Financial Peace

Some time ago I attended a seminar by Dave Ramsey called Financial Peace University. After dwelling on it for months and months, Sara and I have re-visited the course. We have decided that we no longer want to be slave to the lender! We are diving head first into this program, TOGETHER! We have decided that our status symbol of choice will no longer be the fancy SUV or designer brand name clothing, but instead the paid off home mortgage. If all goes as planned, we will be totally debt free years ahead of schedule. We have a great support system in place, and friends who have successfully completed this program and can attest to its ability to change a family tree. Wish us luck and keep us in prayer. We are going to live like no one else so that later in life we can live like no one else. We are going to live like no one else so later in life we can give like no one else. We challenge you to accept the adventure as well!

Slow Fade

I have been thinking a lot of this song the last couple of days. I talked to some friends tonight about our home school decision and I think this song really sums it up for us. The world is slowly fading from the foundations of our founding fathers and we are becoming desensitized by what is happening around us everyday by accepting what society wants us to as normal. Jeff are refusing to stand back and watch the world desensitize Liv, Josh and Nate from their innocence as for the reason for home schooling them.  (PS: thanks for dinner Nicky- love ya)

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for     someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:8-9

Slow Fade by Casting Crowns

She Did What She Could

I am reading a book for the upcoming banquet weekend that has really challenged me, She Did What She Could by Elise Morgan. Here is just a little glimpse of it...

Jesus said these words about Mary after she anointed him with oil. — “She did what she could.” Not everything, not more than most, just, simply, what she could. And Jesus loved her for it. What if we lived our faith that way? What if we responded to the need before us — in the moment — with an everyday action? In the front yard, at the market, on an airplane. 

It has really put into perspective to look for the God moments in my life by serving no matter how big or small the need is.

Have a blessed day and look for God moments right before you.

Schooling

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Deuteronomy 6:6-7

 Dearest family and friends,
Jeff and I have been in great prayer since September about the the kids education. Without hearing a clear word from Him, we decided last fall that the following year we would enroll them in school. However, we continued to pray asking if this was His will and we both feel that is not His plan. In our hearts we feel uneasy about sending them as we have seen the success they have had here at home. To be totally honest I have not felt at peace about sending them since praying about it since September. But after we both agreed and feel that this is His will to continue home schooling, I have peace again that can only be from Him. The verse above is one I have stood upon since we first decided to do this and I still feel that this is the way He wants us to raise our children. I know if I send them to school we will no longer have the say as what they learn and our goal has always been to teach them from a classical and creationist point of view which stands on God's truths. I don't want them getting a mixed signal from the textbooks they would be getting at school from God's actual truth. I am so amazed at how when Olivia sees something in public about being millions of years old she speaks right up and says that it is impossible since there was no world then. Because of the education she is getting at home she is all ready seeing God in other areas of her life. I don't think this would have happened if she was not being educated in His truths everyday. 
Jeff and I ask for your continued support in our decision (for we feel it is really His decision) and your encouraging words and prayers are always appreciated. 
Love, Sara 

"I believe it would be much better for everyone if children were given their start in education at home. No one understands a child as well as his mother, and children are so different that they need individual training and study. A teacher with a room full of pupils cannot do this. At home, too, they are in their mother’s care. She can keep them from learning immoral things from other children.”

~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Happy B-Day Josh

Today we celebrated Josh's 6th birthday. I can't believe he"s all ready six. Where does the time go? How I love his sweet heart, and the way he is so caring to others. We celebrated his day by taking him to the Children's Museum and then headed over to the toy store so he could spend his birthday money. Happy birthday our little boy.

100th day of school

It was a special day for school today...100th day of  enjoying and surviving smiles, tears, joys, perseverance, prayers, struggles,I can's, I cant's, drama, success, building self esteem, fits, bonding, motivation, hugs, kisses and in the end knowing we will produce a harvest if we do not give up. It is moments like today that I realize how much I really enjoy doing this and knowing ,for the time, we are truly answering His call for our family. 

Whose 100 is longer? Josh's 100 links beat Liv's 100 cubes.

Making 100th day of school crowns.

Making necklaces from 100 Fruit Loops.

Nathan making his own necklace. I think he only got about 10 on and ate the rest.

Can we eat them mom?

100 kisses! They put lipstick on (yes, Josh too) and made 100 kisses.

Writing about what they would do if they had $100. That was interesting.

Weighing things up to 100. Liv and Josh together weigh exactly 100.

Stamping in groups of 10 to 100.

Making mosaics out of 100 pieces of macaroni.

 

 

 

 

Digging us out........

Some of the blocks of snow the boys dug out were as much as 8"-10" thick by a couple feet wide!

Jake moving some heavy blocks of snow

Some of the blocks of snow were as wide as Jake is tall

Sara had me stand in this pic, though I did very little to contribute. The boys had most of the work done before  I even knew they were here.

A pic of the blocks of snow the boys moved off the sidewalk

The snow and ice had left a mess of our sidewalk. It was so solid that I couldn't even break into it yesterday. While I was playing with the kids this afternoon, Sara saw Matt and Jake outside working on our sidewalk. I couldn't believe that they were able to break through and move those huge sheets of snow and ice! Some were 8"-10" thick and a couple feet wide! Before I even knew the boys were here they had most of the work done for us. We are very proud of our very hard working brothers!!!!!

Mexico Trip

I just thought I would let anyone who has been praying for our church who is in Mexico know that God is doing big things. The ranch just found out that they are getting 5 more kids which means they need more room. Ted ,from our church, felt like God was telling him to just get it done before leaving Saturday. So yesterday they put a lot of other projects on hold and started building the extra room. They poured the concrete yesterday and started on the walls today. I can't wait to hear their stories. It even gives me the itch to go next time. Please continue to keep them in your prayers. 
What is impossible with man is possible with God.  Luke 18:27

You can check out their pics. at       http://fishersofmenmexico.blogspot.com/

47 days

My geranium in the sunroom is really teasing me. It has a beautiful bloom on it right now just making me realize even more how much I'm missing the warm weather (it doesn't help sleet is pounding on the window as I type this). I keep telling myself just 47 days until Spring!!!