Jesus Saves

I woke up this morning with this song on my mind…

 

Also, an update from my last post…  Not only did God bless us to be able to pay all our bills this month… He abundantly blessed so that we will be able to pay extra!  What a mighty God we serve!!

Lazy Days

 

We stayed out way to late last night visiting with friends… luckily we don’t have to get up early for school!!  Reason #357 we homeschool!

The kids rolled out of bed at the crack of 10 a.m., ate brunch and we got to work.  I decided reason #358 to homeschool is that we get to set our own schedule so today was a lazy day.

We start with bible/devotions/prayer… this week we’re learning to listen more and talk less… it’s a work in progress, but I’m sowing seeds!

Snuggling up and reading on this gray rainy day suited me fine so I read a chapter from “God has a Plan for Little Boys” next, and we talked about how God has a plan for their lives and great things in store for them.  Then we read about the Ajanta Caves in India for history and looked at pictures online.

They sailed through handwriting and math.  Travis will finish his math book this week.  He’s mastered single and multiple digit addition and subtraction, multiplication and division facts, multiple digit multiplication and long division… next up the wild world of fractions!

Quick spelling lessons and Travis took a science test and we called it a day! 

I resorted our home library and organized most of the books by reading level, so they spent part of the afternoon laying around reading.  We have books I didn’t know we had thanks to donations from family!  I keep saying I’m going to start hitting garage sales to pick up books but I never seem to find the time… I really need to do that though… and buy more bookcases, bookcases would be great!

As part of my ‘no more threatening or nagging’ plan I told the boys we would make cookies once their room and the living room were clean.  Our chewy chocolate cookies turned out kinda crunchy, but at least the rooms are clean!

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I want to always be willing to share how God has blessed and moved for me and my family.  In the last week He has moved in three areas where I know it had to be Him.

First, Brian had been sick for weeks, went to the doctor 3 times and would get a little better for a few days and then feel worse again.  Finally one night we were finishing our devotions and he said he thought he needed to go to the doctor again, so I asked if he wanted to pray about it and he agreed. We prayed and he started feeling better the next day and is now doing much better!

Second, we had some unexpected expenses this month. No matter how I figured it we still came out needing about $500 more than we would have… and that’s not even planning for groceries, believe it or not these people around here think they need to eat every single day!!  So I prayed about it and gave it over to God.  Just about every day last week someone contacted Brian with a job for him! He hasn’t gotten paid for everything yet, but so far we’ve been able to pay everything on time and it looks like we’ll be able to do the same for these last two bills!

Third, my phone rang a few day ago, I didn’t know the number so I almost didn’t answer it.  The person wanted to ask me a few questions about my church, I answered them still not knowing who it was.  Turned out it was someone I’d talked to for maybe 2 minutes, 3 MONTHS AGO, about something totally unrelated to church!  It blessed me more than I can say to see first hand how God can touch lives.  He is truly able to put that hunger in people’s hearts… and He can do it all by Himself.  All He needs is a people willing reach out and be a friend!

Answered Prayers

This is gonna be quick because it’s almost 10:00 and we still haven’t started school, but I don’t want to start school because we took off yesterday to go to Chuck-E-Cheese for Jake’s birthday and now I just want to take off today too, but we can’t skip another day so I’m stalling by writing this, but soon I’m going to have to get my rear in gear… how’s that for a run on sentence?!

God’s trying to move me out of my nice, comfortable box and I’m digging in my heels… it’s cozy here.  It started in bible study, and I made a few small steps, but Saturday night and last night’s messages were like crowbars prying me out.  So pray for me that I won’t let my shyness and nerves hinder me from being obedient to God’s will.

In other news… I’m so thankful that my God hears and answers prayers.  Two weeks ago I started praying two big-to-me prayers (nothing I could pray would be to big for God) within 3 days I was seeing answers to both those prayers and it hasn’t stopped. 

This week I was also told by two other people I have been praying for that God is speaking to their hearts.

And last night when I knelt down to pray at church my back started hurting, so right then I asked God for healing and immediately the pain lifted.

Too many times I’ve only silently thanked God for His goodness, now I want to publicly thank Him for answered prayers and for His mercy and grace toward me.

School Days

 

Normally by the middle of July I’m super excited to start back to school, everything planned and organized and ready to go.  This year… not so much!  The garden made longer than usual so I was still picking and canning and all that good stuff right up to time for us to start school… but we did start and it’s gone pretty good!

Travis is in 4th grade, it’s been a bit of an adjustment… lots more writing… but he’s doing great.  He’s all into posing for pictures lately, he’s trying to sneak a grin into this one!

Jake started Kindergarten… he loves it and thankfully I can count on him to be excited about school and have a good attitude!  He was the one begging to start this year.

Cade started 2nd grade… and asks me every day if he can drop out! A few days ago we were reviewing subtraction facts and after fidgeting and staring into space for ages he asked me “Why do I have to figure it out??”  Umm… because I already know it!

       We studied the ‘early days of Britain’ this week so today the boys were Celts complete with face paint and a mini war!

 

 

 

Cade is making a lapbook of ancient civilizations.  I decided to do this at the last minute, which is why we have the mismatched folders!    So far he’s only worked on the cover, I’ll put up more pictures later… I think this is going to be really cool.

There’s a map showing locations of the different civilizations.  He’s not much for coloring… can you tell?

And a timeline… pretty cool!

 

Quick Update

 

Please say a prayer for the New Testament Holiness Church in Kenya when you pray.  They are in the middle of a week long crusade/revival.  They were expecting about 200 people… before it even started over 300 had shown up, some walking for 2 or 3 days to be there!  how convicting for us lazy Americans who are to tired at the end of the day to drive 10 minutes to church! I forget the exact number but as of Monday I think around 20 had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior!! 

It’s wonderful that so many people came to be in the revival… but the flip side is that all those people have to be fed.  Our church sent money last week and we’re sending more this morning, but please pray that God will provide the increase so that no one has to go without. 

Still Alive

 

No, I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth!!  We did start school (more on that later) though…  so it kinda seems that way!

Our church has added some sermons to it’s website. So far I’ve only listened to the second one, it was really good… a confirmation of some things I’d been praying.

Things have been pretty quiet here lately.  I shut down the produce stand, and am trying to find the motivation to plant a fall garden.  We’re working on going to bed earlier and getting up before noon… it’s a work in progress,  the boys seem to have taken after my night owl tendencies.

I’ll post more about school soon, now the boys have come in from catching tadpoles and it’s time to get down to business!

Park Fun

 

We went to the park Monday for a little R&R.  After weeks of letting the boys sleep in they were not happy about being woke up early… but it was worth it to get there while it was still only hot and not sweltering!

 

 

Jake and Cade on the swings

 

 

 

 

So proud to be swinging with no help

 

 

 

 

Plotting their next big adventure

 

 

 

 

Betcha can’t guess who didn’t want his picture taken

 

 

 

Love that grin

 

 

 

 

Showin’ off