thankful thursday

continual learning. that's what i'm thankful for today. or maybe i should say continual teaching, because there's plenty of days when i don't want to learn anything!

God has been teaching me some things this week and i'm actually learning from them! so many times we think we have it all figured out, and then God steps in and says "hey! let me show you this!"

one example from this week is on the topic of prayer. pastor bob had a great message on prayer this past sunday and at the close of his sermon he had everyone think of one thing weighing on their heart, write it on a piece of paper, and give it to God.

i didn't have any HUGE problems on my heart, but there was this one little thing that has been making me mad, upset, and angry for the past few months. i just figured i didn't have the right attitude about it, but i still hadn't ever prayed about it. well i wrote it down, talked with God about it, and wouldn't you know, monday afternoon it had already started to resolve itself. or, should i say, God had started to resolve it. call me stupid for not praying about it months and months ago, but at least i was smart enough to learn a God lesson this week!

and since we're on the topic of prayer, please keep baby stellan and his family in your prayers. he has been in the hospital with tachycardia since sunday night and definitely needs all the prayer he can get! (read this post from monday morning to start at the beginning.)

GOD and politics

i was so blessed to go to church this morning. it's been so long since i've worshipped at my own church--it felt so good to be back home!

this morning pastor bob had a wonderful message that i wanted to share with you all. in light of the HUGE election coming up this tuesday, his sermon was "what is your responsibility as a christian citizen" taken from Romans 13:1-7.

a little background on the passage.... paul wrote this letter to the christians in rome about 4 years after nero became emperor. he became emperor when he was about 17 years old and he was an evil beyond evil ruler. (he murdered his first wife to marry his misstress, then later murdered her. he murdered his mother. he would dip christians in oil, hang them on a pole and set them on fire for light at night. he was BAD!) more evil than we could ever know.

so after 4 years and in the midst of a horrible ruler paul writes this:

1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

no matter what happens this election, GOD IS IN CONTROL and we still need to submit to our government.* God has already appointed our new president, senators, mayors, etc.** and at the end of the day, GOD IS STILL SOVEREIGN. if you don't like how our governing authorities rule, let God deal with that (Romans 12:19).*** our country doesn't need the perfect president (not that that will EVER happen!) to fix all our problems, but what our country needs is JESUS. let's not get so wrapped up in the political scheme of things that we forget what really matters--telling others about HIM!

*yes, i know there are instances in which we should not submit to authority--obey God rather than men--and if you listen to the sermon you'll hear that too!

**you still need to get out and VOTE, though!

***and yes... i know we can talk to our congressmen, etc. and voice our opinions.

i can't do this sermon justice. if you have a minute or 30 please listen to it or download it. and don't forget to VOTE on tuesday!!

my babies are growing up

tonight was a very exciting night for samantha - it was her first time at sparks. i am now so glad that i am going to homeschool her because i could've almost cried when we dropped her off tonight. i can't imagine what i would be like letting her go off to school....!

anyway, sparks is totally different than cubbies. when she started cubbies the parents were supposed to stay the first night so that they could see what the kids do and meet the teachers. but tonight at sparks? nope, just drop your kid off and don't find out who their teachers are!

would she know what to do? would she know what verses she needed to say? would she know how to play the games?

i guess i'm either in denile that she's five or i totally underestimate her. she did just fine tonight and had a lot of fun!

here she was at the start of cubbies last year. doesn't she look thrilled that i'm taking her picture?

my cubbie has turned into a sparkie!

and then there's my other baby who is growing up every day! tonight ryan learned how to "roll 'em." instead of clapping all the way through patty-cake (pat-a-cake, whatever), he now tries to say "roll" and moves his hands up and down while making a fist. now we just have to get him to clap again since all he wants to do now is roll!

miscelaneous happenings

i haven't posted anything in a while, so here's what's been happening. well, what i remember anyway!

last thursday we went to look at a house ben's gonna be painting. it's 7000 sq. feet.....it went on forever it seemed!

thursday evening i helped with the clothing givaway at our church. people bring in gently used or new clothes through the week, then we sort them and set them up in the gym. friday night the church gets to come and get clothing, and on saturday it's open to the community. and it's all free. i got a big bag for the kids and one for ben and i as well. it was fun to get some 'new' clothes since it's too hot to go to garage sales down here!

on saturday ben went to a royals game with his brother tommy and his step-dad mike. so while the boys were out in the 100+ degree heat, us girls went to "horton hears a who" at the $2.00 theater. ben's mom, sister, two nieces, samantha, ryan and i went. it was lots of fun and ryan was actually good for his first movie.

on monday night we went to the new chuck e cheese that's going to open next monday. they're training so we got to go and check it out a week early. we spent 4 hours there! i have to say, though, that it's the nicest one we've ever been to!

tuesday night we went to ben's softball game which they won 11-9. it was actually a nice night and wasn't too hot. it was only 90 degrees when we got there!

samantha loved the pink hat daddy got her at the royals game.

ryan and papa mike

samantha was finding a lot of flowers and weeds to pick

heading to the outfield again.... ben's #9

tonight ben got to go to another royals game through work so the kids and i went shopping. other than that it's been pretty uneventful.... finally!