Isn't it just the cutest thing...

Don't you just love when your kids start doing new, cute little things. Like when they mispronounce a word and it comes out so undeniably cute and funny sounding. Or when they start making a funny new face or have a new little quirk (that we hope doesn't stay with them throughout life). Or perhaps the way they like doing tasks in their own particular way. Well, Jerry has this "new" thing he likes doing. He has started choking and gagging himself, when he doesn't like something to eat or takes too big of a bite, causing himself to puke everywhere. I don't know why or where he has got this new behavior from but it is disgusting and can often be embarrassing. He has on more then one occasion done this in public and a restaurant. Luckily, no one in there right mind would assume this child is doing it on purpose so we usually get those servers that are more sympathetic then annoyed.

Last night, we went to Logan's to eat and it was towards the end of our meal and our server was working up that tip by standing there talking to us and showing interest in our children and their ages and applying it back to his life as if we have so much in common. Then he asked us about our "holiday" and I told him that we celebrated it Christmas. Making it all the more awkward (for him). As he was telling us about him having to work on New Year's and about his brother, the #1 rated young Elvis impersonator, and how China is trying their hardest to get him over there, Jerry is eating some mac and cheese and takes a large bite. I see it starting. The look in his eyes, they grow wide, and he makes the initial gag face, the universal quiet gag face. Then comes the bigger ones. I get JT's attention because he is sitting closer but it is too late. JT tries to stop it but we can't. Jerry has already started gagging himself and it is at the point of no return. Out comes the mac and cheese and the rest of dinner. Elvis's brother just stands there staring, horrified and confused. JT caught most of it in his hand, so Elvis's brother just says, "Uhh, do you need some more napkins?" Yes, please. So, JT goes to the bathroom to clean up and I am there cleaning Jerry and the table and Elvis's brother is still being kind and once again applies this to his life. "That happened once to me when I was a kid." Oh, this? This is not him getting sick. He does this. It's his new thing. Whenever a bite is too big or he doesn't like something he gags himself. And he replied. "That's weird." Yeah, I know. But he's mine and I love him. Some kids write stories or sing, mine pukes. I'm still wondering if China even knows who Elvis is.

Agrr?

Tonight at dinner, Gia was doing something and we told her to stop but she did it again. So, JT says, "You better not do it agrr." Gia said, "Agrr?" JT smiles and says "I meant again girl." Gia then says,"You already said agrr." We all busted up laughing!

Humility

Holman's Bible Dictionary says that humility is a personal quality in which an individual shows dependence on God and respect for other persons.

Webster's Dictionary says its a disposition to be humble, a lack of false pride or a humble feeling.

The word disposition really stood out to me and it means "your usual mood, a natural or acquired habit."

I want my disposition to be of humility. I want it to be my usual mood and habit. I want my usual mood to be a dependence on God and not myself. Unfortunately, our natural habit is often pride, so our acquired habit must be humility.

In Numbers 12:3 it says "(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)"

Psalm 32:8,9
"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee."

God has promised to guide and instruct us. Horses love to run and if not trained we'd struggle to gain control and a mule is opposite, they have a trait of stubbornness and not moving.

So first there is Moses the horse. In Exodus 2:11-15 we read what Moses did here. Were his motives pure ad heart pure? It was God's plan for Moses to deliver Israel out of bondage but not yet. So Moses was being as the horse here racing ahead and uncontrolled. This was pride at work.

Then there is Moses the mule. Exodus 3:10-14 and Exodus 4:1, 10-13. God says go and Moses says he can't, he is not smart enough, they won't like or believe me. Stubborn, not moving.

Moses was humbled real quick in the wilderness. Going from a prince to that can be a humbling situation. Then it is when we get to Numbers 12:3. Moses was humbled and obedient to God and His will. God is able to use us in our humility but not when we're full of pride.

Psalm 138:6 Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off"

James 4:6 "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."

Proverbs 11:2 "When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom"

1 Peter 5:6 "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time"

It is taking over

It does not matter how much sleep I get. It does not matter how much I try to ignore it. It is there. Mocking me. Lingering in every corner. I try and distract myself but can't shake the images and the undying presence. It takes a hold of me and I inevitably take hold of it. It is in every room unmistakably calling out to me. It wants me to give in. I don't want to, but I do. I don't know how to rid myself from the mundane routine I will ultimately find myself. The kids watch me do it, JT knows about it. What can I tell them? Sorry, mommy has to do it, I have no control over the grip it has. Even if I get through one or two days without it, it is there double fold, throwing itself in my face as if to say, you can't shake me. It is never ending. Each day new but oddly the same. I wrote a song about it. It goes along with the beat of "Jesus, Lover of my Soul."

Laundry, mocker of my soul. Laundry, you will never let me go.

You've taken me all day to do, and I know there's still a lot left to do.

And now I know..

I loathe you, I shun you

Though my clothes need clean, I will never cherish you

My laundry, My enemy

I will revolt you until the very end

Laundry, mocker of my soul. Laundry, you will never let me go.

You've taken me all day to do, and I know there's still a lot to do.

And there she goes....

This afternoon, Jerry, Sophia, JT and I got to all go to Gia's school for her Christmas party. They had pizza for everyone and it was so much fun. It was also nice to put faces with all the kids she talks about (and see the one's we don't want her to hang out with, lol). They all had on little antlers with red noses. Gia made what looked like a pirate face and said she was a "broken reindeer." (See picture) Hmm...okay.

Tonight Gia had her first little program at church. She was little elf and sang cute little songs. She was just as adorable and as crazy as I expected her to be. She is so much of an individual and head strong. When the other elves stood, she sat. When they wore their hats she took if off and rang the little bell on top by clanking it between her teeth. She knows no boundaries, that one. And do you think a stage can contain her? Oh no, she stood up there, found mommy in he crowd and ran down just to give her a hug and say 'I love you." She runs back up and starts singing again. Oh, what's that? You got it, she ran down the stage again to mommy. This time it wasn't to love on her. "Mommy, I got to go to the bathroom." Okay sweetie can't it wait until after the program. All the people around us were of course distracted from the program looking at my little elf do the potty dance. In a much louder voice, "I'm gonna poop my pants." Okay Gia, go. *sigh* The joys of a four year old in public.

What's done in the dark, will be brought to the light.

A couple days ago, JT and I were in the bedroom talking when all of a sudden we heard a blood curdling scream. My first thought was that Gia opened the oven that I had on and burned herself. Or maybe a dresser fell over on top of her. Or maybe she was running and tripped and broke her ankle. Or maybe she was bleeding profusely from some terrible, unimaginable accident. She screamed so loud and so hard I thought she was in immense pain. So, I threw a worried look to JT and turned around within fractions of a second and ran out the bedroom door to find my daughter who was still screaming in utter helplessness. I turned the corner and there she was in the hallway holding out her arm. Oh no! Her arm, it must be broken, bleeding, cut, something. I glanced down at it and gave it a once over to find the damage. All this while tears still streaming down her face. I saw nothing out of the ordinary. Gia, what's wrong, what happened? Through the tears she chocked out, "I..I..I put my hand in the toilet." What? "I was trying to throw my tissue away in the dark and put my hand in the toilet." I was laughing hysterically and could not control it because she found no humor in it and was still very shook up from this experience.

Divine Intervention

Verse of the Day: Isaiah 53:5 "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

I am sure everyone is familiar with the show Intervention. If not, it is basically what the title suggests. It is about people who are addicts, drunks, gamblers, etc. It shows their lives and how far deep they are down...hanging on by a thread. Then there are the loved ones who so badly want to pull them out of their addictions. So they intervene (get it...intervention). They try so hard to pull these people up and get them the help they need...a cure. Sometimes the people reject the help but more times then not they accept it thankfully.

God is like that. We are all sinners...addicted to our lives and to our sins. But God loves us too much to leave us like that. He is the ultimate Loved One. He sees us lost and hanging on for dear life. Then, through divine intervention, he reaches down and lifts us up. He offers us help...a cure from our sins. It is through Jesus Christ that we are healed. Some will reject. Others will accept the free gift.

It's not what you expected.

Verse of the Day: Matthew 6:34a "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself"

Life is never what one expects. It is not a constant and it is filled with crazy and winding turns. We are not guaranteed anything in life and we are not even guaranteed tomorrow. There is only One certain and only One unchanging...and that is Jesus Christ.

I often get caught up in life and worry and stress over unimportant things. What are we missing out on by getting uptight. Did we miss out on fellow shipping with friends because the house was not vacuumed and picked up? Did we miss out on reading our kid's favorite book because our TV show is on? Did we miss that good bye kiss because they didn't make the coffee right? Are we missing out on eternal blessings because we are caught up in our little lives?

I just started thinking about life after Jerry had an accident in his pants for the thousandth time today and I got upset at him. (Don't worry, I didn't rub his nose in it). Why get mad? Because I was too busy to clean up potty (again and again). Shame on me for not asking him if he needed to go and shame on me for getting mad at him for acting as toddler who is getting potty trained acts. Our life with family and friends is precious but our relationship and what we do for Jesus Christ surpasses it all. In everything we do and say should bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ.

Thank you Lord that I have my children to make messes around the house.

4 year old confession of the day: "When I stick my finger in my ear, I always taste it." :-)

Strawberry jam

Strawberry jam, in its wondrous texture and flavor should bring joy and happiness to your life, not pain and sorrow. But let me tell you, it isn't always smiles and rainbows. I made strawberry jam for the first time yesterday. I was putting the jars in the RAPIDLY BOILING WATER to seal them and the third jar was obviously trying to rebel against the heat. Right as it was placed into the scorching hot pot, boiling water shot up at me and doused my arm in excruciating heat. I threw my clamps across the kitchen and groaned in agony. Why!!!! Why me? Why would you do this, jam? I only wanted to share your goodness with my family (and biscuits) this Christmas! After I gained my exposure, I fought through the pain and finished placing the jars in the water, with complete paranoia, waiting for one to strike again. I set my timer and then got a cold washcloth on my arm. The burn was turning purple. I called JT and he came all the way home to bring me burn ointment (yeah, that's my man). I didn't think it would blister but 4 hours later I started to welt up and blister. (Great....) Then over night, my tossing and turning has now ripped the blister off, leaving a very unattractive open, throbbing wound. (eww). That's gonna leave a mark. Which brings me to my next thought, or observation, if you will. Are you ready for this? A lot of different things touch or brush against your arm through out the day. Purses, food bags, computer tables, pillows, counters, cupboards, jackets, and the list goes on. BUT the worst thing that has touched my "wound" is Jerry's plastic dinosaur. Yeah, I know, it doesn't seem bad. But it was the the pointy, plastic dinosaur tail that stabbed right in the middle of my open blister. Needless to say, Jerry had no idea why I suddenly screamed out in pain while buckling his car seat. All in all, I would say the experience was worth it because my jam turned out beautifully. Every jar sealed perfectly and the jam is already set. Sometimes we have to experience unpleasant circumstances to see the good in others. I am thankful for burn oinment and the accessibility we have to it. I know if it was the other way around and none of the jars sealed or the jam ended up being a soupy mess, I would say "I'd take a scar to have my jam turn out good."

hello

This is my first blog but am very excited about it. I am married to an amazing man...err...I mean Marine (that is one step up from man), JT. We have been married almost 6 six years. We have 3 kids, Giavanna-4, Jerry-2, and Sophia-9 months. Oh, and two mutt dogs, Chip and Belle. We are very blessed in our lives and thank God for not giving up on us even when we seemed like a lost cause. We traveled far away from our Lord but He brought us back. We have an amazing church and amazing people in our lives.