Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween

Hope Everyone Has a.......

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Details of all our fun Halloween festivities to follow tomorrow....  Let's Just Say My Husband is VERY Creative and AMAZING!!  Be on the Look Out...........

Friday, October 28, 2011

School Halloween Party 2011

WOW! Olivia has grown up SO much from last year's Halloween party... It's so crazy how fast time flies by... I just wish she could stay the age she is now forever. She is so sweet/mean/funny all in one and it's the BEST! She was a "Wild West Cutie Cowgirl" for her school Halloween party... Check Her Out she even had a horse :) 












She makes life SO much FUN!! We are so proud of you Olivia!! 

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Priceless

Just wanted to share these piece of priceless art.. Olivia made it for daddy and says, for daddy's coffee!! SO sweet! Best looking coffee mug around!

Cardinal's Fan





GOOOO CARDINALS!! 
Cardinals Vs Rangers World Series 2011












Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Character Makeover: Contentment

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
                                                                                      Philippians 4:12
"If i can get _________ perfect, I will live happily ever after..." Perfect Beauty, Body, House, Children..

Contentment is NOT earned; it's LEARNED.

Content- is a state of satisfaction that is independent of circumstances, and we learn contentment by TRUSTING in Christ, who gives us STRENGTH. 
Contentment is a sense of satisfaction in God that doesn't go away because of what you lack, how you're hurt, or where you're stuck.

The Practice of Contentment: THANKFULNESS
- Give Thanks for what you have. "Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything" (Ephesians 5:20)
- Give Thanks for what occupies your time during the day. "And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father" (Colossians 3:17)
- Give Thanks for your circumstances "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Envy is defined as "a feeling of discontent and resentment aroused by the desire to have the possessions or qualities or success of another"

Envy is such a common, pervasive problem that God started and ended the Ten Commandments on this critical theme:

Commandment #1 "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3)
Commandment #10 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male/female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor" (Exodus 20:17

Envy's favorite: The Comparsion Game
Envy's Ego Driven Bumper Sticker:  It's ALL about ME
Envy's Theme Song: "I want it ALL"

Cure for the "I want it ALL syndrome":
1. God is able to give me anything I ask
2. So, I ask.
3. Now there are three possibilities that can occur. 
        -If I get it, It's because God knows it would be good for me to have.
        -If i dont get it, it's because God knows it wouldn't be good for me to have.
        -If i get something different, it's becasue God knows what I need better than I do.
4. So, I can trust in God to give me what i need.

Just Remember the Quote "The Grass is GREENER on the other SIDE".... ACTUALLY.. The Grass is GREENER whereever the GRASS IS WATERED :) Think About It.....

God is GOOD... Life is GOOD..... Seek GOD and He will keep his promises to YOU.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Weekend Full Of Fun. I LOVE this time of Year!

We had an awesome weekend.  Friday night Jeff's parent's came into town and we all went out to eat dinner at our FAVORITE place in the world Nakato. Olivia is going to be an expensive date we've already trained her to LOVE sushi :) Beware Boys! She also LOVES salad more than any kid i've ever seen in my life. She was a blast at the table and had everyone laughing.
Saturday was Olivia's annual Field Trip to the pumpkin patch. We enjoyed some animals (Olivia actually fed the pig out of her hand, which was SO shocking), picked out a pumpkin, and just hung out with some of her friends from school.


Didn't want to touch it she said "yucky" because it was wet! 





We let Olivia take a nap and did some shopping! Olivia and Daddy got new boots. They were both SO excited!! We ended the night with pizza and games with Jeff's parents, Brother, and Hannah. SO much FUN!

Check out her NEW boots! SO CUTE!

Sunday Funday we went to church this morning and it was so good! I LOVE our CHURCH! If you are in the Springfield area and need a church DC is AMAZING! We went to lunch with the family had wings, boys got to watch the football game, and us girls got to chat. Did a little looking around at Big Lots and took it easy the rest of the day.


Olivia has enjoyed her present from daddy. Jeff brought a trampoline with pink covering on the sides on Thursday and she has been a jumping machine. How cute is this!




Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!! I will post my weekly lesson from last week tomorrow the lesson was "Contentment" and I thought it was a very good lesson.



Sunday, October 16, 2011

Girl's Night In

This weekend has been a blast! Friday night we just hung out at home and played with Olivia. Saturday was a day full of fun for Olivia and I. We went and checked on my soccer games for work, did some yard sales, had Wendy's for lunch, and let daddy go into Lowe's to check out some stuff for "Trunk or Treat" which will be happening in two weeks and we have to start getting our stuff made. After a long nap for Olivia and some mommy time of going to tan and going to a consignment shop to look for Olivia some new jeans since she is growing too tall for hers we went and picked up two of our favorite girls Anna and Kate.
These girls belong to one of my boss's at work and they are long time friends of mine. I've been watching the oldest one since she was Olivia's age... and now she's in 1st grade!! (Time Flies) We headed to the park and played for about 2 hours headed home where all the fun began. Pizza, sugar cookies *with lots of icing*, baths, movies, and painting nails... SO. MUCH. FUN!! I LOVE little girls they are SO much fun.  Here's some photos of the eventful night we had....




















Thursday, October 13, 2011

Character Makeover: Patience

God expects us to be patient. 

The bible uses two different words for "patience" One refers to the patience of waiting under difficult circumstances, and the other is more of a long-suffering type of effort with difficult people. If we really think about it the Bible is all about waiting... 
God's timetable is definitely different from ours, and the process of waiting is a God-ordained experience that he uses to prepare us for what he has in store. 

Wilderness Waiting can occur after both terrible lows (crises or tragedies) or great highs (spiritual victories).  Wildernesses are not pleasant places. The natural reaction we find ourselves doing is to complain, get confused, and lose faith.  If we get our bad attitude and lose faith that's when it gets prolonged and more drawn out. 

Complaining makes you more miserable. (Also makes the ones around you more miserable)
Confusion leads to despair
Losing Faith gets you stuck. 

We need to learn to relax in the wilderness... Once you open yourself up to what God wants to do for you in this place. And believe it or not, God can use the wilderness as a place of nurturing. 

3 Ways God Nurtures us in the Wilderness:
      1. God Meets You
      2. God Refreshes You - Gives us a break, slow things down, give us space to restore our souls, or get back on our feet again. 
      3. God Grows You- Growing something in you. Trying to show you that he is more concerned with your character walk while you wait in the desert than in expediting the end of the situation. 

I believe the reason the wilderness waiting takes longer than we think it should is so he can prepare us for what he has next after the wilderness.  He needs us to stay there long enough to grow our trust in HIM. 

Anatomy of Impatience

-Do you stop and pray?
-Do you blame and label the person who is irritating you?
-Do you feel sorry for yourself?
-Do you hit or throw or shake something?

When you dissect impatience we find it's rooted in blocked desires, when someone disagrees with us (getting at our pride), and when we don't get our way (which is self-centeredness), when we're too tired or hungry (that's the fallout from lack of self-control), and when we're over sensitive (that's back to ego).

Patience when the Wilderness Remains SILENT


-Often , int he wilderness, the only result we get from all our prayers is God's silence, which can be rather unnerving. Sometimes God is silent because he is quietly waiting until we're ready for his answer. He may not be waiting to give us what exactly we asked for, but waiting to give us more than we could ever imagine.

God will Provide.


How to be patient with Irritating People


-Give them Understanding
     "Those who are patient have great understanding, but the quick-tempered display folly."
                                                                                                          Proverbs 14:29
You think you can figure out someone else's motives; You Can't.
     -No one can know what anyone is really thinking except that person alone.

-You think someone's words mean the same thing you would mean if you said them.
    The more you understand the more patient you become.
    You can't know others' motives until they reveal them, and you can't know what theymean until they clarify them. Two Steps to understanding people better: 1. Ask clarifying questions, such as: What did you mean by that? How are you feeling? Is there something else you're wanting me to hear? What do you need from me right now? Why do you feel that way? 2. Listen to the answers. Really LISTEN. Don't speak before the other person has had a chance to clarify his/her motives and meaning.
                               "To answer before listening---that is folly and shame"
                                                                                  Proverbs 18:13
-Give them a Break
     "Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love"
                                                                                              Ephesians 4:2

Just Remember: You have bad days too, and God accepts You.

Jumping the Gun


Jumping the Gun is what we do when delays are making us nervous or the decision isn't clear.

"Don't just do something; Stand There!"
"Count the Cost"
"God is not a God of Confusion"

Our first impulse to act can something be seriously flawed, and it is waiting that clarifies what we should do.
If your panicking and think you dont have peace about a decision, JUST PAUSE, PONDER, and PRAY!!

Patient people stop before they Jump the Gun, and they rely on GOD.  Patient people also go slow enough to love others along the way, so they're less likely to Indulge in their pet peeves.

Pet Peeves- are really nothing more than minor, unannounced inconveniences and annoyances that are beyond our control. These irritations block our agenda, causing us to get easily irked. The more impatient you are, the more pet peeves you will notice in your life.
The secret to not indulging them is to learn to let go of your agenda, your preferences, and your expectations-yes at a moments notice!

Learn to see your pet peeves as God's reminder signals--his little nudges to get you to love someone who doesn't deserve it, to do something kind, to learn patience, or (if all else fails) to get you to talk to him about your ATTITUDE :)



Here is some scriptures for patience if this is an area you struggle or you are in the wilderness and need some time to just talk with God and be in his word:

Psalm 37:7-9
Psalm 40:1
Psalm 86:15
Romans 8:24-25
Romans 12:12
Romans 15:4-5
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
Galatians 6:9
Colossians 3: 12-13
Hebrews 6:12
1 Thessalonians 5:14
James 1: 19-20
James 5 7-8
Revelation 14:12

I'm still working on these verses and a good way to help you out during the day if you need the extra boost.. I have some scriptures on my bathroom mirror and random places I know I look at during the day examples by the sink where you get ready, in the car, at your desk at work. It really makes you stop an think and read it and gives you some time to just talk to God. 

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!! :) 

Friday, October 7, 2011

Olivia's 2 Year Pictures

Okay.. It's true I have the CUTEST little girl in the WORLD!
-Olivia's 2 Year Old Pictures-

























Some of my favorites of the 73 I have on a CD! Thank You Jenna Todd for your AWESOME photography skills!! :) You ROCK!!