The Not So Pretty

I don't use this blog to go into detail about when my children are disobedient or to vent when Jason does things that make me really mad. I figure I wouldn't want someone airing my dirty laundry for others to read, so I am not going to air theirs.

However, I genuinely hope that when others check in that they don't get the impression our family is perfect. We aren't. I am definitely not. So, I thought today that I'd let you read my journal entry from my quiet time with the Lord from this morning.

Feb 17, 2011
Lord God,
I am frustrated and finding myself angry. Even angry at You, to be honest. I don't get the prayer thing all too often. I know you aren't a genie in a bottle or Santa Clause, but I do wonder sometimes if prayer makes any difference. It's scary to write these words of my heart down-- almost like I am waiting for lightening to strike. But I know that you know my heart and thoughts anyways. And I know that the best thing to do is to come to You, even when it isn't pretty.

God, we need our house to sell or lease SOON. If you want me to move on and settle in, I need a place where I can do that.

I'm struggling to hear your voice, to expereince Your joy. Please listen to the cries of my heart.

My Bible reading- Matthew 1:1-17 A record of Jesus' ancestors which include:

• heroes of the faith
• but those heroes also included liars, a murderer, and those that showed partiality
• the ordinary
• a prostitute
• foreigners
• the evil

"God's work in history is not limited by human failures or sins, and he works through ordinary people. Just as God used all kinds of people to bring his Son into the world, he uses all kinds today to accomplish His will. And God wants to use you." (commentary from my Life Application Bible study)

"Abundant life is not something to work for, but rather is something to be worked from." (Michael Wells, Sidetracked in the Wilderness)

I had just stopped in the parking lot of a local church on my way home from taking Reese to MDO. As I looked out my window I saw a bunch of tall trees. It's winter and there isn't any type of life on them. I feel like what they look like: dead with no signs of life, ugly. Yet, as I thought about it. They were tall and the wind was blowing like crazy. Still, they didn't fall over which means they have deep roots. And while they don't have anything but dead leaves on them now, I know in another month or two they will be filled with beautiful green leaves. And while I can't see the oxygen they are giving off, I know they are.

So I wrapped up with this prayer:

Father, keep me rooted deep in You. Use me to breathe Your life into others. Please bring new life into my life, spiritually and emotionally (I added spiritually and emotionally bc I think Jase would wince thinking about me having a new life growing in me physically!) May your Spirit always move me. Please sell my house soon. Your child, Kimberly

Baby, It's Cold Outside

This is all I'm saying: 18 inches of snow, -12 degrees last night, and tomorrow will be the 9th day the girls have been off of school for snow since coming back from Christmas break.

Family Night

The move to Arkansas has been quite the transition. I still feel very much in limbo, which isn't the most comfortable of positions to be in. We still own our "vacation" home in TX; I don't know what I'll be doing up here job-wise, and we still live with the ever gracious in-laws.

However, one great addition to our family since moving up here has been family night. We have one night a week that everyone knows is set aside just for our family. Phones, computers, TVs are pushed aside. And we rotate who gets to plan it each week. I'll give you what we have done so far:

1.) bowling night (Laney)

2.) movie night at home....ordered pizza in and had an intermission filled with fun treats (Ashlyn)

3.) Movie night #2 which included breakfast for dinner in our pj's (Reese)

4.) Fun City- a pizza place with indoor putt-putt, arcades and play area (me)

5.) dinner out and then onto an art gallery (Papa D)

6.) roller-skating (Jason)

7.) game night...we even called neighbors who recently moved to the other side of town and asked if we could borrow their almost empty house for a couple of hours for a fantastic game of Nerf War! Then we came back home and played Cooties (as shown below) (MiMi)

This week we were back on Laney-bear. We had a Valentine's night. Our food was red and pink (lasagna and a pink fruit salad with pink lemonade). Laney then told us about the crafts and reminded us that Jesus is love.

Our first craft I found in one of my magazines. You'll see close-ups at the end of the post but here are my 3 loves showing off our pretty Valentine heart hanging:

Then we moved on to making bookmarks and Valentine's cards.

A few of the final products:

"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God.... God showed how much he loves us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love-- not that we loved God, but that He loves us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." I John 4:7, 9-10