A Life of Gratitude

As I sit here on the evening of Easter Sunday, watching The Bible on the History channel, I stand in awe of the sacrifice my Jesus made for me. Not only did He give up His life for sinners, He also rose from the dead! What an amazing Savior!  I keep thinking about Mary, when she encountered the Risen Lord on Sunday morning. What was she thinking? She must have been absolutely speechless. She must have been confused. She must have wanted more than anything to understand why. Why would Jesus endure such a horrible death? Why would He allow it when He had the power to heal the sick and raise the dead? Why would He willing be mocked, spat upon, and left to die on a cross? I wonder if Mary asked Him. I believe she probably did. In my heart, I can hear her whisper, "Jesus, why? Why did you do it? Why would you endure such a thing?" And He probably responded, "Just to be with you."  We live in a world where people are stingy with their time, money, attention, f

Last year, around Easter, one of my friends told me about resurrection rolls. I thought it was a terrific idea so, this year we decided to try making these tasty treats. Not only are they yummy, they also help teach children the wonder of Easter. To make the rolls, we rolled a marshmallow in melted butter and cinnamon sugar and the wrapped it in a crescent roll. The marshmallow is symbolic for Jesus' body. The butter and cinnamon sugar are symbolic for the oil and spices placed on Jesus' body. The crescent roll is symbolic for the cloths Jesus' body was wrapped in. The oven is symbolic of the tomb. We're all ready... Mommy and Dylan  Daddy and Dylan  Dylan really enjoyed making these rolls Ready for the oven! Dylan was very excited about making the resurrection rolls. Once they were ready, he couldn't wait to put them into the oven and see what happened. When the oven dinged and we took the rolls out, he was very excited to look inside.

Bryan and I are always searching for fun, interactive ideas to use during our family devotion time. I recently found a wonderful "Easter Week Devotions" on a homeschooling blog. Its hands-on and repetitive and with a little tweaking, it has been perfect for Dylan! This week we've been learning to recognize who Jesus is. Monday: Recognize Jesus as King- We read about Jesus' triumphal entrance into Jerusalem in Luke 19: 28-40. Dylan made a donkey to remind us that Jesus is King. Tuesday: Recognize Jesus as Judge- We read about Jesus clearing the temple in Matthew 21:12-17. We made a braided whip like Jesus did in the temple to remind us of His authority. Wednesday: Recognize Jesus as Savior of All- We read about Jesus teaching the Greeks and Jews in John 12: 20-36. We made a world and glued it on a heart to remind us that Jesus didn't come for just a few people, He came for everyone. Thursday: Recognize Jesus as Servant- We read about Jesus washing

I have spent the last 11 weeks diving into the book of Genesis and encountering the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This Beth Moore study on the patriarchs has been amazing! Before this study I always thought of the patriarchs as perfect men who were unwavering in their faith. Boy, was I wrong! This study revealed the truth to me about the patriarchs. They were people just like you and me. They made mistakes just like you and me. They had to make the choice to follow their God, just like you and me.  To be honest, I've been floored by the drama found in God's Word throughout this study. The book of Genesis is like a purposeful soap opera, if there could be such a thing. There is murder, favoritism, concubines,  lying, true love, loss of loved ones, betrayal, cheating, blessings, and much more all wrapped up in this one book of the Bible. These men, the patriarchs, were just average men. But God chose them and they followed. God used these flawed men and women to bring Hi

Easter is less than a week away so my little family enjoyed a fun springtime tradition. We dyed Easter eggs! Dylan absolutely loves doing anything that involves paint so he really enjoyed himself. Evan, on the other hand, doesn't like anything that involves sitting still so he didn't like this activity very much. Of course, Bryan and I always enjoy doing things as a family! I also love being able to teach Dylan the meaning behind these traditions. While we were dying our eggs, we discussed that eggs are representative of the new life we receive through Jesus. I asked Dylan, "who gives us new life?" He said, "Jesus gives us new life because He rose from the dead!" Yes!! Yes, He does! And that is why we celebrate this time of year. Jesus died for us and was buried in a tomb but just as new life emerge from eggs, Jesus emerged from the tomb. Because of His resurrection, we have new life! Praise God! Today I am thankful for traditions. I lo

We were able to get away for a couple's weekend with Jordan and Shanna this weekend. We spent the past few days in Surfside beach. It was rainy and cold but that didn't stop us from having tons of fun. We ate lots of yummy food, played golf cart scavenger hunts, went shopping, played board games, and laughed non-stop. It was a refreshing time away with wonderful friends. Dinner at Captain George's Jordan and Shanna Me and my hubby It was freezing but we enjoyed watching the sunrise God's glory fills the sky Isn't it beautiful? Each guest leaves a seashell in the jar. Our says, "couples weekend" Today I am thankful for the lovely weekend away we were able to enjoy. Every now and then its good for mommies and daddies to have some good, ole' fashioned, fun with friends. I am also thankful for good friends. True friends truly are a gift from God. Jordan and Shanna are blessings in our lives.

100 days ago Dylan and I began our homeschool journey together. (We're a little behind public/private schools because I was so sick earlier in the school year) So, today was a day of celebration! Dylan really enjoyed dressing up like a 100 year old man. He hobbled around the house with his cane like a little old man. He especially liked the wrinkles I drew on his face. We also created a monster with 100 eyes and built a house with 100 legos. We ended our time together by writing "100th Day News!"  Check out those wrinkles! Hobble, hobble, hobble 100 days! He works so intently Our 100 eyed monster Our 100 lego house 100th day news! Today I am thankful for the ability to homeschool Dylan. I know it isn't the most popular choice and there are folks who think we're crazy but, this is path God has lead us down and I think He knows what He's doing! So far, we couldn't be happier! Dylan and I have both learned so much in the past 10

We begin every homeschool day with Bible time.  For the past week or so we've been learning that just like the zebra cannot hide his stripes, we cannot hide from God. Today we read verses from Psalm 139 that says, " You have searched me,   Lord ,  and you know  me.You know when I sit and when I rise;  you perceive my thoughts  from afar.You discern my going out  and my lying down; y ou are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue  you,  Lord , know it completely. You hem me in  behind and before,  and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, t oo lofty  for me to attain." After reading the verses, I talked with Dylan about how amazing it is that God knows everything about us and still loves us! We don't have to hide anything about our lives. We are completely free to be ourselves and still be confident that God will love us and never forsake us. I could tell Dylan was taking it all in and really trying to grasp the though

Dylan woke up this morning to a find that our house had been ram-shacked by a mischievous little visitor. Of course, Dylan couldn't have been more excited! He ran from room to room to see what the leprechaun had done. As you can see the by the pictures below, "Lucky" was a busy fella. He also left a note for Dylan, asking to find 8 hidden shamrocks. Once Dylan had found them all, he was able to open the envelope that contained a clue, which lead him to the treasure. He had so much fun! He was running all over the place, looking for those shamrocks! It was a busy but very exciting morning! (This all happened before Evan even woke up!) Today I am thankful for the opportunity for Bryan and I to put such a big smile on Dylan's face. We are just big kids at heart anyway, so this was a lot of fun for all of us!  I am also thankful for the imaginations of children. Pretty soon, they'll be all grown up and all the make believe will disappear but,

Many of you may know that I have an Etsy store. I sell custom and handmade items and truly enjoy it. Several days ago I received  the strangest message in my Etsy account. Someone was telling me how much they liked one of my items and sharing that they had a friend that had seen the item and really wanted something similar. She said they were located in High Point, NC. I was amazed as I read the message because I live in High Point too. Etsy is a world wide online marketplace so, it is pretty remarkable that we live in the same town! I sent the inquirer my phone number and the next day, I received a phone call from Millie, who was very interested in the "It Is Well" handmade canvas. Millie shared that she recently said goodbye to her husband of over 40 years. She told me that he passed away tragically in a car accident. It was such a difficult experience for Millie to endure but she said, "after a couple of days of crying, I realized it IS well with my soul."

Evan and I spent some time together this afternoon running errands in the beautiful weather. As we were driving around, I peaked back at him in the rearview mirror and saw him grinning from ear to ear as he looked at out the window. I've loved our new van since the moment we got it but now, I have a  new reason to love it! In our old car, Evan wasn't tall enough to peer out the window. Now, he can see all of God's beautiful creations as we drive along.  Sweet Evan couldn't take his eyes off the window. He was trying to take it all in. I could tell that he really enjoyed seeing all the trees, clouds, people, etc. He even clapped his hands several times. He was so happy. I couldn't help but think about how wonderful it must be to see all of this for the first time. We take God's creations for granted but not Evan, he loved seeing the world through his window. Today I am thankful that God created such an amazing world for us to enjoy. We walk through life

Today after church, a large number of people from our congregation went out into the community to invite people to our church and to offer to pray for them. Bryan and I joined an older couple from our church and we took the boys with us. Evan took a nap as we strolled through a neighborhood near our church but Dylan was as involved as he possibly could be! He went right up to the door with Bryan and the other couple, he talked with the people at times, handed them the bag of goodies we took, and stayed back with me and prayed at times. Just being a part of this outreach was wonderful but watching my oldest son serve was a blessing beyond describing. When everyone was finished in their neighborhoods, we all came back to church for dessert and a time of sharing. Once person shared that a lady told them that the community desperately needs more churches sharing the love of Christ door to door. I agree, 100% percent.  Today I am thankful to be part of a church that desires to shar

Evan has recently turned the rocking chair in his room into a jungle gym; climbing all over it, all the time. So, since we don't use it very much anymore, we decided to take it to my mom's house for safe keeping in case we need it again one day. As Bryan carried it out to put it in the van, I realized that I should have rocked my baby in it one more time. He could see it in my eyes, so he put the rocking chair down at the edge of the drive way and I rocked my baby in it, one last time. As I rocked him in the cool air, the tears just rolled down my cheeks. It seems like only yesterday I was rocking him in it for the first time. Now Evan needs more room for all of his toys and more room to play instead of a rocking chair for his mother to nurse him in or rock him to sleep in the middle of the night. Where did the time go? Dylan only a few hours old Evan only a few hours old Don't get me wrong, I know they can't stay babies forever. More than anything I want

"Cast your cares on the  Lord  and he will sustain you. H e will never let   the righteous be shaken." Psalm 55:22 Today, during the video part of the Beth Moore's Bible Study, she shared something that was incredibly meaningful to me. She said that when others have hurt us or situations have upset us, people may not always understand us. Sometimes other folks just don't "get it" but don't worry...God "gets it!" Most women can probably relate to that; I know I can. There are many times in my life when no one seems to truly understand how they have hurt me or why I'm upset. Sometimes I don't even "get it." It is such a comfort to me that God always understands me. When my husband or my friends or my family don't understand, God does. When I don't understand, God does. I can cast my cares upon Him believing that He will sustain me. No matter what is going on in my life, He is near and He cares.  Today I am t