First Day of School

First Day of School...First Day of School...ahh five more minutes...not you dad (mom)me!!!

Finding Nemo is one of our favorite movies and is quoted quite frequently in our house.

This is what was heard this morning.

It actually started last night at bedtime when I was talking to Michael and he said that he couldn't talk anymore or he would be too excited to sleep. It did take him a few minutes but then they were out.

They woke up on the first call this morning. They ate breakfast and had devotional. They got dressed and were ready to go.

Alex wanted to wear his "kindergarten shirt" which is his school shirt.

They were so cute and excited and Michael was the "big brother" telling Alex all about what they would do and reading the school menu to him.

We left with backpacks in hand and parked at the school.

Michael told me he could find his class himself, which is 3rd grade for "mom please don't walk me to my class and hug me and kiss me and embarrass me in front of my friends".

It hurt, but I respected him. I had hugged and kissed him to pieces at home because I had a feeling that was coming.

Alex on the other hand was very excited to show me to his kindergarten class. With his backpack strapped to his back, he began hiking down the hall with all the confidence in the world.

We walked in the class and he put his stuff away and began to realize that this was real. This was not something that we had just talked about all summer.

Alex really was in kindergarten.

My first reaction was to pick him up and take him home, his first reaction was to be a little scared.

Fortunately we overcame those reactions and he went into class.

I am so thankful that he has a little friend named Haley. Alex and Haley have been together since they were 18 months old. They started out at A Special Place and went all the way through Longmire Learning Center.

I had prayed that God would put at least one person in his class that he knew so that he would not be afraid.

God answered and put Haley in his class.

God always knows what we need.

When I picked them up, a good day was had by all.

They can not wait until tomorrow.

Needless to say they were both tired and had no problem going right to sleep!!!!

A Day at the Zoo

Yesterday we got to go to the Waco Zoo. We got up at the crack of dawn, packed up the car and were at the zoo by 9:30 am.

We had so much fun.

We got our map and we were ready to explore.

I have never seen two boys so excited.

We saw all the animals. There were catfish that you could feed that were as big as Alex. They had machines that you put a quarter in and get fish food. These fish actually raise their heads up out of the water to get food.

Freaky.

We saw the otters and there was a slide that you go down through the otters. Well the kids do, Will and I wouldn't fit.

I loved the meerkats, they are so precious, I wanted to take one home. Not really, but they were pretty cute.

Michael had been to this zoo before, so he was our tour guide.

When we ate lunch, he said this is the fly exibit.

Alex was most excited about the reptiles. We spent forever with the snakes and lizzards and fish, but that was ok because it was air conditioned.

Alex had never seen the zoo before, so he was defininately exploring. Animals are his thing!!

There was one section with two teepee's. He walked in one and then came out. He walked in the other and when he came out he said "nope, no indians in there".

We saw the monkeys, the lions and the giraffes.

My favorite is the elephants. I love the elephants. They are so massive, yet so docile.

It is so hard to wrap my brain around the zoo. From the smallest of frogs to the giant elephant, God made them all so perfectly and each created with a specific purpose.

I just stand in awe at creation and in even more awe of our Creator.

God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25

It is good.

And the zoo is good.

I will go back!!!

Change is Good

Change is good.

My flesh does not like it.

But my Spirit knows that change must take place in order for God to grow me and mold me to be more like Him.

This summer has been a summer of change. A summer of revival and renewal and watching God move in big and mighty ways.

We still serve a miracle working God. Somehow we tend to put Him in a box. We believe the Bible and everything in it. We believe in the miracles that Jesus performed and that He is coming again one day, yet somehow we forget that in the year 2007, He is still ever present and performing life changing miracles.

"I the LORD do not change" Malachi 3:6

I am so thankful that the Lord does not change, but I am also thankful that He does call me to change.

Last night my Whitney came back. She sat on my couch and we laughed and we cried. We shared all of the amazing things God did this summer in both of us.

We shared how God is moving us forward to new places and that we can never be the same. He is stretching us and challenging us. He is asking us to do things that can only be accomplished through Him.

He is calling us to depend completely on Him and to trust Him only.

We know that this fall will look different (other than sitting on my couch on Monday nights discussing our beautiful Bible ladies!!)

God has new things in store for both of us with new ministries and new people.

There is a small part of me that wants to say "wait...stop...don't change", but thankfully our God is so big and so loving that I don't have to listen to that voice. I can listen to the voice that says "go...move...change...I've got your back"

Cute Pictures

These are just some cute pictures of the boys...got to love those faces!

OH I CAN'T LOOK

IS THE TURTLE GONNA COME OUT?

CAN I KEEP IT PLEASE DADDY...

IT'S A KEEPER!!!

AND FINALLY...

WHO CAUGHT WHO?

Daily Devotionals

It is so important to spend time each day with your children doing a devotional or Bible study. After reading Heather's blog, I am encouraged to share some of what I do with Michael and Alex.

I have written lots of devotionals using scripture and stories that apply to what is going on in our lives at the time and what God wants us to do.

I have posted some of them on Michael's blog. I have more, but will just do some at a time.

I am also doing the Proverbs and the Millers. It is a great book on applying the Proverbs to our lives.

Treasures in Heaven

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

As I have said many times before, I learn some of my most valuable life lessons from my children.

One lesson Alex has taught me over and over again is Matthew 6. Not to store up our treasures on earth, but in Heaven.

Growing up we were always taught to take care of our things. To be careful not to break anything and if we did, we got in trouble.

So naturally I carried the same thought process into adulthood. I took very good care of my things and I had them for many years.

I never had a problem with this or thought much about it until I had Alex.

Michael was always a very gentle child and because I took care of my things, he also took care of his. You may think this is a good thing, but there is nothing good about a child being devastated over a broken toy.

Our children do watch us, they see what is important to us and how we react to it. Without even realizing it, I was teaching Michael that toys and knick knacks are important. Ugh!!!

Alex is the exact opposite. There is nothing gentle about him and he could break a toy and not even be phased by it.

He doesn't mean to be, but he is just a bull in a china shop.

When Alex was about two, God spoke to me very clearly. I had this beautiful green ceramic frog that I loved very much and I had had for a long time.

In one second, Alex dropped a sippy cup on it and it broke into pieces.

I was so upset.

I wasn't upset at Alex because I knew it was an accident. I was upset that the frog was broken.

God works everything together for the good of those who love Him and He showed me how much I loved my "treasures" and that they held no eternal value whatsoever.

He showed me the value of the "treasure" holding the sippy cup and his brother standing next to him saying "he did it".

These are treasures with eternal value that God has given me.

These are the children with a childlike faith that we saw present the Gospel tonight. These are the children that I don't ever want to do anything to hinder their relationship with Jesus and putting value in a knick knack will certainly do just that.

So as much as I like my "prettys", most of which are super glued or have parts taped together, I know they are just that...pretty.

They are replaceable or even better yet, I can live without them.

Thank You Lord for these life lessons and for the childlike faith you are growing in me daily!!

"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3-4