We had a packed weekend this last weekend. Friday night I had a girls night and played bunco with 19 other girls at Robie Dodson's (my pastor's wife) house! It was SO much fun! If you haven't played bunco before...I would highly recommend it. It makes for a very fun girls night. We had tacos and margaritas before we played.
Saturday morning, I took breakfast up to Dell Children's Hospital to Jamie Ivey and got to meet Fedna and hold her hand and talk to her. She was beautiful and I was so overwhelmed as I left just thinking about a)Jamie's selflessness b)how I take every day that my children are healthy for granted c)that I am still feeling a tugging on my heart that God wants more from me. Not sure what that looks like...praying about it. We'll see where God leads.
Saturday night Jessica had two friends spend the night and we took all the kids to Dart Bowl down the street from our house. We had a blast. Nate bowled a 201 and I'm starting to think he's been secretly bowling behind my back when the girls are at school. A bunch of our friends went with us and so did Matt and Alicia. Alicia came in second behind Nate. Cheaters. (I just felt like saying that).
Sunday I hauled four kids to Church without Nate (thanks Nate) and then we had Sunday Night Dinner again at our house. Love the fellowship!
No matter how you voted in this election, today is an important day in the history of our country. I am listening to the new President's inauguration address and I am praying for him, for his family and for our country.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The Ivey's
I have mentioned to you before how much I am inspired by this girl Jamie Ivey and I'm not sure if you read her blog I posted but just a little background...
Her husband leads worship at a big Church here in Austin...called Austin Stone. She is a stay at home mom. They have one little boy named Cayden and a second son they adopted named Deacon. They have two more children in Haiti that they are adopting and will have by first of the Summer. Their names are Amos and Story.
For the last week, Jamie has been taking care of a little girl named Fedna who is here from Haiti for a surgical procedure. She has spina bifida. Jamie is her care taker while she is here. She has been in the hospital with her since the surgery and is acting as her "momma" until she gets to return to Haiti. I am blown away by the acts of service I see in this family. Truly an example of Jesus' love.
Please read their sites if you get time today. It will move you.
http://www.dreamingbigdreams.wordpress.com
http://www.aaronivey.com
Her husband leads worship at a big Church here in Austin...called Austin Stone. She is a stay at home mom. They have one little boy named Cayden and a second son they adopted named Deacon. They have two more children in Haiti that they are adopting and will have by first of the Summer. Their names are Amos and Story.
For the last week, Jamie has been taking care of a little girl named Fedna who is here from Haiti for a surgical procedure. She has spina bifida. Jamie is her care taker while she is here. She has been in the hospital with her since the surgery and is acting as her "momma" until she gets to return to Haiti. I am blown away by the acts of service I see in this family. Truly an example of Jesus' love.
Please read their sites if you get time today. It will move you.
http://www.dreamingbigdreams.wordpress.com
http://www.aaronivey.com
Monday, January 12, 2009
Community
I was thinking this morning about how important community is. We have such a great "community" here in Austin and I feel so blessed that our kids are growing up around that. Every Tuesday night we have City Group at our house and Nate leads it. We have gotten to be very close with these people and they have become family to us in a way. I feel that I have very special friendships with these people and I am so thankful.
Nate told me about an epiphany of sorts that he had a few weeks ago and it has stuck with me. He said that he was out having a beer with our pastor and a couple of other guys...talking about Jesus and what it looks like to be a follower. He realized how cool it was to be sitting and drinking a beer with the same guys he can talk about Jesus to. I mean, growing up, we both kept those groups of friends separate. There were the friends you could drink and party with. The friends you could pray with and talk about Jesus to. The other friends that you might open up to about blatant sin in your life. Never did these friends mesh. At least not for either of us. It feels really good to have such a healthy group of friends who we can do all of those things with.
Last night, we had Sunday Night Dinner at our house and some people from City Group came over and we all made our own pizzas and played Cranium. Jess played with us and made pizza with us. Ava bugged each of the people to come play her own game with her down on the living room floor. A few of them got suckered in. I can tell that the girls LOVE it. They get so excited when they see people pulling up and they don't want them to leave when it's time to go home. I think even Matt is starting to enjoy this community of people we share life with.
It made me realize how much our girls are starting to love community too. They are getting to witness people gathering together to hang out, eat food, love Jesus and drink beer.
I love it.
Nate told me about an epiphany of sorts that he had a few weeks ago and it has stuck with me. He said that he was out having a beer with our pastor and a couple of other guys...talking about Jesus and what it looks like to be a follower. He realized how cool it was to be sitting and drinking a beer with the same guys he can talk about Jesus to. I mean, growing up, we both kept those groups of friends separate. There were the friends you could drink and party with. The friends you could pray with and talk about Jesus to. The other friends that you might open up to about blatant sin in your life. Never did these friends mesh. At least not for either of us. It feels really good to have such a healthy group of friends who we can do all of those things with.
Last night, we had Sunday Night Dinner at our house and some people from City Group came over and we all made our own pizzas and played Cranium. Jess played with us and made pizza with us. Ava bugged each of the people to come play her own game with her down on the living room floor. A few of them got suckered in. I can tell that the girls LOVE it. They get so excited when they see people pulling up and they don't want them to leave when it's time to go home. I think even Matt is starting to enjoy this community of people we share life with.
It made me realize how much our girls are starting to love community too. They are getting to witness people gathering together to hang out, eat food, love Jesus and drink beer.
I love it.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
How Great Thou Art
Today I was literally moved to tears at Church. For many reasons. One...the worship was awesome and truly led me in worshipping God in a real way. Two...there were not enough seats for people. We started out with maybe 10 people in Jonathan and Robie's living room and I got choked up to see this morning what God is doing through Austin City Life. There were over 100 people there. Three...the message really moved me to thinking about what other little "powers" I worship in my life to make it feel complete. House, cars, relationships, kids, clothes, my job, money...I know that these things don't have to always be viewed as being negative things to have but when I am desiring them as much as God and sometimes more than God, they are fruitless. If I am honest with myself, I will admit that I usually have a much greater desire for my kids and family and friends than God.
We sang the song How Great Thou Art and today I left feeling like I had caught a glimpse of how great He truly is.
We sang the song How Great Thou Art and today I left feeling like I had caught a glimpse of how great He truly is.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Spruce Up Your House
This husband and wife are friends of ours through Ava's school. Their daughter Amelie has been in Ava's preschool class at Hyde Park Baptist for two years now. They are such a great couple and you might have actually met them at Ava's birthday party. Anyway...they are a real estate team of sorts. They buy the house, he remodels it, she sells it. This is their website: http://www.jhresidential.com/ On their blog, she has listed some really great inexpensive ideas for "sprucing" up your home in different ways. Check it out...some REALLY good ideas on there. All of her model houses are decorated beautifully. She has amazing taste. Here is her blog: http://www.jhresidential.com/blog/.
Forgive me for not knowing how to turn those into links.
Enjoy!
Forgive me for not knowing how to turn those into links.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Twilight Series
Ok...some of the girls in my city group were reading the Twilight book series by Stephanie Meyer. They were all raving about it and one girl talked about how she read the four book series in a week over the holidays. So...I bought book one at Target and read it in less than 24 hours (it's 500 pgs.) and then borrowed the second book from my friend Lori and read it in less than 24 hours. I am now waiting for the third book and then I will sink back into my alternate world of the beautiful relationship that is Bella and Edward:)
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