Sermon Sunday and Ladybug Lovin

This morning Brother Bill preached from Song of Solomon.  Some of you may be saying, "Uh oh, tread lightly or you may scare us away!"  Ha, no, he did not go into detail or really much on the lovin' side of Solomon's melodies.  He is preaching for the next few weeks on families.  He feels, as do I, that if more of our families were braided with the Lord and the two parents, then we wouldn't be in all the heaps of trouble we are in these days.  "Think about a braid," he pointed out, "from the looks of it there seems to be only two strands.  But if you were to take two strands and twist them around like a braid, they would unravel.  It is the third strand that keeps it all together.  That is how your family needs to be.  The husband and the wife are the two strands that twist together, and the Lord needs to be the third strand that holds it all in place."  He told us about one time Johnny Carson interviewed this little 9 year old boy about saving his friends from drowning.  They got on the subject of church and the young man told Johnny that, "last Sunday in church we learned that at a wedding, Jesus turned water into wine."  The crowd and Johnny roared with laughter and he said, "Ok, now then what can you tell me you learned from that story?"  The boy replied,  "Well, sir, if you're going to have a wedding, Jesus needs to be invited!"  How true that is.  I have seen many families fall apart in my (almost) 29 years of life.  I have seen families stay together that are basically apart.  I have seen families fall apart from physical abuse, from betrayal, and from just plain boredom.  I never know the full story, no one ever does unless they are the story, but I often find myself wondering if those families had the Lord involved.  I mean involved.  I pray that you and yours know the Lord and make Him a part of your daily lives.  I pray that you and yours communicate and spend more time together than the average married couple (26 minutes a week!!).  I pray that you purposefully plan time with your loved one, make them feel loved and special to you, and that you go out of your way every once in awhile to do something extra special just because.

 Who is that cute little ladybug on our porch?

 Oh my, it is Kirby Rose!

 And she is throwing the pumpkins because she thinks they are balls.  Even though she tries her hardest to say pumpkin!

 "Here daddy, you take this one, I will get the big one."

 We took her to the Harvest Fest at River Hills tonight.  I set her in a jump house that no one was in and she did not know what to think of it.  She just say there with this, "um, what am I supposed to do here?" look.

 Then a sweet little girl got in and started bouncing! 

Of course we had to get a snapshot with some of her best buds!  I love how the two girls posed as soon as I pulled the camera up.  I. love. kids!

On our way out we ran into one of C.R.'s favorite pig customers!  Kirby is mooing at the tiger on the outside of the jump house.

"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."  Matt. 18:20

Mobile Monday

Today was a long day for Miss Kirby.  Dat's sister Pat, who I actually just met last Monday at his graduation, passed away on Thursday morning.  She just didn't wake up.  Even though I only got to spend about 2 hours with her, I could tell she was a lovely woman.  From stories I have heard over the years, and from the turnout today at the funeral, she was a woman who loved others.  Kirby sure laughed and adored her the other night.  The funeral was in Sinton along with the burial, and then we went to her daughter's house for a nice gathering of family and close friends.  The Cave family is the only family I have ever known to claim all the way out to 4th cousins.  They know how everyone is related and the whole genealogy.  It is pretty neat.  Someone would ask, "How did you know Pat?"  My response would be, "Oh, well Pat was my husbands great-aunt.  You know, Pat was my husband's grandfather's sister."  They would smile and say, "oh, so y'all are real close."  Touched my heart ... I wish I would have gotten to know her better. 

Before we left for the funeral this morning I wanted to get sweet cheeks picture on the swing. I decided for her 2nd year of life (wow, that just made my heart drop), her monthly pictures are going to be on the porch swing. She just naturally laughs and smiles so well out there, so it makes sense. This morning was a little gloomy, so the lighting isn't the best, but I did get some good shots I think.

I am a terrible, terrible, mother.  Do you notice the redness in her right cheek in the photo above?  Well, Kirby was playing with the pumpkins and I was just snapping away.  She throws the small ones because she thinks they are like a ball.  Anyhow, she threw this one on the ground and before I knew it she was on the ground crawling after the pumpkin ball.  Our front porch has a small step down from the "entry way" to the porch part and she just face planted.  Oh I felt so bad.  She is fast.  Tears, screaming, wailing, and then I gave her the pumpkin and it turned off like a light with a switch.

Kirby's 14 months stats:

Weight: 22 1/2 lbs - as of 2 weeks ago, so probably 23 now!  It feels like 50, but a great arm workout!!

Clothes size: 12 months

Shoe size: What shoes?  She takes them all off!  If they are wide enough, she wears a 3. 

Words that she says and we understand: Momma, dadda, daddy (this is for daddy ray), duck, pig, please, pumpkin, tractor, get (to the dogs or anything else she wants away), juice

Words that she signs consistently: more, please, all done, night night

Food she eats: just about everything!  The newest additions are tomatoes, onions, macaroni and cheese, and lil' beef smokies.  Oh yes, and let's not forget the cobbler and cakes that her daddy Ray sneaks her!

Dearest Kirby, you are so precious to your daddy and I. In the last week, 4 different people have used the term "living doll" to describe you. You are our living doll and I thank God that He gave you to us. To think that we were so set on a little boy ...

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward."

Psalm 127:3

Your Mark.

What is the mark that you are leaving on this world?  What will people say when you are gone?  What will the Lord say when you meet your Maker?  I hope to hear, "Well done good and faithful servant."  I am going through a Bible study with the women at our church called Virtuous Woman: Shattering the Superwoman Myth.  It is over the Proverbs 31 woman.  Did you just shutter in your tracks or smile gleefully?  I do both when I think of her.  Oh how I long to be that woman.  I know I, nor will anyone on this Earth, ever attain all that she is, but it is the striving and the process that makes us the "modern day" Proverbs 31 woman.  The verse that stops me up the most right now is that she "arises while it is still dark." Prv. 31:15  Okay, I used to!  Before Kirby I could pop right up out of bed at 5 am, do my quiet time, make CR breakfast and hit the road for the gym all before 6 am.  Now I am doing good to be out of bed with coffee in hand by 6 am.  I am working on it though.  The part of this Bible study that stood out to me the most this past week was that they asked us to imagine being able to view our own funeral.  The point was to consider what kind of legacy you are leaving behind.  Will people remember you by always looking good and being dressed to the nines?  Or your kids always being dressed to the nines?  Were you a work-a-holic?  Or will you be remembered for your good deeds?  Or your service to the Lord?  The exercise had us write down what we would want people to say at our funeral; I went back and added a few more to the list that I would want included; I bolded them.  Let me tell you, it made me think, "This is what I would want them to say, but is this what would come to their minds?"

• Your husband: She loved and gave 100% to me and the children.  She was my partner and best friend.  She completed me here on this earth.  She was my lobster.
• Your children:  She loved and gave 100% to our family.  She always put us after God and dad, but we knew we could crawl up in her lap at anytime - even at 18 years old.  She always had a smile and kiss for us.  She taught us to love the Lord with all our hearts and to rise and shine and give God the glory. 
• Your pastor: She loved and gave 100% to her Lord.  She grew.  She discipled.  She was devoted to doing God's work.
• Your friends: She loved and was always there for us.  We knew we could count on Lauren to not only show up, but to help out.  She was there for Godly wisdom and advice and when she listened, she really listened. 
• Your co-workers: She loved and gave 100%.  We could always count on Lauren to follow through.  If Lauren's name was on it, we never worried.  You could tell the Lord had a hand in everything she did.  She was joyful to all the other staff and always had that joy to pass on to the students.
• Your sister: She loved and gave 100%.  She always treid to do and tell me what was best.  She always had the best of intentions.  She put me before herself.  She loved my children as her own.
• Your parents: She loved and gave 100%.  She was obedient, even when she was grown and on her own.  She respected.  She stepped up to the plate even in tough situations, but we knew it was because she had the Lord in her heart and it showed in all she did.
• Your in-laws: She loved and gave 100%.  She was a wonderful mother to our grandchildren and a virtuous wife for our son.  We considered her our daughter-in-love and the love of Jesus shined through in all she did for our family.  She definately added some spunk to the family with her giddyness and "woohooos".
• Strangers throughout town: She was always happy.  There was always a smile on her face and when we asked why she was so happy, her response was "because I have the love of Jesus in my heart."  She was always grateful for the services provided, always used our name and thanked us when we were done.  She caught us off guard at times, but always left us grinning from ear to ear.

Now, keep in mind this is what I would want them to say.  This is what I would love to hear if I could be incognito at my own funeral.  Sometimes I feel that is what I could be confident they would say; other times I think, "hmmm, what would they say today?  I was a little edgey or impatient or disagreed in an ugly manner.  My sarcasm has been harsh today ...."  Just some food for thought: On an normal, everyday basis, what would the people you encounter say about you?  Jot some notes down and then pray about their responses if they aren't what you would want them to say.  Look into your heart and consider what kind of mark you are leaving behind with your children, grandchildren, and friends.  Are you who you want to be?  More importantly, are you who the Lord wants you to be?  Did you choose to dance and love?

"An excellent wife who can find?  She is far more precious than jewels." Proverbs 31:10

Wordless Wednesday

"Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance."  Psalm 89:15

How many great-grandaughters ...

.... get to see their great-grandpa graduate high school?

 I don't think many can say that, but this one can!  She was so proud of him!

 Dat, CR's grandfather, was off at war when he was supposed to graduate high school.  Recently he was able to apply to get it - at 90 years old!

 I think I was the only one that cried, but you know me.  And you know my mother!

 High school graduate!

 Still high school sweet hearts after all these years!

 Dat reading his diploma for the first time.

 "Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers. "  Proverbs 17:6



"I love you too much ...

to let you behave like that."  Here is my sermon soap box!  I am always blessed by the message from church, but today I felt the holy Spirit totally open up my heart and ears to receive the messages from His workers.  This morning during Sunday school, one of our past youth gals (she is now at Wheaten College in Chicago playing softball) came and spoke to the youth group.  Her message started out talking about how her transition from high school to college had been a challenge with balancing time.  This is something I know we all struggle with and making God our first priority.  Anyhow, long story short, she hadn't been having quality prayer time and she was struggling with what she wanted to do after she graduated.  She has always wanted to be a dentist, however, Chemistry class was KILLING her!  She felt the Lord calling on her heart, so she stopped then and there and starting putting time back into her life for prayer.  She was stricken by a quote from C.S. Lewis during chapel the next week; "I willingly believe that the damned are, in one sense, successful, rebels to the end; that the doors of hell are locked on the inside" -- CS Lewis  Let those words pierce your hearts like they did hers and mine: The doors of hell are locked on the inside.  She had 2 pieces of paper for us, one blue and one red.  She played some beautiful instrumental music for us and asked us to write our names on the blue paper and to imagine Heaven.  All that we had ever heard about Heaven and to just close our eyes and imagine meeting our Savior.  She then turned on some scary music and had us write names of people we knew that (or that we thought) weren't saved and would be locked in hell's gates forever.  Wow.  Talk about moving.  She spoke to me for certain.  She said she knows God is calling her to minister, what she will do is not certain yet, but because she was brought to tears at the thought of humans being trapped in hell for all eternity, she knew He was calling her to ministry in some way.  We then discussed with our classes some questions about the selfishness of not sharing Christ with others.  You know, it's like this secret and it's wonderful and it needs to be shouted off our roof tops!  This really encouraged me to be more faithful and obedient to the great commission (Matt. 28:16-20).  Not to complete strangers, because I already do that.  I am more willing to go out and share the gospel with people I meet than I am with my own family.  What is wrong with that picture?  Hello!!
Then in church Bill preached on Parenting with God's Help.  Bill is doing a serious on family over the next few weeks.  You can go to www.rhbc.cc to download the messages and I highly recommend that you do.  He said something that made so much sense to me, "Our nation is only as strong as our families."  As someone who has recently been immersed with todays' teenagers, I see this shouting loud and clear.  The reason our nation is the way it is today, is because our families are not raising their children with God's help.  I am going to do this in a nutshell:
Everything that he preached on must be done early in life.  Beginning at about 18 months of age.

1. We are responsible to direct our children spiritually.  Read them Bible stories, take them to church, pray with them, let them hear you pray for their salvation, let them see you doing quiet time, let them see you going to church (not just dropping them off), explain to them what is going on, etc. 
2. We are responsible to correct our children.  Probably one of the most well known verses in the Bible for parents is Prov. 13:24 "He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him properly."  Just like an arrow, you want it to go straight to your target.  Sometimes you have to sharpen the point or straighten the feathers to get there.  Start early with discipline, and you should not have to go past about age 6 with a spanking.  Spankings are not reactions, but planned actions.  You should not spank until the line has been drawn and deliberately crossed.  You don't spank because they made a mistake, you spank when they blantently disobeyed you.  Brother Bill said something that he warned may offend some, but he said it was the truth and he could back it up Biblically.  He said, "It is better to not have children at all, then to have children and not direct them spiritually throughout their life."  When you have to use the rod, do so in private, never publicly humiliating.  Spank out of love, not with intentions to cause harm to the child.
3. We are responsible to guard your children's environment.  You are to mold and shape your children.  Cultivate them like a garden, don't just "let them grow and see what they become or what they want to do".  Help them make decisions, pray with them about decisions early on in life, and most importantly remember that there is not substitute for you or your time.

As I started this blog out with, remember that you should love your children so much that you will not allow them to misbehave.  Bill said, "If you don't mind that your children don't mind, your children won't mind to not mind."  I wanted to put a speaker out on 624 for all the world to hear this message this morning. 

"Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him."  Proverbs 22:15

I hope I still make you laugh ...

when you see us together in a photograph.

 Kirby loves to ride her horse that Mrs. Rod gave her for her birthday.  And yes, I had to put her in her boots and horse bow to do so.

 Mom, dad and Kyleigh got to come visit us this weekend.  It was such a nice, relaxing time.  We enjoyed getting to see them for even just a little while.  I wish they were closer.  Kyleigh and Kirby had so much fun together. 

 Kirby loves her grammy.  She really liked laughing at her funny faces and nonsense noises.  She can almost say grammy ... it's more like "rammy" right now.

 One of my favorite past times is playing hair with my friends.  I am pretty sure my mom has a picture just like this of me and the two Amy's I grew up with in Houston, all 3 doing each other's hair.

 It was a beautiful day outside Saturday afternoon, so I decided to treat Kyleigh to some snapshots.  This is one of her favorite things to do, and it sure helps me get better with my camera.  These are a few of my favorite.

 And now on to our annual (hopefully) fall pictures with Nathan, Kyleigh, and Kirby.  The whole Thompson family came out Saturday night along with Kitty and Ray to watch the Aggie game and eat some of CR's delicious BBQ!

 I know this is the back of his head, but I thought it was precious how he was so excited about the pumpkins and getting into the wagon.

 Precious Thompson family that is too far away in miles but so very near to my heart!

 This picture above looks like she is thinking, "Mom, don't embarass me in front of my friends!"

 3 generations of Thompson men!

Thank you to this man above, for loving my best friend so well.  You are a gift from God and I am so thankful for you.  Kirby enjoyed playing with you and will be your little girl anytime you need a fix!

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God." 1 John 4:7