School House Rock - No More Kings (America Rock)

I love these videos!  They're all so entertaining and educational!  The grammar videos are great too.  My husband can sing a lot of them from when he was a kid.  :o) 

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

I had heard of this article in a sermon but couldn't ever find it on the internet.  Then my sister mentioned it yesterday on the phone.  She told me what it was called.  I was so excited to find it and read it, because it is so inspiring.  I needed to be inspired.  Because of some life circumstances, I have been in a bit of a funk lately.  My faith has been weak.  Like the man in Mark 9:24, I prayed recently, "' I do believe; help my unbelief.'"  (I love his honesty.)    I probably need to pray that every day.  Don't we all?  I love how radical, sold out, and faithful the writer is.  I want to have this kind of faith, determination, and excitement  for the Lord.  It reminds me of 2 of my favorite Christians: George Meuller and Brother Andrew.  If you have never heard  or  read about them, please do!  They were/are awesome warriors for God. 


I am a part of the fellowship of the Unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit


Power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has


been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow


down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense,


and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight


walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions,


mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.




I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or


popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised,


regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by


patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.




My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my




way is rough, my companions few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear.


I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted,


or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the


presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the


pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of


mediocrity.






I won't give up, back up, let up, or shut up until I've preached up, prayed




up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am a


disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until He returns, give until I drop,


preach until all know, and work until He comes.






And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My


colors will be clear for "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the


power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.." (Romans 1:16)






By Dr. Bob Moorehead

Fibonacci numbers - The Fingerprint of God

This is a cool video about Fibonacci numbers.  My kids and I learned about Fibonacci numbers on one of our Jonathan Park CDs.  There is certainly a design throughout Creation.  And what a Designer!

Parenting

Tonight my kids got in an argument.  It was past their bedtime.  They were both crying.  They had both been mean to each other and hurt each other's feelings.  I didn't want to listen to their complaints about whose fault it was.  I had things to do.  But I signed up for this job when I had children, and refereeing is part of the job.  It makes me sad when they are mean to each other.  I wish they were sweet to each other all of the time, but sometimes they are not.  So I sat down on the floor outside of Carrington's bedroom and listened to both sides of the story.  I asked Carrington what she did wrong to cause the fight.  Then I asked Clayton what he did wrong to cause the fight.  Then I asked each of them to tell me how they could have handled it better.  Parenting can be a tiring and sometimes aggravating job,  but it is so important that we stop and try to deal with our children when they are being selfish, mean, disobedient, etc.  Those things are even more important than doing laundry, fixing lunch, or getting a Math lesson done.  We can't just "make" our kids behave well on the outside.  We have to work on their hearts.  We have to teach them why it's not good to be selfish.  We have to encourage them to be obedient out of a love for  God and a love for their parents.  Parenting is definitely a matter of the heart.  I often pray with my kids that God would fill us with the Holy Spirit and give us the Fruit of the Spirit.  I need to keep praying that prayer  :o)  
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23



This is an awesome parenting book!  You can get it at http://www.amazon.com/.  It gives you tools on how to help your kids with heart  issues, and not just about making your kids behave well on the outside.  It gives some really great examples of things you can say to your kids in different situations to help them see their selfishness.  I have highlighted quite a bit in this book and have gone back to it several times to read different parts of it again.  It has helped me to see that when I as a parent speak harshly or yell at my children, it only aids in damaging the relationship with my children.  My goal as a parent is for my children to be motivated by a love and respect for their parents, but especially a love for God, and not out of fear.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I found these heart-shaped balloons at Hobby Lobby.......one of my FAVORITE stores.

I need to tell my children that when they are holding balloons, they are supposed to smile!







A picture from our Blizzard of 2011.


Ephesians 3: 14 - 21
"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
 Amen indeed!  I love these verses!

Random happenings

Museum of Natural History

Clayton loved the dinosaurs.

My whole bathroom ended up wet.

Giving the dog a bath.

Clayton was very impressed that Warren can do push-ups with someone on his back.

Clayton was supposed to be doing Math and this is what I found.