Wednesday, June 29, 2011

A Week in the Life - Day Three

Terrific Tuesdays!

My weekday schedule is pretty much the same all week-the only difference (& it's a big one!) is whether or not I have Jax with me.

7:00-8:00 - Get everyone up and ready to go
8:00-9:00 - Jax & I head out the door to Shreveport.  On the way I listen to my fave radio morning show & Jax sleeps & eats breakfast.
9:00-1:00 - Work.  I use this term loosely for Tuesdays & Thursdays.  When I get to work I put Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on for Jax to enjoy so that I can frantically do any work that HAS to be done that morning.  I try to sneak in a short quiet time at this point.  I save all my car errands (any work I can get done by drive-thru:  banks, post office...) for Tues. Thurs. so that I can keep Jax moving and not bored!  We ride around Shreveport getting this work done.  Sometimes we make a stop for lunch, or at the bookstore.  This Tuesday Jax had a coupon from his birthday for a free Burger King Kid's Meal & it expired after this day, so we had to use it.  Lucky for Jax, the toy was an awesome Transformer!
1:00-4:00 - This time usually involves me trying my best to get Jax to take a nap (he's stopped!).  We sometimes go get a sno-cone during the last half of the day (about once a week) & enjoy it outside.  Thankfully, I can transfer the office phone to my cell phone so that we're not strapped down to the office.
4:00-5:00 - We head to Vivian. Jax usually falls asleep at this time while I listen to a book on CD and have some quiet time.
5:00-6:00 - On this particular day, I ran around like a crazy person!  I needed to cook supper & take a quick bath before meeting my friend at 6:15 for a photography class.  I started the water,  jumped in the bath, cooked spagetti, painted my toenails, ran to Walmart for a notebook & drink & rushed off to meet my friend.
6:00-9:00 - I'm taking a photography class this Summer with a bunch of friends.  It usually starts at 7:00, but I missed the first 2 classes, so I went early to try to catch up.  The class was lots of fun...there's a TON for me to learn though eek!  During my photography class, Dustie & Jax went over to a friends' house to hang out & eat supper (yes, after I frantically cooked for them) & Jax got to go fishing.
9:00 - the Dunns were home and relaxing & getting ready for bed!

What a grand day!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

A Week in the Life - Day Two

Here are the exciting events that make up our Monday:

7:00 - Wake up and get ready
8:00-9:00 - Drive to Shreveport.  During this time I listen to my favorite morning show while Jax sleeps/eats breakfast on-the-go.
9:00 - Drop Jax off at Mammaw's & go to work.  When I get to work, I check for any messages, then I do my Bible reading / Quiet Time stuff.  (I know, I have a great job!)
9:00-1:00 - Try to get as many things done for work as I can before I pick up Jax.
1:00 - Get Jax from Mammaw's (so that she can go do her visitation ministry)
1:00-4:00 - Try to work while also trying to keep Jax entertained.
4:00-5:00 - Drive to Vivian.  During this time I listen to a book on CD, worship music, & maybe have a little quiet time if Jax is asleep.  (Jax usually sleeps on the way home on Mondays b/c he fights his nap all day.)
5:00-6:30 - Jax may keep sleeping, while I get home, check the mail, pick up the house some, sometimes give Jax a bath & get ready to go to dinner at some friends' house.  (We have a standing family dinner time with them every Monday.  So fun & such a blessing on a working Mommy!)
6:30-9:30? - We go to our friends' house for dinner.  Time spent here varies, but it's usually all night.
9:30 - Get ready for & go to bed.

I am not one to hate Mondays.  After such busy Sundays, Mondays are usually very welcome!  Pretty great days indeed!

Monday, June 27, 2011

A Week in the Life - Day One

Some of my favorite bloggers are doing posts this week of what goes on everyday for the whole week. This may seem boring to some, but I would love to have a typical day recorded so that I can go back in the future and remember what life was like.

This is our typical Sunday:

7:30 - I wake up first to try to hurry and get ready before Jax wakes up.
8-8:30 - Wake Dustie & Jax up to get ready for church. While Dustie is getting ready, I get Jax dressed and feed him breakfast. That said, it's hard to know whether Jax will want breakfast. Some days he's really into it, some days he will have nothing of it. On this Sunday, we had some Mickey Mouse pancakes left from Saturday brunch.
9:00 - We go to church, drop Jax off at his Sunday School class, I go to mine, while D makes his rounds & prep for his sermon.
10:15-11:30/12 :) - Worship (music & sermon)
12:00 - We go to lunch. (Typically, we eat together as a family. We'll eat with friends or pick something up on the way home or go to a restaurant.) But this particular Sunday, I had a church wedding shower I was a hostess for, so I sent D & J to eat lunch at a friend's house (SO THANKFUL!) & I ran to Walmart to get an item for the shower I forgot, then back up to the church to prep & decorate.
2:00-4:00 - The guys nap. I host the shower.
4:30 - D back up to the church for meetings/sermon prep for the night service. I just stayed at the church b/c I have choir practice at this time.
6:00 - Worship. This particular Sunday, was the night for the Mission report from the people that went on our church-wide mission trip. (Awesome...)
7:00 - We usually go over to friend's houses, or D sometimes has more meetings, or we just go home if we're tired. During the Summer, our Youth go to a different church member's house each Sunday night for a fellowship time, so we went out to hang out with them.
9:00 - We were home & ready to get cleaned up, relax and go to bed!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Psalm 18

I love you, Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
And I have been saved from my enemies.
The cords of death entangled me;
The torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
The snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.
He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him-
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, LORD,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.
He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I am not guilty of turning from my God.
All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees.
I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin.
The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
the the blameless you show yourself blameless,
to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
You save the humble
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
You, LORD, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.
As for God, his way is perfect:
The LORD's word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
For who is God besides the LORD?
And who is the Rock except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great.
You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.
I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
I crushed them so that they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
You armed me with strength for battle;
you humbled my adversaries before me.
You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
They cried for help, but there was no one to save them-
to the LORD, but he did not answer.
I beat them as fine as windblown dust;
I trampled them like mud in the streets.
You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
you have made me the head of nations.
People I did not know now serve me,
foreigners cower before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
They all lose heart;
they come trembling from their strongholds.
The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Savior!
He is the God who avenges me,
who subdues nations under me,
who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.
He give his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,
to David and to his descendants forever.

Jax's Birthday Fun!

Last night we took Jax to Chuck E. Cheese for his family birthday dinner. It feels like we've been celebrating his birthday for forever since we had his party early, but he isn't complaining! We chose a Tuesday night so that it wouldn't be too crowded...just kidding! It was crazy!



Poor Jax...I told him he couldn't have cake yet.


It's a hard life...


Who knew CEC pizza is really good?!!



Mom & Jax gaming



Yummy Cookie Cake!


Now he's excited!


His favorite part-the ICING!


Delish!


Having fun!


We love Aunt Lauren & Hannah!


YAY!


Mickey Mouse instruments!


Here Mom.


CHOO CHOO MICKEY!
He's obsessed.


Great books!


The boy loves some books.


What a great time!


Friday, June 3, 2011

Decreasing

This is what's rocking my world lately:
http://shaungroves.com/2011/06/meeting-the-neighbors-next-door/

And these are the faces of some that need help: http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm?referer=80312

This is just one of the many ways God has been showing me that I need to decrease myself so that others may increase.

Lately Dustie and I have been devouring books: During April and May we went through Crazy Love & Forgotten God by Francis Chan, Christian Athiest & Weird by Craig Groeschel and The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. During that same span of time, we were full speed ahead in the planning process of building a house, as well as updating the one we live in now.

One night, after talking to a friend who would be our builder & even picking out the plans for our dream home, we drove home (about an hour drive) and listened to the end of Crazy Love. We weren't even finished with the book when the Holy Spirit convicted both of us & we knew that we weren't supposed to build this house right now. Chan was talking about how truly impoverished people live in tents w/ dirt floors, filthy water, etc. (well, just look at the pictures in Shaun Groves' blog) & here I am joking about how I'm just a "poor Pastor's Wife" who "needs" more than one bathroom and wants each of my babies to have their own cute little nursery. Can we say...CONVICTION!??! Talk about putting things into perspective!

I'm a little hesitant to even post this part b/c I do not want to be mistaken. Please don't think I'm saying it's bad to build a house, or that God doesn't want us to have nice things b/c that's not what I'm saying at all. In fact, I don't think that is true. I know that this is MY personal conviction at this time, and maybe one day, when our glorious 2 bedroom is bursting at the seams, it will be the right time to build. All of this was just a personal shove by the Holy Spirit to get me to WAKE UP! I have been SO consumed by a society telling me that we should live a certain way and my kids should have certain things and I believed it. I completely bought every word. Yes, I know my Bible says to not live like the world, but never did this concept of, "me going without so that others could have" fall on me so heavily. Ever since God opened my eyes to this, He has given me opportunity-after-opportunity to practice what He has shown me. Little-by-little, I think He is helping me to GET OVER MYSELF and focus more on others.

What does this look like for my family? Well, my sweet husband rarely WANTS anything & he is already living on budgeted amount each week. I'm more of the one with the WANTS, so this means, no extra Target trips to "see what they have." It doesn't matter if it's all from the dollar section! 30 dollars is 30 dollars! It means trying my hand at this crazy couponing thing (no, I'm not "extreme," nor will I ever have enough time to be "extreme," but every small bit helps). It means...*gasp!* my next baby will have to share a room with Jax! It means, we will wait till our kids are a little older before we refinish our hard wood floors. It means I don't get the newest name brand handbag or accessory. It means my child doesn't need 3 different bathing suits for this summer & he can even wear the 2 he had last summer since they still fit. It means, I need to learn to cook. It means dropping our Dish Network package to the basic channels-yeah, that's right, we got a package they "don't have." Anyways...you get the picture. All these small steps (I haven't really missed anything so far. I think they were just kinda my lifestyle habits.) are small things our family can do so that we can give a little more than our tithe, or sponsor a child overseas who needs shoes...or to EAT, or to bless others in any way that God may see fit.

Groeschel says, "The Church exists not for us, but for those who don't yet know Him. It is changing lives and the world. It loves radically, serves sacrificially and gives extravagantly." My prayer is that God would show His love to others through me and my family and my church.

This process of sanctification can sure rock my world sometimes. I think I'm doing awesome & God shows me another way to know Him more. I'm so thankful for it and I'm thankful that God loves me enough to change me and continue to work on me!

"He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30