No, I'm not talking Bingo or Battleship here. I'm talking about something that has Hubby (I can speak for him, it said so in the marriage vows) and I really excited!
I'm talking about a new time at our church where - borrowing words from our Youth Pastor's wife - we get together once a month for short devotionals and have family fun together as well as worship with our entire family. A time to learn how to pass our faith through everyday tasks! It's all about living a life that purposefully teaches our kids about Jesus and leading them in developing a lifelong relationship with Him.
It's based on Deuteronomy 6:5-7 (hence D6)...
"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." (NIV)
Borrowing from the D6 website - http://www.d6family.com/ - this is what they have to say about what a D6 church is...
A D6 Church equips dads, moms, and grandparents to be spiritual leaders in the home.
2 Timothy 2:2 reminds us that we are to invest in trustworthy men and women who can reproduce their faith in others. That’s exactly what Deuteronomy 6:5-7 is all about!
A D6 Church recognizes the biblical importance of parents being involved with the spiritual development of teenagers and children.
Many churches are going back to the biblical model of spiritual formation found in Deuteronomy 6. These Churches make an intentional shift in the way they do ministry to equip parents to be the primary spiritual leaders.
And what they have to say about D6 families...
Although parents are involved in sports, homework, and hygiene, many parents find it challenging to connect with their children when it comes to their faith in Christ.
D6 stands for Deuteronomy 6:5-7 which talks about dads and moms taking the opportunity to impress God’s Word upon the hearts of their children. If you are not doing this already, find creative ways to interact with your children to transfer your faith in Christ to them. D6Family.com will show you how!
I'm super excited and can't wait to see where this new time of worship leads our personal family as well as our church family!!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Twenty-Four
No, I'm not talking about the show. Or the number of hours in a day. I'm talking about the number of days my car has been in the shop now.
Back in December when it started getting cold (remember, it's all relative and the mid-40s is cold in Florida!) I started 'warming my car up' in the mornings. The only problem? It never got warm! I told Hubby about this problem and his first response was to ask if I was pushing the right buttons.
Now let me tell you something, at one point in my life - for a very long time - I was a (natural) blonde. However, even I know how to turn on the stinkin' heater in my car! After he checked for himself, he finally agreed that it was broken and we took it to the dealership to be repaired.
It turns out the entire heating and cooling system had to be replaced! That meant they had to pull out the seats, the dash, everything! It took them about a week and a half before they called and said it was ready. When Hubby went to pick it up he decided to test it just to make sure it worked. And thank goodness he did, because...NOTHING! No AC, no heat, nothing worked! So, back in the shop it went and there it remains.
We originally took it in on the Tuesday before Christmas! Once the dealership determined it wouldn't be done that day they gave me a rental. Now I don't want to sound ungrateful but I bought an SUV, a Lincoln MKX to be exact. And I'm making payments on a Lincoln MKX. But for the past twenty-four days I have been driving a Ford Fusion! Nothing against the Fusion, it's a nice enough little car, but it's not my car!
I'm hopeful I won't lose my mind on the nice gentleman if he tells me it's still not ready on Monday, but I can't make any guarantees!
And just to leave on a happy note...a couple of pictures of two of my favorite people in the grove recently!
 |
| This is not my actual car, Photo found here |
Back in December when it started getting cold (remember, it's all relative and the mid-40s is cold in Florida!) I started 'warming my car up' in the mornings. The only problem? It never got warm! I told Hubby about this problem and his first response was to ask if I was pushing the right buttons.
Now let me tell you something, at one point in my life - for a very long time - I was a (natural) blonde. However, even I know how to turn on the stinkin' heater in my car! After he checked for himself, he finally agreed that it was broken and we took it to the dealership to be repaired.
It turns out the entire heating and cooling system had to be replaced! That meant they had to pull out the seats, the dash, everything! It took them about a week and a half before they called and said it was ready. When Hubby went to pick it up he decided to test it just to make sure it worked. And thank goodness he did, because...NOTHING! No AC, no heat, nothing worked! So, back in the shop it went and there it remains.
We originally took it in on the Tuesday before Christmas! Once the dealership determined it wouldn't be done that day they gave me a rental. Now I don't want to sound ungrateful but I bought an SUV, a Lincoln MKX to be exact. And I'm making payments on a Lincoln MKX. But for the past twenty-four days I have been driving a Ford Fusion! Nothing against the Fusion, it's a nice enough little car, but it's not my car!
 |
| Photo found here |
When we called today they said they were expecting the part they need now to arrive today - it had been tied up in the snowstorm in Atlanta. They're hopeful they'll have it done by next Monday but can't make any guarantees.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Two Sets of Resolutions
As we rang in the New Year, I started thinking about what my resolutions would be for this year. I had three rock-solid resolutions for this year.
1. Be a more patient and loving parent. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a bad parent per se. But lately, my patience has been tested, and proven short on quite a few occaisions, mainly with BBug. I really want to work on having more patience with the kids. Instead of running out of patience and turning to shouting, I need to work on running and turning to God and prayer so that I can be a better parent to my kids.
2. Read the entire Bible. Last year one of my resolutions was to be a better Christian, and while I would say I definitely started in that direction there is always room for improvement here. We bought a chronological, one-year Bible that I'm setting out to read this year. I really like the idea of reading it chronologically so that I can have a better grasp of context.
3. Get in shape. That was one of my resolutions for last year and I have to say that I failed miserably! I'm in the worst shape of my life right now. This really hit home when I was walking downtown for lunch with a co-worker and was completely out of breath just trying to walk and talk to her for eight or nine blocks. Pitiful! My first plan of action is to get rid of the sweet tea. Y'all, my husband believes in honoring his southern roots by using at least half of bag of sugar per gallon of tea! My next plan is to get moving. I want to do some sort of physical activity - be it tennis, bike riding, Wii fit, something - each day for just a few minutes.
I was really proud of myself for setting these resolutions, until we went to church Sunday and heard the Pastor's sermon - Your Top 3 Resolutions.
The message was on what every believer's top 3 New Year's resolutions should be. After hearing his message, I knew that while my three resolutions above were good, these following three should really be at the top of my list!
1. Set Priorities. He reminded us that making money and acquiring material possessions should not be our main priority. Our priorities should be growing in our faith, sharing the Word, spending time with our family... He encouraged us all to get more involved in our own church, to participate in a missions trip, to minister to a friend or family member...
2. Submit to God's Providence. He told us to always remember that God is in charge! We can set all of the well-intentioned resolutions (like the ones above) that we want to, but we should put an * next to all of them. And that * should say, "if it's God's will." I will read the entire Bible, if it's God's will. I will get in shape, if it's God's will. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't still try to attain those goals that we set for ourselves in life, but we should realize that if it doesn't go according to plan that's ok - because it's going according to His plan!
3. Shun Sinful Pride. He reminded us to always give God the credit! If I become a better, more patient parent - I need to remember that it's certainly not because I did it alone, or even with Hubby's help. It's only because of Him.
So, as we go in to the New Year I have two sets of resolutions. My Top 3 and the three I thought were my top 3.
1. Be a more patient and loving parent. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a bad parent per se. But lately, my patience has been tested, and proven short on quite a few occaisions, mainly with BBug. I really want to work on having more patience with the kids. Instead of running out of patience and turning to shouting, I need to work on running and turning to God and prayer so that I can be a better parent to my kids.
2. Read the entire Bible. Last year one of my resolutions was to be a better Christian, and while I would say I definitely started in that direction there is always room for improvement here. We bought a chronological, one-year Bible that I'm setting out to read this year. I really like the idea of reading it chronologically so that I can have a better grasp of context.
3. Get in shape. That was one of my resolutions for last year and I have to say that I failed miserably! I'm in the worst shape of my life right now. This really hit home when I was walking downtown for lunch with a co-worker and was completely out of breath just trying to walk and talk to her for eight or nine blocks. Pitiful! My first plan of action is to get rid of the sweet tea. Y'all, my husband believes in honoring his southern roots by using at least half of bag of sugar per gallon of tea! My next plan is to get moving. I want to do some sort of physical activity - be it tennis, bike riding, Wii fit, something - each day for just a few minutes.
I was really proud of myself for setting these resolutions, until we went to church Sunday and heard the Pastor's sermon - Your Top 3 Resolutions.
The message was on what every believer's top 3 New Year's resolutions should be. After hearing his message, I knew that while my three resolutions above were good, these following three should really be at the top of my list!
1. Set Priorities. He reminded us that making money and acquiring material possessions should not be our main priority. Our priorities should be growing in our faith, sharing the Word, spending time with our family... He encouraged us all to get more involved in our own church, to participate in a missions trip, to minister to a friend or family member...
2. Submit to God's Providence. He told us to always remember that God is in charge! We can set all of the well-intentioned resolutions (like the ones above) that we want to, but we should put an * next to all of them. And that * should say, "if it's God's will." I will read the entire Bible, if it's God's will. I will get in shape, if it's God's will. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't still try to attain those goals that we set for ourselves in life, but we should realize that if it doesn't go according to plan that's ok - because it's going according to His plan!
3. Shun Sinful Pride. He reminded us to always give God the credit! If I become a better, more patient parent - I need to remember that it's certainly not because I did it alone, or even with Hubby's help. It's only because of Him.
So, as we go in to the New Year I have two sets of resolutions. My Top 3 and the three I thought were my top 3.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year...
...From Our Family to Yours!
(and thanks again to Shutterfly for the wonderful - free - cards!)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Yellowstone 2010 - Days 1 & 2
VACATION 2010 - DAYS 1 & 2
Warning: The narrative in this post will be followed by TONS of photos...don't say I didn't warn you!
When we asked BBug several months ago what she wanted to do for vacation this year, her response was "see elk and bears and wolves and o-coyotes." So that's just what we did back at the beginning of October (yes, I know I'm way behind).
We figured what better place to see all of those things than Yellowstone National Park. We loaded up, along with our good friends Uncle M and Aunt A and headed west. I was super nervous about the kids on the flights, because although BBug has flown before this would be BuddyRoe's first trip in the friendly (we hoped) skies. Despite some stomach issues due to undiluted apple juice, everyone did really well on the flights to Denver and then again to Bozeman, MT. When we arrived in Bozeman we transferred our 5 checked bags, 7 carry-ons, 2 carseats and 6 people to the rented Suburban and set off on the final hour and a half journey to West Yellowstone, MT.
The first thing we did after we got settled in was head to dinner. The lady that we rented the cabin from recommended a local restaurant called Bullwinkles. There was a decent crowd when we got there, so we figured it must be pretty good. Um...maybe not so much. It wasn't bad, but the steaks sure weren't what we're used to here. They were very lean and didn't have much flavor to them at all. At that point in the day though, we were just glad to be fed and on our way.
After dinner we walked across the street to one of the two very small grocery stores - for my family in GA, think IGA - and spent a small fortune on groceries for the week. I guess when there aren't any other options you (the grocery store) can charge whatever you want to for food! Seriously, $8 for a carton of Breyers ice cream!!
Once our bellies and the refrigerator were full we all hit the sack for a good night's sleep in preparation for our first day in the park!
When we woke up the next morning we ate a good breakfast at the cabin and then packed up everything we would need for lunch and snacks. See, I told you before I'm cheap thrifty! Then it was off to Yellowstone!
The first day was amazing! It truly is a "different world" out there. I know that all of God's handiwork is amazing, but seriously, this place is take-your-breath-away stunning! I was so excited that NahNah (my mom) let me take her (way better than mine) camera with me! On the first day we drove the southern loop (Yellowstone's major roads form like a figure-eight) and saw tons of animals, the Fountain Paint Pots, Old Faithful - although we didn't see it erupt on the first day - Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone Lake, the Upper and Lower Falls and so much more! We didn't spend a lot of time at any one thing, but I think that was best with the kids.
I really can't put in to words the awe that I was in out there, so I'll just spend the rest of the post sharing pictures from those first couple of days. And I'll warn you again, there are a lot of pictures!! Also, when I upload the pictures, they get out of order and I'm just too lazy to go in and rearrange them, so out-of-order they will be!!
I really can't put in to words the awe that I was in out there, so I'll just spend the rest of the post sharing pictures from those first couple of days. And I'll warn you again, there are a lot of pictures!! Also, when I upload the pictures, they get out of order and I'm just too lazy to go in and rearrange them, so out-of-order they will be!!
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