Weekend Wrap-up

This past weekend was "boys away, so the girls will play." Gary took Andrew and Wesley out camping for two nights. They love the dirt and the fishing and the tent. When they got home, I cleaned out the backpack to do the laundry and noticed that there was not much to wash. I asked Andrew, and found out that they slept in their clothes and just woke up and kept moving through out the day. I guess they changed once; things must have gotten very dirty :)

Brooke and I had a relaxing weekend enjoying our "girl's time." We went shopping and out to dinner on Friday. On Saturday, Brooke decided to pitch her tent in my bedroom, so she camped out there and watched a movie. You see the animals enjoyed a nice dinner as well.

I took pictures of the dirty boys when they got home, but the pictures do not do justice to the amount of dirt that was seen close up. Wherever your weekend found you, I hope it was a good one!

Fireproof

I know I blogged about this movie rather recently, but I am just reminding you: the movie is released this weekend. Take someone to see it :) If you cannot, then at least pray that God will work through this movie in the lives of individuals and marriages that have no hope outside of Jesus Christ. Pray that people will understand the message so clearly presented. I am passionate about this because it stands for two things that I am most passionate about: 1) God and 2) my family. Our church has bought a large amount of tickets and are giving them away to people in Ventura, particularly a condominium complex across the street from our church.

Brooke is doing her schoolwork

Four weeks ago, I started home-schooling Brooke. I have ordered the kindergarten material from A Beka, and we are working through it. She loves doing her school work. Each day when I get home from school (about 1:00), she says, "Ok, mommy, let's do school now." Gary and I are not totally decided if she will be ready for first grade next year or not. Her birthday is late (mid-December) and the CA cut-off is December 1. She can go to first grade next year if she is ready. That is what this school year is all about----determining if she is socially, mentally, and academically ready for school. So far, she is doing good! I have gotten different feedback from different people and would love to hear any of your comments, particularly if you have a "late" birthday experience. I often consider: "Do I want Brooke to be the youngest one in her class (the last one to drive a car) or the oldest one in her class (like she failed or something)?" I have no guess as to the future, so we are just taking one day at a time. The verdict will come next May :)

We are working through the vowels----A, I, U, and this week, E. She asked me last night, "How many vowels are there, mom?" She seemed pleased that there was just one remaining. She knows the alphabet, so I am sure she can figure out that there must be 21 other letters too.

My Bible Study group is back

If you have read my blog for long, you have realized how much I love my Bible studies and my Bible study group. We meet in the fall for 10-12 weeks and then again in the spring for another series. And, we always do Beth Moore studies. Her studies are awesome in depth studies of God's Word. Once again, I recommend any Christian lady to encourage her church/friends to start a group like this.

Well, we started our new series on Thursday. It had been a long day, and I was particularly tired, but I knew nothing would stop me from being there on that first night. As I was driving with a friend, she said the same thing. "I can't wait to get back; it's like a spiritual high."

I just wanted to share some of my favorite thoughts and hope they can be an encouragement to you. The series is called "Living Beyond Yourself" and focuses on the fruits of the Spirit. Beth mentioned how she knew God's timing would be
right for this study in each lady's life. I am so glad to be studying this topic. So many times I feel like I am in a situation that I don't know what to do----it is beyond me. I realized that this is when we can live beyond ourself; we live in the Spirit.

Here are my favorite thoughts from Thursday night:

1. Life shouldn't just be bearable; it should be full
of joy.

2. As a Christian, you have the privilege to be different. View it as such, and take joy in being different.

3. We are all called to "exclamation mark" living. Make your life one big exclamation mark!!!!!!!

This last thought really struck me hard because I was always taught to live for God, and I teach my children to live for God. However, it is meant to be more than that.

4. Don't just live for God. Let Him live through you.

Here's to living a life that is full, a life that is an exclamation mark on my world, and a life that is beyond what I can do myself. Beth concluded by saying, "If you are not doing something right now that you cannot handle on your own, something that you could not do without Him and His strength, then you are not full of the Spirit."

This is something we all have to see!