whole conversation you wonder.

The last two weeks in church the message has been on evangelizing the lost. Now, to be very honest these messages were not the "fluffy and you make me feel happy" messages. As a matter of fact, I joked with someone in our church that the Pastor was smiling but I think he was smacking me upside the head at the same time. I truly welcomed these messages because they help to me think and evaluate my life according to God's word.

Am I broken over the people I meet each day who might be going to hell because they have not accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior? Honestly, I would have to say no. I am usually just trying to complete all the tasks on my list and make sure I still have four little girls with me.

I have been praying that God would open my eyes and heart to see all the lost people around me as an opportunity to share God's amazing love. Also, that He would give me boldness to share in any situation.

Here is a quote from Sunday that still is causing me to ponder how I live my life:

"It is easier to die for Christ than to live for Him"

I want to live my life daily for Christ not just die for Him.  That means I need to come out of my comfort zone and be obedient to share the gospel with the lost.

USS Midway

This week we had an opportunity to take our girls on a field trip to the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum in San Diego. We all had a great time, there was so much to see. We were on the boat for over 4 hours.

Richard and the girls in jail.

Now, this is a mixer.

Thanksgiving in this kitchen would be easy.

The girls giving Daddy a haircut.

My beautiful girls on the flight deck.



The girls with the soldiers (these are wood cutouts).



Inside one of the helicopters on the flight deck.



Rachel after our field trip.

I am loving my Mother's Day gift

This is what my family gave me for Mother's Day this year.




This was the first thing I made in my pan, Rosemary-Lemon No-knead bread.



Today I used my pan to make one of our favorite soups, Charlotte's Tortellini soup. The house smelled so good as I cooked the vegetables with the sausage. I don't have a picture of it served up yet, this is tomorrow's dinner.

I am so excited to have this new pan, it is like getting a new golf club if you are a golfer. I know some of you are wondering why a pan makes me happy, because it is another tool I can use to serve my family. My husband took the time to buy me something I would not only like, but that would be useful too.

Thank you!!!

Pray for the Chapman Family

I woke up this morning to my husband sharing the news of Steven Curtis Chapman's youngest daughter's death. My heart just broke, I can't imagine the pain this family is suffering through right now. I know we serve a mighty and powerful God who is comforting this family in ways that we can't even understand. I thank you Lord for your grace and love.

The story

Math Test

Today, as I was correcting my oldest daughter's math test I noticed she kept breathing hard. I asked why she was doing that and she answered that she was nervous. I explained to my daughter that tests are to help us, not make us nervous. We need to learn things in life and tests help us to know if we understand things correctly. She passed her test which means she finished her book. She made a couple of small mistakes, so I had her sit next to me and we worked on them together to make sure she completely understood. I do not want her to go to the next level of math unprepared because I was eager for her to pass.
As a homeschool mom, I need to be very careful that I do not put pressure on my children to make the grade I would want(to somehow validate me as their teacher), but that they are learning and having fun doing it. As a HS mom I constantly feel the pressure to make sure they are learning what their friends are learning in school, but as I pray God reminds me I have them home for another more important reason. That is to mold my girls into godly women. To not just say "sit down and do your work," but to explain patiently to them how to figure things out on their own.
When I was in school I would cram the day before for a test and forget everything as soon as I wrote it down. I want my girls to remember what they learn because it was enjoyable to learn about in the first place.
Homeschooling for me has been God working on me in so many ways. I am so thankful that God uses every detail in our lives to teach us of our dependence on Him.

What We Did For Mother's Day

Our morning started early when my husband and girls woke me up to give me my Mother's Day gift and cards. Each of my girls and my husband made my Mother's Day cards this year. Each of the cards are so very special to me. They will be treasures I will come back to time and time again.

After we got ready we left for church. The men, some of the children and one very beautiful young woman cooked a wonderful breakfast for all the moms of our church. They cooked:

15 dozen eggs
6 pounds of bacon
Waffles
French Toast
Chorizo and egg burritos
There was also a lot of fresh fruit and juices.

They even went farther and served all the moms and all the small children.

CoCo and me.

Some of the women in our church. Notice my little one standing on the side.

This evening we had the pleasure of attending the graduation exercises at The Master's Seminary. Tonight the seminary honored our pastor of many years with an honorary doctorate degree. It was a very moving presentation as the whole sanctuary (approx. 4000 people) gave our Pastor a standing ovation. My husband and I discussed this as we drove home and how our Pastor has impacted so many lives. Pastor has been my husband's very wise and straight forward mentor for many years.

Pastor addressing the crowd at his party.

My girls enjoying the party clean up.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is a confusing day when you are a young mom (at least I think I am young). The world says "this is your day," but I keep thinking about my mom and mother in law. I don't think this is a bad thing . I love both of my moms very much and I want to honor them for their love and dedication over the years.
I really feel like Mother's Day is everyday, just to be blessed with four little girls who love God, their Daddy and Mommy. I can say because of my girls my life is NEVER boring.

The reasons I am a Mommy.
Yes, these outfits include underwear, paper towel holder, belts, ribbon and socks.

Thank you to my moms and all the women who have poured their lives into me to make me a better mom each day.

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

Titus 2:3-5