China trip

Here are some pictures from our trip to China. Caroline and Lane Gordon went with us, and Caroline's blog has a synopsis of the trip see it below.
Indescribable trip-Tiring and hot-Beautiful and Breathtaking-Rewarding and Funny!

http://overitmull.blogspot.com/2009/10/there-and-back-again-china-2009.html

I can't smile without you

I found this for the boys. I heard this song a while ago and I enjoy 'singing' it to the boys. I really don't think they enjoy it. :)...Sometimes they tolerate it, but sometimes I can use it to make them leave the room :D

Jake is 10

Yesterday Jake turned 10!!!!

I've been tagged

Sarah
Tagged me


Here are the rules:

1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer.
2) Select the 4th picture in the folder.
3) Explain the picture.
4) Tag 4 people to do the same.
No cheating (cropping, editing, etc.) Have fun!!

I had to cheat because we cleaned out all our pic folders and we only have 3...so this is the 3rd folder 4th picture...Andrew took this of and icicle that had fallen off our roof and evidentally "almost killed him" ;)

I tag: Just who ever wants to participate ;)

Tim's project

This is what I have been wanting for a while now... I don't like this part, but am willing to be patient :)








Ceramic tiling coming soon...hopefully I can show you when it's done

Look what I found!!!

This and more importantly this are a couple of things I found that I am SOOOOOO (that extended "so", does not adequately describe my emotions :) excited about!

I found these while browsing at Barnes and Noble over the Holidays. I am recommitting to my pursuit of topics of Heaven, and as many more of CS Lewis' things as I can find. I was pumped about the CS Lewis book because I didn't realize there was a book arranged with his thoughts and meditations on Heaven, YIPEE!!!! I haven't read much of it, yet. I am totally savoring it and making it last!

The book titled "Desire" was a shocker to me, because I got it just being interested in the writing style and the way he was flushing out the topic. All of the sudden he started talking about Heaven and the Kingdom of God! So I am totally back into my Obsessions... at least these particular "obsessions" are healthy ones...I tend to gravitate toward not so healthy ones!

It happened over Christmas....

...I was just finishing up 'getting ready' ......this is what I call it, even though it just consists of applying makeup and styling my hair...I really wasn't getting ready for anything...sometimes my boys ask, "where are you going?"..." No where" I reply, "I am just 'getting ready'

....ANYWAY, as I was 'getting ready' I started thinking about older woman and who and why they are Beautiful.... I realized that as people get older, it's not that they are so Gorgeous, but it's about how they are, and who they are. I am seeing signs of aging in me and feeling that I am just NOT young anymore. I don't really care, but there is that weird desire to be young and/or beautiful.

I was struck by those verses that Paul uses about braiding your hair and wearing jewelry. ( I couldn't find them real quick) I think God's spirit was telling me. "It's not that I don't want you to be beautiful, it's just that there isn't time to worry about the outward beauty". I realized and wondered if it is more of an urging, not a command or legalistic rule.... I wonder if the heart of his intentions are that it is really hard to be beautiful on the inside. It takes lots of work by the Holy Spirit and me. I need to spend so much more time on the inside than on the outside.

Do I do this, NO! Do I want to and long to and see the need! YES! For me I want it to start here. I ask that God would allow me to have my spiritual ears open and listening for the Holy Spirit and that I would be sensitive to be seeking Jesus. I am VERY thankful for the prodding in this direction!

Blog World

I am not as addicted to the blog world, as I once was (facebook, is my new 'obsession'), but it is amazing to me how many useful (wait, did I actually type "useful"... I am NOT sure that is what I mean...maybe relational, entertaining, or silly with an occasional "useful") things I can find in the Blog-o-sphere. By following someone's blog, I can become addicted to many other people's blogs. I am interested in there interests and they direct me to someone else's blog with that same interest, than I am hooked. Thus my need to consistently de-clutter my blog list :)

Anyway, I am not sure I am going to take this advice, but since I have been knitting several scarfs...it may be a good idea...anyway, it's silly in a girly way. I was directed here by this blog.

Helpful advice from a "Friend"

This is from one of the blogs I follow. It has been so helpful to me in the past couple days and I cannot get it out of my head. So I want to share it with you! The basic idea of the blog is to do the worst thing on my 'to do' list first. While that seems like a simple idea, I NEVER do that, I always start by checking my email or something fun like that... all the while (and I mean all day) dreading that worst thing. How simple and smart to just get that thing done first! Especially, because I end up dreading it so much, I often never get it done!

Just for fun

This is purely for fun! And isn't that appropriate as many of us are getting back into our schedules and jobs--a little levity in life in the middle of routine.

It is good to get back into the routine of schooling and exercise, etc. It's just that for some reason vacation seems to fun and so FAST! I have grown to thrive more and more in a routine, I just rebel against it during vacation and time off. I guess I need both. A break and a routine. Laughter and seriousness. Fun and Work. I wonder if Heaven is a mix of both as well??

Happy Holidays and traditions

This Christmas season when I was getting out the decorations, I found my Christmas Journal. Several years ago, I started a Christmas journal. I am not even sure where I got it... a gift I think. Anyway, I put it away every year with my decorations. This year, as I got it out, I thought..."I want to sit down amidst all these decorations and read this to the boys."... So we all sat down and they let me read it to them. I know this won't last and probably not even till next year. So I thoroughly enjoyed reading and sharing my personal Christmas thoughts with the boys! Actually, I would love to make it a new tradition.

So there we sat, sitting there in a little circle and I started reading. They sat there so quietly, only a question or 2. Most of my journal is trip prep, family interactions, the times we started new traditions, and what we received as gifts... I also have been known to a tiny bit Scrooge-like. So there are bits of what I feel like God has done in my heart over the Christmas season(s)... They endured all of that and seemed somewhat pleased with it.

I noticed that I ended up skipping several years in my journal. I guess I got busy (or Scrooge or Grinch-like) and just didn't do it. But I really want to keep it up...for myself and the boys, O and Tim if he wants ;)

Here's a list of a couple of our favorite newish traditions--we don't have that many, and not all that original as I truly used to 'just get by' at Christmastime. I love the true meaning of Christmas, just not all the trappings.
...I would LOVE have you comment on what yours traditions are, since I could use the ideas

-We fill stockings every year
-We get out the Christmas plates and table decor
(this is big for us, cuz we basically use paper plates)
-We read out of the Christmas journal (new one :)
-Tim usually buys me slippers
-We put up a nativity scene
(in years past this was instead of a tree, one day we hope to add the tree back in)
-the boys always help me decorate
-we have shrimp and snacks on the night before Christmas with Tim's parents
-God usually teaches me something new about the Season and it's Reason :)

Travis is 12!!

Last night we celebrated Travis' birthday. We have a couple of traditions for Bday's...I always make them a birthday banner and we make cards for each other. As a tradition, we let them choose which restaurant they want to eat at and than we come home and open presents. Travis would have picked Ponderosa for their mac and cheese, but I made him mac and cheese for lunch, so he settled for KFC ...much to my relief! :)--another story, another day :)

My favorite part of the day was singing Happy Birthday to him. He gets the BEST little look on his face... He loves it and is embarrassed at the same time! He always gets that cute little look and I love it! We really enjoyed our day (except for the normal fighting) and it was fun to celebrate! They are getting SO big! Travis has passed me in height already!

Andrew at 13

We took Andrew to Bass Pro Shops in Portage Indiana for his 13th Birthday on Saturday! It was really fun... We ate lunch, and shopped for Hunting gear and shot at the shooting range. He spent a good amount of his Birthday money on hunting things. The other 2 boys want to got there for their birthdays ;)

Pre-Airsoft war

We had a weekend airsoft war with Michael and Katie. No pictures of the actual war, but we had to have a pre-war fuel up.

We played a game of capture the flag and a killer free for all! SO FUN! It was a beautiful and perfect day for this. A little chilly for sitting at the table, but perfect for running in the woods! :)

What my boy's did

We went to get
our boys after of week of them being gone... a friend sent me these pics of one of their nights while they were gone. They had a bonfire and roasted hotdogs and marshmallows. I almost wish I would have been there ;) --almost.

I highly recommend a getaway (or stay-at home) without kids if you can manage it. I am always sooooo appreciative of Tim's parents, my parents and sisters taking the boys on random occasions. I think it helps my marriage in HUGE ways!

*In these pics are my dad and mom, my sisters and Ryan and Jimmy*

Brrrr!

Tim and I went to Lake Michigan yesterday. The water is cold, but the air was WARM...Tim bet me I wouldn't walk into the water, here's my proof ;) It made my feet numb. But it was warm outside, so I warmed up quickly.

It was a very peaceful time as my parents have the boys. We greatly enjoyed the water, the sun, the conversation and the weather! I highly recommend it!

Airsoft again

We have officially transitioned away from the beach to the park for airsoft.

It's definitely the time of year to roam the woods in sweatshirts with guns that shoot little plastic bullets.... Isn't that what you all do in the fall? :)











There was grumbling along the way, ouches and shouting... but overall, we had a good time. Good food, good competition and family ;) We didn't have as much time as we needed to play, but we had a game of Free-for-all and a game of our version of capture the flag. Afterwards, we walked to the big bridge in the woods and watched Andrew balance on the big log. I also spent a couple pictures on pure silliness ;)

Resources

I was talking to some friends recently about the sensitive issue of abortion. We were discussing how appropriate it is to publicly show photos/video of abortion. It is a very difficult thing. The answers to our questions, is not the where I am going with this post. I wanted to put this testimony (of one women's "secret") out and the site for the Pregnancy Care Center in Niles...I may have done that before, but it is really good and I love it! It is a great resource!

The thing is... I hate abortion, but the women...the women! I love them! I want them to have healing if there has been an abortion... Healing and not Hiding! I hate that women have to hide this sin, because it is in some minds a 'worse' sin. Yes, it is a sin, but that doesn't mean that God doesn't forgive AND remembers it no more! (post-abortive women also have to deal with all this)

I remember when I first saw the photos/videos of abortion. I have told many about this, so it may be familiar. I was watching a very graphic video and I started crying, weeping, bawling! It was hard, and horrible! Here's what God said to my heart. It is so clear to me. Even though I did not hear a voice in the room. In my mind, my heart, whatever...I heard this: "Lisa, your sin looks like this"...It made me realize that my sin is ugly. My sin looks just as ugly as abortion. I wish we/I did not categorize sin. I wish I saw my sin always before me as God does, than maybe, I wouldn't look down on others. Maybe than women wouldn't have to hide anymore. God isn't about guilt. He loves to forgive and grant repentance. O how beautiful repentance and forgiveness are! Not ugly, but Beautiful!

A Prayer

"O Father of life, ... we praise you that you will one day take your poor crooked creatures and give them bodies like Christ's, perfect and full of light. Help us to grow faster--as fast as you can help us grow. Help us to keep our eyes on the opening of your hand, that we may know the manna when it comes. We rejoice that we are your making, though your handiwork is not very plain yet in the outer man. We bless you that we feel your hand making us, even if what we feel be pain. Always we hear the voice of the potter above the hum and grind of the wheel. Fashion the clay to your will. You have made us love you and hope in you, and in your love we will be brave and endure. All in good time, O Lord. Amen


This was a prayer I found in this book. One of the characters has physical difficulties and I love how he processes through them. This book is fiction, but it can be like reading a devotional. I have another quote that I loved coming soon.

A Letter

Dear Lisa,
I think God wants you to know this:
God created you, so don't be afraid of the circumstances that surround you. God saved you and called you by name, you are HIS. Are you still concerned? I know you are going through some really hard stuff, but God won't leave you there. I feel like it's as if you have waters rushing all around you in a big ocean, but God won't let you drown! He promises to be with you remember?! Do you feel like the river is rushing and taking you away? It won't! Do you feel like you are in a burning building and can't get out? God promises you that the circumstances will touch you, but not crush you or burn you...to stay with the analogy :)...God is with you...I promise!
Your Saviour, Jesus

P.s. Don't forget, this part is HUGE! I gave up so much for you...Lives have been sacrificed so that you could be free. Why, you ask? Because you are precious to me and I love you!



I decided to take this verse and put it in my own words...when I first read it, it felt like a letter. I read the ending where it said, "For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, Your Saviour. " I felt like God wrote me a note and signed it...."Your Saviour"

This passage Isaiah 43:1-4 came to my attention at small group this week as we were talking about worry. I love it and it means alot to me. I did not get to voice my particular worries during small group, but being a mom...and a wife, I have a lot...They aren't all consuming ones, but nagging, daily ones. Sometimes the thought of failing my kids at homeschooling will keep me awake at night. Sometimes I worry that I can't be the wife I need to be or that no one really cares about me. Sometimes it's just about money and that can make me crazy! Sometimes I can't shut the worries off....that's why God wrote me a letter and that feels good! I love that He is with me IN the difficulty, not that it is pretended that they aren't there or that I am being un-spiritual in my worry.... God is with me...Stuff is hard, but God is making sure that I am not destroyed by that stuff and that I will come out of it on the other side.