Visiting the Forney House and Maternity Shopping with Littles

Yesterday the children and I headed to Forney early in the morning. The buyer's inspection was taking place so we had to have the utilities turned on for it, and apparently someone has to be present to let the techs in for various reasons.

The children were super excited to go to the "Forney House" since neither of them really remembered what it looked like! Their energy and excitement about drove me crazy, but it is what it is... you know? Lol! My mom came to meet me when she got off work, and we planned to go to the maternity store at the mall when we were finished.

As it turns out, we waited around for the gas man until noon for no reason because the gas was already on, but on the bright side, we don't have to pay the full reconnect fee. Praise the Lord!!

So off to the mall we went...

I quickly learned that Corbin isn't a shopper, Hayden can say the most inappropriate things when you are shopping because she doesn't realize those things might embarrass her mother, and Elijah just doesn't like to sit in the stroller. We don't go shopping much so, yes, it's taken me this long to figure all this out. :)

We were in Motherhood all of about 10 minutes (our very first store, mind you) when Corbin begins loudly saying, "Mommy, please don't go take all your clothes off to try that on! I'm ready to go..." Then Hayden busts out equally as loud, "Mommy! You need these panties (maternity panties) because they are SO much looonnnnnggger..." Let me just say that I am thoroughly glad the only lady in that store other than my mom, at the time, was the employee. Luckily, she thought it was cute and just laughed. All the while, Elijah is very unhappy to be in his stroller so Mom rolled him into the dressing room with me. The only problem with that is that they have curtains rather than a door and he continued to pull them aside so he could also see Mimi. Lol! I'm laughing rethinking all these events (although I don't recall laughing at the time). You're probably laughing too... especially if you've ever taken little ones shopping with you!

Before we could get to the check-out counter, Corbin was pleading to leave the "panty store" and Hayden had commenced to see just how the nursing pads fit her.

All this to say, after Mom was finished in JCPenny, I was ready to leave the mall with only two stores under our belt. My children needed a nap and I was ready to take advantage of the hour drive home. Lol!

Whew! What a day... fabulous memories made, though. :)

Forney House Update...



What a journey it has been up to this point, but we have finally agreed on a sales price with a buyer for our house in Forney! We should be receiving "official contract" paperwork today to be signed... yay! :)

We are at the tale-end of three months with it on the market, and while we thought we would just prayerfully wait on a buyer, the Lord had a different plan for us. I'm not really sure why I am continually surpirsed that the Lord shows up big in the final hour, but time and again, this seems to be the case for us.

Through waiting, praying, listening, fasting, praying, waiting, and praying... and waiting... and praying (you getting the picture?), God had to bring us to a place where we were content with letting this house go and not taking much away from it, financially speaking. This is fitting considering we convinced ourselves that this house would be a "great investment and allow us to someday sell it, profitting more from this property than we did the last." Apparently that was part of the justification we used to disobey what God really wanted for us.

I admit, God moved us to a better place (spiritually) while we were in Forney! It was a needed transition. We got back involved in a church body after years of being 'homeless', gained much-needed fellowship (outside the church walls), developed a hunger for the Word and His Truth, and made WONDERFUL friendships who, through their growth in the Lord as well, have been faithful to love and cover us in their prayers (Thanks guys! We cherish your friendship and brotherhood more than you know!!)

However, this house was, deep down, a desire for more things 'worldly'... a bigger house, more pristine neighborhood, etc. Oh the joys of chasing the Joneses!! (I hope you can sense my sarcasm.) The pursuit, we found, is exhausting, never-ending, and not as fulfilling as we expected it to be! We chose to sacrifice precious time together as a family so Dwight could work long hours to provide us with this luxury. Praise the Lord, He spoke loudly to our heart-needs! We are forever grateful for His wisdom and pursuit of our attention.

The same day our two-year contract ended with our tenants, some very special friends stopped by the house to lay hands on it, praying for God's miracle to take place. He apparently found them faithful, and in His perfect timing, already had this buyer on his way over to view the house for a second time. That evening he submitted his offer.

Now, about six weeks ago, some buyers submitted an offer pretty comparable to this guy's, but we were not in a content place, spiritually, to accept it. So our gracious Father had to take us on a journey of 'letting go' so we could get to that place. LOL! I can laugh now... but trust me, it didn't always feel like a laughable moment getting there. Faithful obedience isn't always fun, but the joy it reaps on the other side is beyond comparison!

And just when I think we've learned that lesson, God gives us another opportunity to walk in it with confidence in Him... (spoiler) We don't always pass the test the first time around! Living out our faith has been an amazing journey. One of growth, and stretching, and pain, and joy... of abundant adventure, and letting go of ourselves for the sake of Christ... But more than anything? It's one I wouldn't trade for all the things this world can offer us!

Recouping with Imagination

Yesterday was apparently too much for this pregnant momma to handle! I baked fresh bread, made a batch of homemade yogurt, cleaned my bathroom, and completed roughly four loads of laundry. I was on my feet most of the day, and even though I put my supportive tennis shoes on, my feet were KILLING me halfway through the day!!

So, today... I'm recouping. No formal school assignments for us. Just basic chores such as dishes and yes, laundry from yesterday. Other than that, we're reading books and playing outside. Speaking of which, my children have been trying to recreate Roxaboxen lately... too cute! I tried to capture some pictures of them in action today *sly grin* (and yes, I participated) :)

Corbin has a restaurant... He's selling Hayden macaroni and cheese (go figure!)

I ordered a cup o' tea :)

Hayden went for apple juice

My tea got stolen... like usual

This is their serving counter?? I believe it was tea, apple juice, and crackers... Yes, everything has been burned. They went digging for treasure. Only theirs was extra crispy instead of desert glass, lol.

 Apparently, Corbin is also grounds keeper. He's airing up the tires on his mower so he can take care of the lawn...

And filling it with gas... ahem, I mean grass :)

Look out! There's been a raid... Corbin (aka Prince Caspian) is wearing his "warrior face"

And Hayden I mean, 'Susan' (The Fierce?) That's a bow, but she's showing it off like a shot gun... LOL!

 

"Run 'Susan'... 'Caspian' is after you!" (I'm not really sure when they switched from Roxaboxen to Chronicles of Narnia, but it was all happening so fast, I was just trying to capture the pictures. :)

Everyone should read this book to their children! This book is the re-creation of a city that was birthed out of the imaginations of children many years ago. There is a park in Yuma, Arizona you can visit, even today, where Roxaboxen lives on for the generations to enjoy.

*Please note: No children (or Mommies) were harmed in the use of their imaginations today! :)

My Testimony Is Still Being Written...

What a treasure to sit in a living room with sweet, young, moldable hearts and share what God has created as my 'testimony' so far. Rest assured... My testimony is still being written! I feel alive and growing... overflowing with nutrients at this point... being stretched, in a way, as new fruit begins to develop underneath.

I wish I could recount all the wonderful things God poured from my lips last night, but I simply can't remember. Dwight says those are the best times! "You know it was Spirit-led when you can't remember, because it wasn't you speaking at all." (I just adore his encouragement!) :)

I do know, that everything just felt right during that time. I am humbled that after all the messes I've made through the years, He still WANTS to use me to bring others to Him. He is still creating a testimony in me... one that continues to grow and change... gaining more depth of His beauty, grace, tender mercies and compassion for the hearts of His created ones. I am thankful the Lord is redeeming the time I traded in for the world!

Thank you for your prayers... They were felt! :)

Ministry Opps & House Update

I'm about to head out to share with some 'young women' for a Titus 2 ministry a friend of mine is leading at her church. I'm excited... anxious... (and to borrow from Fox and the Hound 2) as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockers! LOL

I thought I was ready, but at the last minute was kind of asked to share about something I hadn't planned. So I asked the Lord this morning to clarify what HE wanted me to share. He gave me a couple other passages that tie in the majority of what I had already felt led to share... so I go prayerfully!

Lord, let me speak only the words You have for these ladies! Let my speech be gracious and seasoned with salt. Set a guard over my lips that I may only speak Your words & not my own. Give me boldness to share Your truth with love and tender mercy...

Please pray with me as I step out in faith for what may be the beginning of ministering to other women. *If you don't know what I'm referring to, see my previous post about the Lord telling me about this ministry opportunity.

On a side note...

We just got a call from our realtor. We have an offer on the house, praise the Lord! We haven't decided if we will accept or counter back. Stay tuned for more updates on closing this chapter of our lives! :)

Guarding the Deposit

You know how when you're pregnant, you're so cautious about what you take in... the things you eat, not drinking too much caffiene, not eating too much salt... or sugar, trying to not inhale second-hand smoke, and so on?

As a Christian, with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, shouldn't we be the same way? Shouldn't we be just as cautious about the things we allow into our hearts and minds... the things we watch, listen to, the people we allow to speak into our lives, the counsel we seek, etc.?

Now I'm not necessarily speaking about foods. Jesus himself said:

 "Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person... Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes through the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person." - Matthew 15:10, 17-20a

The apostle Paul gives us a guide, or filter if you will, for us to use in determining whether or not something is benefical for us and our walks with Christ.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me- practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." - Philippians 4:8-9

 I like to use this guide for myself and my family. I admit, there are times when something seems to fall through the cracks, but thankfully God extends grace and forgiveness in time of repentance!!

Oh that I would be just as cautious about protecting the Holy Spirit within me as I am about the growing baby in my womb!

"The good person out of the treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." - Luke 6:45

  

Endurance

I'm reading Seasons of a Mother's Heart by Sally Clarkson right now with some of ladies in the home school group I'm a part of. In this book she corrolates the four different seasons of a year with the different season of life we go through as mothers. I just finished reading the last chapter of the winter section entitled Enduring with Grace. While I thought I was ready to move on to the spring section of this book on the heels of Sally's conference, because my cup is overflowing with excitement about cultivating and nurturing growth in my children's lives, the Lord had a different plan... naturally. :)

This chapter on endurance was exactly what I needed to hear, and what do you know... the perfect timing for it too!... Thank you, Father, that You know what I need better than I do... I would like to highlight some of the wonderful encouragement I gleaned from Sally's book today.

"When strong winds buffet a tree, it develops strong fiber and relies on its deep root system to withstand storms. This is how we develop fortitude, persistence, and the strength of heart that enable us to meet adversity, pain, and persecution... There is no greater challenge, no higher calling than to persist in the things of God."

-William & Nancie Carmichael in Lord Bless My Child

"...if I am doing the will of God by choosing to homeschool my children, then I need to endure. If I throw away my confidence in God- the confidence that he will work in my life and in the lives of my children- then I am throwing away the rewards God wants to give me for doing his will. When I feel like giving up, I may think what I need is divine deliverance, when what I really need is endurance."

"For the Christian, endurance is bearing up under the weight of persecution, difficulties, or suffering. Although that may sound like gutting it out, true biblical endurance is never just a passive or meaningless exercise. It is always forward-looking. It always has in view a desirable end, a worthy goal, or a divine reward. Biblical endurance is active and purposeful."

"I knew deep in my heart that God designed me, as a mother, to be at home with my children. To even think of settling for something else would be to step out of his will. No matter how difficult the homeschooling lifestyle might become, my commitment was to do God's will, not my own. Even though I could selfishly choose an "easier" lifestyle, I would have to disobey God to do so. I know in my heart that God has called me to homeschool and that there is no turning back, no matter what today or the future holds."

"We don't much like the word today, but during the Victorian era "duty" was a valued virtue. To perform one's duty meant that a person did what he was supposed to do because it was the right thing to do, regardless of his feelings or the personal cost associated with that duty... In a sense, endurance is the duty of living by faith. It is doing what I should do, regardless of how I feel or what it costs, because it is what God wants me to do... I don't know exactly what lies ahead of me in this life, or even how my children will turn out, but I know with certainty what my duty is before God. Despite the certainty of difficulties and struggles along the way, I must faithfully endure. If I do, I will find, at the end of this path called life, the God who has faithfully walked with me every step of the way. And then I will see the eternal fruit of my faith."

This chapter for me is more than just a band-aid... it's not even a soothing sauve... rather more like the peroxine you put on a cut before you try to protect it. These words go deep into so many feelings and thoughts I've been struggling with internally. They are, in essence, cleaning out the dirty, ugly thoughts and feelings that began to infest my heart... toward homeschooling... toward my children... toward myself and my inabilities. Sally's transparency and encouragement have helped me to see that my struggles of late have been a buffet of lies Satan has offered me to feast on.

I could really keep quoting her... probably just type out the entire chapter, but I don't want to ruin it for you. You should read it for yourself because the Lord may have something in it just... for... you!

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."

 - 1 Corinthians 15:58