Guess Who Has Their Own Blog

Michael's got his own blog, so go check him out any day of the week.

I am very proud that he likes to write and wants to use his imagination.

Keep blogging Michael!!!!

Michael Monday Story

The Pretzel Who Could Wish

There once was a pretzel that wished for a pool of mustard. He jumped in and had a great time. He wished for lots of pretzel friends. So he had time to play with them in the pool of mustard.

He wished the pool of mustard was bigger so that they could all fit. But there was a problem, not enough pretzels had enough salt so that they could swim. So he wished they could all swim like each other.

And all the wishes there ever were would come true and they swam in mustard happily ever after.

The End

Created for Work

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24

One thing that was instilled in me as a child and I have carried into adulthood is a good work ethic.

We were raised to work hard and to appreciate everything that we had.

I want to teach my children the same thing.

Only I want to teach them why God wants us to work hard. God created the entire earth and maintains it. He created us in His image and those who accept this role will prosper in His kingdom.

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. Colossians 1:16

This has been on my heart for some time and it is increasing in intensity as I see the microwave generation that the world is raising who wants everything right now but does not want to work for it.

A couple of months ago it really hit home.

One of Michael's jobs is to take the trash to the curb on trash day. When he first started doing it, he was excited and it was fun...after a while it just became work.

One particular morning it was very cold and the trash can was very heavy...but the work still had to be done.

Michael groaned and complained and whined that it was too heavy and he could not do it. My heart sunk. I told him that if he used all the effort he was using to complain that he could already be done with his job.

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing Philippians 2:14-16

I knew that something had to be done and it had to be more than just my words telling him what to do.

God is so faithful.

About the exact same time, Cindy saw this book on one of her devotionals. It is a Biblically based book, geared to boys 8-12 (but can be for anyone).

It teaches why we were created, what God expects from us and how to make work fulfilling and enjoyable.

So Michael and I are doing a chapter a night. It is a double blessing because not only is he reaping the benefits of God's Word, but we are getting that "Mommy-Michael" time that we both crave.

Michael loves when we do things together.

Alex is not quite there, whenever it is just "Mommy-Alex", he spends the whole time saying "where is Michael?"

I think it is the whole birth order thing...

That's ok, Alex will have his day.

So, I highly recommend this book, especially if you have boys, which Living Hope is in no short supply of boys!!

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Matthew 7:24-25

Michael Monday Story

Aliens and Dinosaurs

There were these aliens and they wanted to destroy the world but the dinosaurs were ruling it so they couldn't. So the aliens came down from their planet and tried to make friends with the dinosaurs but they didn't have any luck.

But if they tried talking and working things out they could be friends. The dinosaurs wanted to make friends with the aliens too. But the dinosaurs said "under one condition, y'all have to try and act like dinosaurs". The aliens could not do that cause they were aliens.

The dinosaurs realized this and one of the dinosaurs got a potion and turned the aliens into dinosaurs.

They lived happily ever after.

The End

Moving on Up

God has been very good to us.

We have been in the same two bedroom duplex for the past five years.

It has served us well.

When we moved in there, Michael was three and Alex was a tiny baby. It was perfect.

These boys are getting big!!

We are literally on top of each other.

So Good Friday will be a good Friday indeed.

The boys are so excited, they will have their own rooms.

I will have my own pink bathroom!!

This whole moving experience is new to the boys, they are too young to remember living anywhere else.

We used to move every year...

Across town and across country.

Michael was born in Colorado and Alex was born in Tennessee.

We moved a lot. It was like a sport and I was a pro...it has been a while and I am out of shape.

But like riding a bicycle, it comes back to you and if I can do RPM, I can move to from Rock Prairie to Graham Road...

The boys think it is fun. The first box that I packed was stuff from their closet, I made the mistake of not taping it up. I filled the box full and when I turned back around, they were pulling everything out saying "ooh cool" like they had never seen it before.

If you want to make something fun, put it in a cardboard box.

This has been a growing experience for me too. I started getting ready early...to be organized, because that is what I do.

I started cleaning out things, getting rid of stuff, saying "I'm not moving that". Then I began packing knick knacks, things that I do not use, that just look pretty. It is amazing how much "stuff" we have that we do not need.

God has been really putting into perspective "needs" and "wants". These things are great, but I do not need them and I am living perfectly fine without them.

If I have my Bible, my children, my coffee and chair, I am set.

I am very thankful that I can not out give God, that I don't even try anymore. I am thankful that He has showed me that everything...my children, my house and possessions; they all belong to Him and when I respect that and treat them as Gods, he honors that. I am thankful that He continues to bless me and show His faithfulness.

"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me" But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty. Malachi 3:8-12

Monday Michael Story

Bears and Rabbits, Oh My...

Once there was a rabbit. Off to market he went one day. When he got home, there were lots of bears around him.

When he notice the bears, he ran and ran all over the place, all over town trying to get away from the bears. He ran here and there and everywhere.

He was very tired.

Finally after all that running, the bears just went away, he went all the way back home, put his groceries away and he lived happily ever after.

The End