What an awesome weekend!

Seriously!  What an awesome weekend!  We went to Abilene for the Cottonwood Ladies Retreat.  The hotel was beautiful and very accomodating!  And wow!  God spoke to each and everyone us.  Our retreat was about "More To See".  And what an eye opener!  There is so much more to see in every aspect...ESPECIALLY GOD! 

We were led by Pastor Arnita Taylor, and she was amazing!  Time just flew by as she talked.  I was kind of sad that it is over. I could have stayed at least a few more days and gladly listened!  There is so much more to learn!  You have to realize that the Spirt that raised Christ from the dead lives in each and every on of us!  (Romans 8:11).  We talked bout expectations and enemies of expectations.  Expectatons contain always looking forward (Jeremiah 9:11), have to have a probability that somehing is to come (Galatians 6:9), and it always involves waiting (Isaiah 40:31).  We need to have these!  Yes problems do arise; there are enemies of expectations.  One of which is the dominating devil!  He always likes to slither his way into our lives and cause doubth.  We also tend to have an attitude of "simply enough".  Big problem there!  We do not need to live in contentment with our relationship with God!  We should keep on going...there is so much more to see!  We also tend to find failue when we try to find enlargement.  We have to ursue our relationship with God and break out of the box.  Yes, pursuit of God will cost something, but it is so worth it.  We need to enlarge our vision to see more of him!

How can we obtain thes expectations?  We need to live with the inner knowledege that He wants us to have a relationship with Him.  Unerstanding and Revelation is what we want and need!  We also need to have personal investment of seed because when we do this He will give us the increase and no void!

*Romans 8:1*

We also went into talking about Suffering.  Suffering comes in all shapes and sizes.  Suffering is pain in allaspects and transcends in all areas of life.  There is personal suffering which is what we bring on ourselves.  Emotional suffering which is caused by others, and there is also forces outside of our control that can bring us suffering.  As my dad says, "It is what it is".  It is life.  Just know that no matter what comes your way, our awesome Lord is with us every step!  Suffering is purposeful, believe it or not.  We maynot know why but the Lord will be there with us and it will pass.  There are benefits of us suffering.  GOD IS WITH US!  Suffering doesn't mean you are failing or doing something wrong (we don't need to fix it).  It menas you need to pray more, seek Him in the Word, and LISTEN to Him!  Suffering will always clarify wat your heart worships.  Suffering will purify your heart and cut away sin.  It will make you more mature in your relationship with Him.  Suffering is also a catalyst.  It will cause action.  It will cause you to really trust Him and mae Him the Lord of your life!  Life can be described as being in a sail boat in the middle of the ocean.  Storms will come and rough waters will hit you right in the face, but in the midst of it all...TRUST THE LORD!  You will have to endure them and kow that He won't let anything come your way that you cannot handle!  God is NEVER surprised.  He knows what is coming.  It is all His plan!  Just trust!  There is NO chance in life.  God's timing is ordained!  We are not living "our" plan, we are living "His" plan.  He already knows the outcome!  You have to surrender to Him and His will.  Lack of surrender is a hinderance to seeing God!  It is not about you or me, it is about HIM!  Surrender is always walking with God all the time; walking more intimately with God and CHOOSING to do so!  Obeying His will over your will!  It is a choice.  When you have alignment with God, you see more of God EVERYTIME!  You have to embrace surrender and acknowledge that God is in cntrolof  your past, present, and future.  You have to Submit to God and the rest will fall into place.  (James 4:7) 

Benefits of Surrendering to God
1.  You have the awareness of God's prescence (John 8:29)
2.  He will position you where HE wants you to be!
3.  Destiny--God will put you on a specific path (Proverbs 3:5)
4.  Fulfillment--(John 15:5)
5.  Safety and Protection--Matthew 6:24

In order for us to walk in freedom we have to surrender!  It is not optional!

Freedom is believing in the completed work that Jesus did on the cross!  God grants us repentance.  Jesus makes us free but we have to repent and have faith!  We get or position in Christ by the Word of God.  We are continually dealing with Spirtual Warfare (which is the struggle between light and darkness).  There is an enemy after us...Satan!  But with the Lord with us we will be victorious!  God always has a plan and strategy for us in this spiritual warfare, we just have to confess and walk with Him.  God will empower us to overcome.

3 main battlefields
1.  Mind--  We need to confess our sins! (2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 4:8) We need to fortify our mind. When we have an impure thought, we need to overcome it and think of pure thoughts!

2.  Heart - We need t purify our heart!  It has to be guarded from bitterness and unforgiveness!
3.  Mouth - (Proverbs 18:12)  We need to Speak Godly things!  Also we need to watch our self talk...stop believing the lies that others might say about you, or even what you say about you.  GOD LOVES YOU!!!

We need to get dressed with the power of God!  Our Spiritual Outfit is this, "Finally, be trong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."  Ephesians 6:10-18  WOW!  What an empowerment that is!  The Word of God sets us free and protects us!

We have to form the character of Christ in us!  We need to keep our hearts pure and clean and have the desire to be fulfilled with the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5)

6 Steps in walking in freedom
1.  Yielding your will!  (Matthew 26 is a perfect example when Jesus was praying in the garden)
2.  Acknowledge, Admit, and Confess!  You have to walk in truth.  You are safe to bare anything to Him...HE ALREADY KNOWS!  Remember, no one can surprise God!  By doing these, you remove the vail off of your heart.  Yes, your heart has eyes...and it is just waiting to see Jesus!  Invite God into your heart and everything else in your life!  Have one single mind operating for God!
3.  Confession and Repentance--God allows you to be convicted without shame!  (Acts 3:19)  Be quick to repent and be quick to change.  And also forgive YOURSELF!  It is funny how it can be a little hard to forgive others for wrong doings to us...but it is even harder to forgive yourself.  You deserve forgiveness too!
4.  Healing--Ask Jesus to reveal to you the root of the problem and the cause of it so you can stay clear!
5.  Forgiveness--Forgiveness is a process!  Vengence is His, so forgive and give it to God!  Our job is to forgive and to forget!  Don't let malice into your heart!  Be quiet and still and Jesus will fight the battle for you!  Forgive others, yourself, and God.  Sometimes we get mad at God because it doesn't go "our" way.  Well It isn't about us or "our" way...It is about Him and His way!
6.  God cleanses us!  (Psalm 51)  He will create in me a clean heart and renew my Spirit!

We also discussed encouragement.  Encouragement is to inspire courage.  It was described as love with feet!  It is such a high impactful gift!  Just be genuine!

Ways to Encourage
1.  Spoken word (Proverbs 16:24)
2.  Written Word--write out a note to someone and even put a Scripture down on it.  What a blessing that would be to receive something like that in the "real" mail instead of email.  How much more personal is that!
3.  Actions!  (Romans 15:5)

Categories of Encouragement:
1.  Affirm people for what they do.
2.  Affirm others for who they are.
3.  Just listening and being interested with your whole heart!
4.  Saying Thank You, Please, and just having a smile on your face can bring encouragement to someone.
5.  Look for the BEST in people!  Don't focus on faults!  There is so much more than faults.  Look past those!  There are so many GREAT things in others!
6.  Being able to bring a spirit of console and comfort.

I had an amazing time!  God is AWESOME!  He spoke to me in so many ways and I just pray that He spoke to others and made just an impact on them as well.  I will close this blog with a chorus from a song that we sang called "Healer"

"I believe you're my Healer.  I believe You're all I need.  I believe You're my portion.  I believe you're more than enough for me.  Jesus You're all I need."

Lord, I surrender all.  All of me--my heart, my mind, my soul, my worries, and stresses!  Nothing is impossible for You!  You hold my world in Your Hands!  What an Awesome God You are!

Til fingers meet keyboard,
Lauren

Crazy!

Life is crazy!  Life is short!  Most people think that a single year takes forever to pass...well they are wrong!  If you actually broke it down...it isn't very long!  Let's look at the minutes.  How many times do you tell someone, "in a few minutes"?  Especially your children.  "Oh yes, I will play that board game with you in five minutes".  Do you know that you just wasted precious time that could have been spent with your child?  I understand the busy times of cooking and such...but instead of watching a stupid tv show...tivo it and watch it when they are in bed asleep.  Let's go back to that "minute".  If you break down 1 year into minutes...there are only 525,600 minutes to a year.  And about half of that, we spend asleep!  Precious moments are just flying by! 

I am blessed to be able to spend most of my time (basically all of my time) with my children.  I don't have to send them to school.  I homeschool them!  And I love every minute of it!  I get to see them grow and learn new things.  I am the one that is there that gets to see the light bulb go off when they finally figure out a hard problem or even read their first book!  I love it.  That is precious time that I have with my kids that I will never take for granted!

Life is too short to take your blessing for granted.  You never know what tomorrow holds for you or for anyone else.  Life is too short to just worry about the petty things.  I understand that there are things that have to be done, don't get me wrong.  Just remember what God has blessed you with and focus on that and run with it.  Write down your blessings, thank God for them, and enjoy them!  Sit down and have a movie night with popcorn and the family.  Then when the kids are put to bed, spend some quality time with your spouse.  It is moments like that, you are enjoying what you have been blessed with.

So in closing as am about to step off my soap box--Be blessed and live everyday as it is your last.  Live, Laugh, and Love!  Have no regrets and make memories.  Worries and stress are only temporary, but Memories last a lifetime. 

Til fingers meet keyboard,
Lauren

More Rambling and subject jumping

I cannot seem to fathom how some people can be so negative.  I just want to scream at them and say "Look around you!  There are blessings swarming around every inch of your being!  Be positive because there is always a positive to every negative!"  I mean seriously!  Come on!  Just look around you and see what God has given you.  I know I do on a daily basis. 

I am blessed beyond belief!  An amazing husband, awesome kids, great family and friends, and above all, a Loving Lord!  That alone makes me smile!  I know at the end of the day, I have so much to be thankful for and I pray! 

Why is it that people tend to hate the fact that Monday is coming up?  Yes, the weekend is over...SO!  In a few days you will have another weekend.  I love Mondays.  A new week!  A new beginning. You may be suffering from a diet disaster and you turned to pizza, or you didn't work out as much as you wanted.  Guess what...start over on Monday!  And plus...Mondays have great shows on tv lol.  See...a positve to the "negative Monday" outlook :)

Enough rambling...we had a great weekend.  The boys had to go to their mom's to make up from the icy weekend we had a few weeks back, so it was just the girls and me.  Alyssa had a friend come over and stay the night and they had a blast.  Cannot believe they stayed up til 2 am!  I am just way to old for that!  I like to be in bed asleep no later than midnight....I actually prefer 10:30 lol.  Anywho--they played Barbies, watched movies, ate popcorn, and just giggled!  Then I took the girls to McDonalds to play until the girl's mom came to meet us.  We visited for awhile and then Alyssa and I came home and rode the 4 wheelers.  Like I said, a great weekend!  Now my boys are home and the only piece of the family missing is my hubby!  This is his long week so he wont be home until Wednesday. 

My baby girl, who isn't much of a baby anymore, Isabella (Izzy), turns 4 on Tuesday!  Oh my gosh...time sure does fly!  Can't believe it!  So, we are having a birthday party at our house on Wednesday for her.  Bought decorations and ordered the cake...wanna guess the theme...Yep Minnie Mouse lol.  She is really excited! 

I am really excited about this coming up weekend.  Going on the Cottonwood Church Ladies Retreat in Abilene!  I have been looking forward to this for over a month now!  I am so ready to see what the Lord has in store for me to learn this weekend! 

Other than that, don't know much else to write about.  I know it seems like I am just jumping from one subject to another...but I like to ramble at times lol.  For anyone who reads this, just remember one thing, you are blessed!  The more you focus on the blessings in life, the less you stumble on the pebbles of negativity!  Hope everyone has a FANTASTIC Monday!

Till fingers meet keyboard,
Lauren

The Look in the the week

Well lets just start off with today.

Wednesday:

Lets see, almost done teaching for the day.  Going to work out on the treadmill.  Hmmm...and of course the kids and I are going to play on the 4 wheelers.  Dereck already had one, so we bought one for Alyssa and James...it is their birthday present...but we thought it would be fine to go ahead and give it to them early.  I will post pics of them driving them later.  It is going to be a blast!  We have tons of property, so we now get to go and explore it all at the same time lol.  We like to go treasure hunting.  The kids love it.  They get to look for arrow heads and we even found old items that dated back into the early 1900s when there was a railroad out where we live.  It is so much fun to see the kids' faces when they find these valuables :)  So that is what we are going to be doing this afternoon.  Then we will come in for supper and then the lovely bath time.  Kids will be put to bed for reading time, and Chris and I will watch some American Idol.  Then some cuddle time while we watch some movies he rented.  My life rocks!


Thursday:
Hmmm...about the same as Wednesday lol.  School, play outside, 4 wheelers, then KARATE CLASS!  The kids are so excited.  Alyssa was doing dance, and was kind of getting bored with it and she decided she wanted to try something else...and the boys wanted to do karate and she thought she would like it.  So we shall see.  I bet she does.  If not, we will find her something lol. 

Friday:
My sexy hubby has to go back to San Antonio to prepare for work on Saturday.  Sure going to miss him!  But he will be back on Wednesday.  This will be his long week.  And since I had to reschedule time with the boys bio mom (because we had ice and I wasn't going to drive in it), Chris will be taking them to her for the weekend.  So it will just be me and my girls this weekend.  Alyssa will be having a friend sleep over Friday night.  So I am planning for a special supper, some movies, some games, and popcorn.  She is super excited!  Then we are planning on going into Stephenville on Saturday afternoon to meet with the little girl's mom and go get a bite to eat for lunch and then go to the movies (if there is anything that they want to see). 

As for the rest of the weekend...School prep for the upcoming school year.  Tons of stuff still need to be done.  Been working on it for the past few weekends.  But as of this upcoming year, I will have all of my kids in homeschool.  Izzy will be in Pre-K, James wil be in 2nd grade, Alyssa will be in 3rd, and Dereck will be in 6th.  Next week Dereck has to take the TAKS test.  TAKS tests start at grade 3 and are supposed to be done every other year...well I do not go by that.  I make the kids take them every year.  Extra education is what I strive for!  So, busy busy busy.  Hope all is well with everyone!  I am now going to go jump on the treadmill so the fun can begin. 

Here are some pics of the older ones on their new 4 wheelers.  And I had to put a pic of Izzy up too because she said she wants to see her as well lol.  Hope you enjoy.

Here is Dereck.

Here is Alyssa.

Here is James.

Here is the one of Izzy lol.

Here are 2 pics of the kids together on the 4 wheelers.  They had a blast!!!!

Til fingers meet keyboard,
Lauren

Some more rambling...hey it is Monday...give me a break lol

As many people know, I am one of the most open people you will meet.  I am not one of those people to hide anything.  If you want to know, just ask...and boom, you get the truth...whether you wanted to hear it or not.  Yes I am blunt, but honest!  In most cases I don't like to "sugar coat" anything.  As my dad says (all the time) "It is what it is".  No matter what life throws your way, you have to just go with it.  I have realized that the hard way.  I have decided to basically not sugar coat my life or the people involved in it.  I have a "circle" that consists of certain people.  These people, some family and some friends, are the ones closest to me.  I love them with all of my heart and care deeply for them.  On the other hand, there are those that I do not really put in this circle.  Does that mean I don't care for them?  No, I do.  Love is a choice.  I choose to love everyone because that is what Christ asks of me.  Some have wronged me or my family, but I am not to judge.  I have forgiven them.  It is Christ's job to judge, not me.  I am told to turn the other cheek and forgive and forget.  Forgiving is easy, forgetting...not so much.  I am trying though.  That is what is asked of me.  So, people that know me, and I mean truly know me, know that I am always here for anyone if they need help, support, advice, a shoulder to cry on, etc.  That is just how I am.  And I am proud of that.  I do have a big heart.  Have I made mistakes?  Of course. Everyone has.  Do I have any regrets...NO...a BIG NO!  I do not regret anything.  I am who I am now because of my successes and my mistakes.  If my past turned up any different, I wouldn't be where I am today.  Praise God that I am where I am now.  Jesus has blessed me with an amazing husband.  He is my hero, my love, my life!  He even to this stay still opens every door (including the car door) for me.  He is always calling me periodically throughout the day to tell me that he loves me and is thinking of me.  Yep, that is my man!  And with him, came the blessing of my sons, Dereck and James.  They keep me on my toes.  I know it is just a matter of time before James, aka Courageous Dare-devil, breaks a bone and I have to take him to the hospital.  lol  I swear there are so many differences between girls and boys!  But I wouldn't change it for anything.  Dereck is my little helper...and I cannot believe I said "little"...he is 10 years old!  6 years and it is driving time for him!  OMG!!!  Which now brings me to my girls.  Alyssa is a very loving little girl!  She is also my helper.  She loves to help me cook.  She is also my little taste tester..."Mommy, we need to add more Serendipity".  Now, let's get to Izzy.  She is just like her Daddy!  Oh my goodness!  She is the little trouble maker lol.  She is always instigating trouble.  But she is also my little cuddle bug.  We have several weekends that it is just her and me.  She like to help with laundry...not the help that I would want persay...for example I just folded up clothes and put them away, she wants to take them out and put them ALL on.  Yes...helper right lol.  Anway getting to the point, I am blessed beyond means!  I have a husband who is an excellent Daddy to all of the kids.  He is simply amazing!  My kids are the best!  And my Lord is awesome! 

Priorities need to be adjusted to see the whole situation.  Most people tend to have their priorities all screwed up.  And they wonder why things always go wrong.  Well, let me be blunt (and yes without the sugar coating), you need to put JESUS first.  Without Him in your life and heart, things are going to fall to pieces.  Jesus is the "glue" in your life.  That "glue" holds all your relationships together.  That "glue" keeps your marriage inseperable and blooming.  That glue holds you tight to your children.  So, put Jesus first.  I know some people don't like going to church.  Well, look around and try to find one that suits you.  I love going to Cottonwood, don't get me wrong, but I love Double N Cowboy church!  Amazing!  Also, don't just worship and study Jesus only on Sundays.  Do a daily devotional.  I do three different devotional books a day and I just LOVE them.  When you put Jesus first, everything just falls into place.  After Jesus, you put your spouse and children. But with that, you need to make sure they have the "glue" and knowledge of Jesus.  That is the blessing of homeschooling.  Each child has English, Spelling, Math, History, Science, Bible, and Literature...but with that said, there is always either a Bible verse in those subjects or the lesson deals with Jesus and the Bible as well.  That is what our children need.  I am not saying that public school is bad by any means.  Just when your children get home, do a family Bible study with them.  Not only is it quality time, it is also a life-time knowledge that benefits them now and in the future. 

Okay stepping off the soap box again.  I know I tend to ramble, but that is what blogs are for.  Putting down your thoughts, feelings, etc.  So there you go, you have the Monday morning look in the life of a busy mom.  Now going to fix lunch and do my workout. 
Til fingers meet keyboard,
Lauren

Just a bloggin for no rambling reason other than to ramble

As I am sitting here at my computer, I have decided to write down a list of "to-dos".  And boy...that sucks.  I have a wedding coming up in July that I have to get ready for...no not for me, I am just in it.  It is my friend's wedding.  All of her other brides maids are gorgeous and thin...me...not so much.  So I need to work out.  My friend Kasey has started the workout from couch to 5k in 9 weeks...so I am going to start it tomorrow morning.  I am going to do that workout on the treadmill every morning before I start school. Then in the afternoon, workout an additional hour on the treadmill at my normal speed and incline.  Lets throw in the dreaded ab workouts, leg lifts, and weight workouts and POOF...you have one tired, swetty momma!  My schedule is already crazy.  Yes I know, I am a stay at home wife and mom...but by no means is it "easy".  I also homeschool my kids.  I start teaching at 8 and usually school is done around 2 or 3.  So, I look at my schedule and the only time that I can fit in a workout is before school and after...so...I am going to try my best at it.  So back to the "re"start...I am going to just put my mind to what I want to do and not accept no for an answer.  And usually it is me saying no lol...."No Lauren, you need to rest today...you are tired....put off your workout".  Uggh...sometimes yourself can be your hardest battle lol. 

So other than that rambling stuff.  My youngest is going to have her 4th birthday a week from Tuesday!  Cannot believe it!  Izzy is going to be 4!  Boy does time fly!  Which brings me to my next point.  TIME DOES FLY!  Don't take any moment for granted!  Enjoy the extra five minutes after you push snooze and focus on who is lying beside you.  Enjoy that time when your youngest child begs fr just 5 more minutes in the tub to play, because then you can watch them laugh and giggle even if they are more wrinkled than ever.  Children grow up so fast.  Life is just a dot in time.  Live for Jesus, Love your famly, and be blessed!  Let those people know how important they are to you.  Even those who do you wrong, life is too short not to forgive and forget.  Life is too short to judge.  Leave the hard stuff to the Lord and just enjoy the breath He gave you!

Okay, stepping off my soap box now.  Time for cuddle time with Izzy.  Sure am ready to have Alyssa home tomorrow morning and Chris and the boys early Tuesday morning! 
Til fingers meet keyboard,
Lauren

So the blogging begins...

A few of my friends already have a blogspot.  Well, I decided to go ahead and jump on the bandwagon and have one too.  I used to blog all the time on myspace but since I became a member of facebook, I don't use myspace as much.  And blogging on facebook is not as private as I would like it to be.  There are certain people that I would allow to read certain things and other not so much.  So, I buckled down and decided to get a blogspot.  And soon after I get certain people's email addresses, I am going to make it where only certain people can read it.  No, I am not trying to hide anything.  I just prefer only letting a certain few into my thoughts and my day.  It is called privacy, and we all like to feel like we have that somewhere.  As moms, we know that we rarely have what they call "privacy" even on the potty doing our thing lol.  We always have at least one of our children busting in either to tell on someone, the wii game is not letting me win, etc.  Gotta love our children.  But with saying that, we also have to have "me" time so we don't forget that there is more to us than "wife" and "mom".  You have to remember that you are ______________________ (insert your name here).  You can't get so bogged down with everything that you forget who you are, forget what excites you, forget what you like to do.  I know with all the things going on with your family, you have a tendency to place you on the back burner.  But not anymore.  You have to just set aside some time a day to focus on you.  Whether that is exercising, reading the Bible, doing your devotionals, or watching a tv program.  You have to, or you lose who you are.  So in closing, here is the first blog.  So if you are interested in reading "A Look in the Life of a Busy Mom", email me your email address so I can add you to the list on who can read my thoughts.