Thankfulness

Today I am thankful

I'm thankful for my Father. He holds me up when I feel like I can't go on.
I'm thankful for His strength and His mercies that are new each and every morning.

I'm thankful that he gave me such an amazing partner for this lifetime.
Sooo sooo thankful for a Godly man who is striving to do what's best for us and in the sight of God.

I'm thankful that He has blessed me with two BEAUTIFUL children.
I never knew how much my heart could love something until Kyley came into the world-and it just expounded when Elijah was born.

I'm thankful for my family and friends.  People who care about us and stick by us through thick and thin. They love us for who we are and are always there.

I'm thankful for our home. It may be small but it's a home and we are safe.

I'm thankful for food in our cabinets. I know how easily it is to not have food in this economy, so many people are struggling. For that I am blessed.

I'm thankful for an amazing church family that loves us and lifts us up in prayer.

I'm thankful for a ministry that was truly a divine appointment from God. Oh how I'm thankful for each and every kid that graces us with their presence at CRY.

I'm so thankful for a burning desire to know Jesus more. To know Him and to love Him.

I'm thankful for His word. His unfailing love. His grace. His peace. His forgiveness.

I'm thankful for my sight. More than most of you could ever know.

I'm thankful for the ability to do things on my own.

I'm thankful for the ability to drive, to cook, to see my babies grow up.

I'm thankful for second chances.

I'm thankful for a pediatrician who doesn't question my abilities as a mother

I'm thankful for a husband who trusts my judgements in that area as well.

I'm thankful for life.

Why did I think...

Why did I think that having a baby in December was wise??? Oh yeah- I never thought that I don't guess... but good grief, as she gets older and KNOWS that she wants a party- this gets harder and harder!

So far I've had to reschedule her party FOUR times for FOUR different things going on the same weekend as her birthday *sigh*

I just hope she has fun!

Better is one day in your house home, better is one day in your courts closet

 Better is one day in your courts
       than a thousand elsewhere;
       I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
       than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
Psalm 84:10

Today, as I was sitting here talking with Kyley, she began to sing.

"Better is one day in your home, better is one day in your closet."

My mind automatically begins singing...

How lovely is, Your dwelling place... O Lord Almighty

For my soul yearns, and even faints for you.

Oh, Here my heart is satisfied, within Your presence.

I sing beneath the shadow of Your wings. 

Better is one day in Your courts, Better is one day in Your house, Better is one day in Your courts

Than a thousand elsewhere.

How often do we find His home, His closet and spend time with him?

Kyley's words may not have been extremely right for the song she was singing, but they were so true.

Where does God meet you?

On a walk in the woods? By the lake? Sitting in your car?

What is your closet where you find Him?

It's better than a thousand years ANYWHERE ELSE!

Little Man

My baby

Doesn't look

So much like

A baby anymore. 

(and for those who've asked, YES I did it myself!) 

A day in the life.

A typical day around here

You'll find many fun things going on.

Today our "fun thing" of choice was schoolwork.

And this guy

His "fun thing" was napping :)

Patty Duke anyone?

Still, they're cousins, 

Identical cousins and you'll find, 
 

They laugh alike, they walk alike, 

At times they even talk alike -- 

You can lose your mind, 

When cousins are two of a kind

Man I love my "job"

Oh my goodness, how much I love my "job" :)   Well, it's not really a job... .its my ministry.

I absolutely ADORE these girls.  They are so amazing!

Tonight we had the privilege of sharing our time with the sweet, Malerie Huguley.

If you've never met her, you probably should.

She has such a beautiful heart.

And we loved having her come hang out with us tonight!

God hast truly blessed me with incredible friends.

And I'm so grateful to have been able to share a part of my life with one of them tonight.

We had a sweet time of worship.

A great lesson.

Yummy dinner.

And an awesome small group time.

God surely is amazing.

Oh, and there was more LOVE to share tonight as well.

Plenty to  go around.

Did I mention that I love my "job"?

Well, I do.

I truly do.

And then, I love

To come home, and snuggle with a little man while working on worship AND chatting on BLOOM haha

I wrote LOVE on my arms today....

This organization is incredible to me.  What they are doing is so powerful... I have no need to speak, just read their mission statement and vision

MISSION STATEMENT:
To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.  TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.
VISION:

The vision is that we actually believe these things…
You were created to love and be loved.  You were meant to live life in relationship with other people, to know and be known. You need to know that your story is important and that you're part of a bigger story.  You need to know that your life matters.
We live in a difficult world, a broken world.  My friend Byron is very smart - he says that life is hard for most people most of the time.  We believe that everyone can relate to pain, that all of us live with questions, and all of us get stuck in moments.  You need to know that you're not alone in the places you feel stuck.
We all wake to the human condition.  We wake to mystery and beauty but also to tragedy and loss.  Millions of people live with problems of pain.  Millions of homes are filled with questions – moments and seasons and cycles that come as thieves and aim to stay.  We know that pain is very real.  It is our privilege to suggest that hope is real, and that help is real.
You need to know that rescue is possible, that freedom is possible, that God is still in the business of redemption.  We're seeing it happen.  We're seeing lives change as people get the help they need.  People sitting across from a counselor for the first time.  People stepping into treatment.  In desperate moments, people calling a suicide hotline.  We know that the first step to recovery is the hardest to take.  We want to say here that it's worth it, that your life is worth fighting for, that it's possible to change.
Beyond treatment, we believe that community is essential, that people need other people, that we were never meant to do life alone.
The vision is that community and hope and help would replace secrets and silence.
The vision is people putting down guns and blades and bottles.
The vision is that we can reduce the suicide rate in America and around the world.
The vision is that we would learn what it means to love our friends, and that we would love ourselves enough to get the help we need.
The vision is better endings.  The vision is the restoration of broken families and broken relationships.  The vision is people finding life, finding freedom, finding love.  The vision is graduation, a Super Bowl, a wedding, a child, a sunrise.  The vision is people becoming incredible parents, people breaking cycles, making change.
The vision is the possibility that your best days are ahead.
The vision is the possibility that we're more loved than we'll ever know.
The vision is hope, and hope is real.

You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story.

 So in honor of the day... I and several of my friends even that I know of have written love on our arms.  

This is Kyley's "Love"  , she wanted a picture on her arm as well hehe

and mine...

Just a note to those of you who have husbands... :)

I've been reading this blog lately and it has some really good pointers for us wives, so I thought I'd share!

I've really enjoyed reading Aimee's thoughts on marriage and I've learned a lot about myself and how I treat my husband as well. I hope you enjoy it!!!

an abundant revolution?

Wow.

I'm so amazed at God's sovereignty.

Many times this week- the same thing has come up in conversation.

And not just with one person.

With many DIFFERENT people.

I love that about Him.

God has been speaking into my life, and as I was talking to a friend last night I felt the spirit say to me...

Melanie... what if EVERY Christian, would yield to God, and say "God, please speak for me today." How much more abundantly loving would their words and actions be?

OUCH

Let me reprhase that...

What if *I* would absolutely daily yield to God, and ask Him to, Lord PLEASE speak for me today. How much more abundantly loving and compassionate would my words and actions be?

Friday night at Celebrate Recovery, we talked about our hearts. And I posed the question to the kids... are your hearts today abundantly loving or angry? And most of the responses were abundantly loving. But then I asked, did you show abundant love in every word you spoke, or the actions you portrayed, or even your body language today?

Every single breath we take, every word we speak, even our thoughts affect other people even if indirectly.

How MUCH MORE, abundantly loving, would our actions be if we let GOD do the speaking.

The word abundantly is defined as something that is:

Copious, Profuse, Overflowing, Plentiful, Teeming, and Rich

or if you look to just the root word abundant, which means:

Present in great quantity

More than adequate

Well supplied

Abounding

Can we show abundant love on our own?

Can we show love in great quantity by our own accord?

I know for me, I can't!

So this leads me to revolution.

Today's entire message was on changing the world... a revolution.

Revolution is a sudden, complete or marked change in something.

I don't know about you but I want to have a sudden and complete or marked change in my heart. In my actions. In my speech. In my body language. In my LIFE.

One of the songs we sang goes like this...

Start a revolution

Change the world I see

Start a revolution, In Me

Hope's not an illusion

Love's a reality

Start a Revolution

Use Me

Oh how I want Him to use me- to change my heart and speak THROUGH me. 

and the song goes on to say...

Ohhh Let the world see

Ohhh What it means to be free

Man- I wish I had the words...

But I don't... He does.

How can we change the world?   How can we be more abundantly loving?

How can we show them what it means to be free?

oh... how precious is the freedom He gives us... 

What more freedom is there, than to be so free in Him, that we ask Him and allow Him to speak through us? 

Lord, I praise You. I thank You for your awesomeness, and Your divine sovereignty in my life.  I thank You for speaking to my heart and showing me how to be more like You.  Lord, start a revolution in me. Change me. Speak through me. Show others what it means to be free. USE ME. 

Lions Bears and Tigers and Bears OH MY!

Lions Bears


and Tigers




and Bears




Oh My



At least




That's Kyley's rendition.



Of course,



I found a flower




and a garden gnome





instead of Lions and Tigers and Bears.

This kid...

This kid...


She cracks me up.

Tonight we were hanging out with a few friends.

Derek was talking about how he gives things to Kyley that are his.

Abi said: With her everything is permissable.

Kyley says : Everything is MINE.

LOL great stuff.