Well, this week has been a great one! It has been extremely busy with visiting family, celebrating Christmas, and the birth of my new nephew, Hunter. But these last couple of days I have really been able to relax a little and spend some quality time with my girls. Today has been the first day, that I have felt I have needed "a break" because they decided to not nap at the same time. Needless to say, I have been pretty much a couch potato! The house has stayed somewhat cleaned and clothes have been washed, dried, and put up, but other than unpacking Abby & Lily's bag from Nanna and Poppy's house (Jennie and Gary - Adam's parents) I haven't had to do too much. Adam was off from his part-time job (Allstate Insurance Agent) on Christmas day and has had to work every day other than that. So, it's pretty much just been me and the girls. On Saturdays, Adam usually studies for his sermon for Sundays and does his touch-up on it. Today he decided to go to Cups on Flowood, which apparently had an influx of college-age bodies in there and was extremely loud. He usually has some things contemplating in his head about what he is going to preach on throughout the week and since he is an expository preacher (preaches in order in a book in the Bible), he pretty much knows where he is going the next weekend. He spent today wrapping up, what he thought would be, his last sermon at WhiteStone today. As he was coming home, I asked him to stop in Target to get some diapers for me, and he received a phone call from one of the elders in the church. This elder proceeded to tell Adam that he spoke to the owner of the location we are renting and he has decided to help us out and let us stay there for however long we needed to without paying rent!!!! HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!?!?! The day before we are suppose to have our last fellowship as a church, God decides to surprise us all and use this man to help out WhiteStone. So, you never know what the day will hold! All week, Adam and I have been trying to prepare ourselves and our minds for what tomorrow would look like and God goes and gives us a miracle! We have no idea what God has in store, but I am excited to see what happens! I am clenching on to and claiming Jeremiah 29:11 right now because only the Lord knows where this is going, because only He is able to do something this incredible. Adam and I are still trying to process everything. The question is now, what do we as a church do? Do we sit back and just keep going as is, or are we going to make a change, and are we willing to? God has kept us open for a reason, and my prayer for tomorrow's service is that God's presence be known and that we truly seek out what the Lord wants us to do and get up and start doing it. Things only get done when people are sensitive and obedient to the Spirit and are willing to give up everything they have to go serve Him. May we serve Him with a humble heart and a servant's attitude. Please continue to keep WhiteStone Church in your prayers tomorrow as we seek out what the Lord's will is for us as a church! I praise you oh God! Thank you for being awesome and still being in the miracle-working business! <><
"Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34
"Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?" Exodus 15:11
"For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Friday, December 28, 2012
Book Review #1: Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches by Rachel Jankovic.
So, I decided I would do some book reviews in case there were any people who might be interested in anything I read. If you know me, you know that I am not a big "reader" but my husband is, and I must say....he is rubbing off on me. :) Adam is a theologian and he loves reading books about church planting, church growth, theology, reformed theology, etc. He reads people like Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, C.S. Lewis, John Piper, A.W. Tozer, just to give you a little idea. He has a MASSIVE book collection. He once said that when he dies he wants to donate he books to an up-and-coming young pastor or to some library....and trust me, he could definitely help either one out! :) However, with all of these books lying around (and most are in storage-THANK GOODNESS!) I try to pick one up every now and then, but one thing I love about my husband, he never forces me to read anything. Now, I will tell you this, it is always good to read something that will build you up and give you realistic expectations, not something that will influence you to the wrong ideas or to do the wrong things. I kind of go by this phrase, "what goes in, must come out." So what you are putting in your mind and heart, will come out in way or another, so fill yourself up with uplifting, positive, and godly things. Once I became I Christian, I started reading the Bible a lot more, but I also read devotional books (Women of Faith) and some Joyce Meyer books. Now, I use to be a huge Joyce Meyer fan, but some of her things are not scripture-based. Thankfully, the Lord brought Adam to me to help me realize that I still needed to work on my foundation as a Christian, and although reading the Bible is the place to get that, sometimes you need some other stuff to help you understand some things. When I would go into LifeWay, I would always have this overwhelming feeling and felt like I wanted to buy every book in the store. But be aware, not every book in a Christian book store is a good book to read, or even a "Christian" book. If you are thinking about purchasing a book, make sure you do research on the author and on the content of what you are about to read. However, I have just recently read, Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches by Rachel Jankovic. This was a stocking stuffer Adam gave me this year for Christmas, and I must say, it is umm....3 days after Christmas, and I've already finished it! LOL! Now, before you think I am a fast reader, I must tell you, there are 20 short chapters and the book is only 102 pages...my kinda book! YAY! The last book I read all the way through, The Help, I couldn't put down and I started reading it at midnight after I had initially started it and never went to sleep until 6 AM. Needless to say, the next day was extremely long! Well, this book, Loving the Little Years, is a book I feel that I had to "chew" on some of the words for a while, but I was thirsty for more. I told myself, I am going to try to read 2-3 chapters a night (when it is finally quite around here) and hopefully I'll finish it before going back to work. However, I was fortunate to get done a little sooner than that. I finished it last night and I must say, this is one that I would advise anyone with small children to read. To give you a little bit of history about me, I did not grow up in what you would call a "Christian" home, you know, the kind of family that is at church every time the doors open, but I did grow up in a home where family ALWAYS came first. Just ask my husband and some of my close friends, family is big with us Davis's...my mom use to go by this phrase, "You mess with my family, and you mess with me." And if anyone knows my mom, you know that is a promise! However, my mom and dad set a great foundation for teaching me how to be a wonderful mom and parent, which I hope I am fulfilling, but I did not know how to intertwine the Christian life into that. This book is extremely helpful for young mothers or mothers of young children to help them understand and except the chaos around them. It really gives you a Christian perspective of how to raise your children the way Christ would want them raised and either by not being too harsh on your kids or sheltering them too much or either by trying to be their friend. And as a mother, I want to do the very best I can with what God has given me, because I am under the understanding that they are not mine to begin with, but God has given these children to me to help them become the people He wants them to be. And lordhavemercy...you know I'm gonna need a lot of prayer for that! ;) However, I do and do so desperately desire to have a Christian home where my children can look back and know that they have a firm foundation and they can know how to stand on their own two feet when the time comes. This book shows how to deal with sin, and not just your child's sin, but how to adapt and understand that sin is everywhere, even in your home. It also shows how to know your children have boundaries and what happens when they test those boundaries. It also talks about prioritizing your time and your energy, because your children are the most important thing and the most important job for you to do. As Jankovic puts it, "They are the only part of your work that truly matters." And as mothers, sometimes we have a tendency to not give time to ourselves, and she talks about this too. Jankovic having 5 children herself, all under the age of 5, does a great job with this book in my opinion. She doesn't over elaborate, but just states the facts, and gives some real-life examples of her story and you feel like you know exactly what she is talking about and you are right there with her! I highly recommend this book to anyone with small children and I have and am even contemplating giving a copy to Abby's teachers at daycare due to them playing the "mother" role while I am away working. Daycare workers need to understand that we are entrusting our children in their hands to help mold them. I'd love to hear your feedback if you get a chance to read this book and also feel free to add any comments on any suggestions of any other books to read. Thanks! God Bless <><
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward."
Psalm 127:3
"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6
So, I decided I would do some book reviews in case there were any people who might be interested in anything I read. If you know me, you know that I am not a big "reader" but my husband is, and I must say....he is rubbing off on me. :) Adam is a theologian and he loves reading books about church planting, church growth, theology, reformed theology, etc. He reads people like Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, C.S. Lewis, John Piper, A.W. Tozer, just to give you a little idea. He has a MASSIVE book collection. He once said that when he dies he wants to donate he books to an up-and-coming young pastor or to some library....and trust me, he could definitely help either one out! :) However, with all of these books lying around (and most are in storage-THANK GOODNESS!) I try to pick one up every now and then, but one thing I love about my husband, he never forces me to read anything. Now, I will tell you this, it is always good to read something that will build you up and give you realistic expectations, not something that will influence you to the wrong ideas or to do the wrong things. I kind of go by this phrase, "what goes in, must come out." So what you are putting in your mind and heart, will come out in way or another, so fill yourself up with uplifting, positive, and godly things. Once I became I Christian, I started reading the Bible a lot more, but I also read devotional books (Women of Faith) and some Joyce Meyer books. Now, I use to be a huge Joyce Meyer fan, but some of her things are not scripture-based. Thankfully, the Lord brought Adam to me to help me realize that I still needed to work on my foundation as a Christian, and although reading the Bible is the place to get that, sometimes you need some other stuff to help you understand some things. When I would go into LifeWay, I would always have this overwhelming feeling and felt like I wanted to buy every book in the store. But be aware, not every book in a Christian book store is a good book to read, or even a "Christian" book. If you are thinking about purchasing a book, make sure you do research on the author and on the content of what you are about to read. However, I have just recently read, Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches by Rachel Jankovic. This was a stocking stuffer Adam gave me this year for Christmas, and I must say, it is umm....3 days after Christmas, and I've already finished it! LOL! Now, before you think I am a fast reader, I must tell you, there are 20 short chapters and the book is only 102 pages...my kinda book! YAY! The last book I read all the way through, The Help, I couldn't put down and I started reading it at midnight after I had initially started it and never went to sleep until 6 AM. Needless to say, the next day was extremely long! Well, this book, Loving the Little Years, is a book I feel that I had to "chew" on some of the words for a while, but I was thirsty for more. I told myself, I am going to try to read 2-3 chapters a night (when it is finally quite around here) and hopefully I'll finish it before going back to work. However, I was fortunate to get done a little sooner than that. I finished it last night and I must say, this is one that I would advise anyone with small children to read. To give you a little bit of history about me, I did not grow up in what you would call a "Christian" home, you know, the kind of family that is at church every time the doors open, but I did grow up in a home where family ALWAYS came first. Just ask my husband and some of my close friends, family is big with us Davis's...my mom use to go by this phrase, "You mess with my family, and you mess with me." And if anyone knows my mom, you know that is a promise! However, my mom and dad set a great foundation for teaching me how to be a wonderful mom and parent, which I hope I am fulfilling, but I did not know how to intertwine the Christian life into that. This book is extremely helpful for young mothers or mothers of young children to help them understand and except the chaos around them. It really gives you a Christian perspective of how to raise your children the way Christ would want them raised and either by not being too harsh on your kids or sheltering them too much or either by trying to be their friend. And as a mother, I want to do the very best I can with what God has given me, because I am under the understanding that they are not mine to begin with, but God has given these children to me to help them become the people He wants them to be. And lordhavemercy...you know I'm gonna need a lot of prayer for that! ;) However, I do and do so desperately desire to have a Christian home where my children can look back and know that they have a firm foundation and they can know how to stand on their own two feet when the time comes. This book shows how to deal with sin, and not just your child's sin, but how to adapt and understand that sin is everywhere, even in your home. It also shows how to know your children have boundaries and what happens when they test those boundaries. It also talks about prioritizing your time and your energy, because your children are the most important thing and the most important job for you to do. As Jankovic puts it, "They are the only part of your work that truly matters." And as mothers, sometimes we have a tendency to not give time to ourselves, and she talks about this too. Jankovic having 5 children herself, all under the age of 5, does a great job with this book in my opinion. She doesn't over elaborate, but just states the facts, and gives some real-life examples of her story and you feel like you know exactly what she is talking about and you are right there with her! I highly recommend this book to anyone with small children and I have and am even contemplating giving a copy to Abby's teachers at daycare due to them playing the "mother" role while I am away working. Daycare workers need to understand that we are entrusting our children in their hands to help mold them. I'd love to hear your feedback if you get a chance to read this book and also feel free to add any comments on any suggestions of any other books to read. Thanks! God Bless <><
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward."
Psalm 127:3
"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6
Thursday, December 27, 2012
So it begins...
Well, so it begins, I have been contemplating on starting a blog for a while now. I pitched the idea to my husband, Adam, and he thought it was a good idea as well. One other reason why I think that God has encouraged me, in one way or another, to do this now, is because since we have paused on having children for a little while, our life is going to change in one or another in 2013. Adam has been thinking about starting his Ph.D. ever since he completed his M.Div. last December. However, financially, this has not been foreseeable. His parents would say that they always knew he would work on a Ph.D. If you don't know Adam, he is very bright and very dedicated to doing what God has called him to do. We have been married for almost 8 years (March will be our 8th anniversary) and he has completely changed his entire demeanor in that time. He has softened over time and strives to be the best father and husband for his family. So, this thought of him starting on his Ph.D. has pretty much startled him. I think he is concerned about doing to what he desires (to work on his Ph.D.) because he wants to be able to provide for his family. However, I have been the one who is trying to encourage him to get started on it. I know that God wants us to better ourselves and God has gifted Adam with the love to study His Word and gifted him in teaching and preaching. Now, still, we have no idea how this is going to work financially, but we are praying that if this is God's will that He will guide us and provide, as He always has. Just recently, WhiteStone Church, the current church we are currently serving at, decided to close it's doors due to financial and other instabilities. We both have felt that God called us to this place and we have both felt we have served the best we could here, but now, God has planned for it to close its doors. Although this is very upsetting, we know God has plans for us and plans for His people at WhiteStone. I say all of this to say that financially, starting to work on a Ph.D. and all the preliminary work to get in (GRE, language classes, etc.), we are still not sure how it is going to work out, but we do know that God will provide one way or another. I am very excited about this new season in our lives and excited to see what God has planned for us. So, I hope you join us on our next journey and hopefully you will see how God is working in our lives and understand that God is sovereign over so many things. And please understand, there will be times that I am so brutally honest and in those times I will need encouragement and you will see where my faith lacks; but I hope, overall, I can be transparent encouraging you to see and understand that God can use anyone. No matter what background, no matter what mistakes, what social status or economic status. But God wants to use you and me. He doesn't need to, but He chooses to! I hope that in a year we can look back and see where God has stepped in and completely taken over our lives and I hope that we all can have grown from these experiences. Thank you for letting me share. God bless you and many blessings to you all for 2013 and the many years to come! <><
Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know that plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Romans 8:28
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know that plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Romans 8:28
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
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