Road Trip and Raising Children ...

... the way that God wants you to.  This morning Bill continued his sermons on the family.  I am so thankful that we are getting these family lessons now when our child is still young.  I like to think we already know how God wants us to raise our family, but there is so much still out in there in the realm of the unknown for me.  I am scared to death to raise a little girl in this day and age.  I know with the Lord's direction, though, we can do the best we can do.  Today's message came from Deuteronomy, which starts out the whole idea with me still having so much to learn.  I didn't even realize Deuteronomy spoke on raising a family!  As Brother Bill put it, "God speaks on the family all the way from Genesis to Revelation"!  There were 5 important bullets that Bill gave us as "must dos":

1. We must lead our children to know God.  (There is a God.  There is only one God.  God is the Lord.  He is our Lord. 
2. We must show our children to love God.  (We must show them!  Not tell them, but show them how to love God.  Our #1 responsibility as their parents is to see that our children enter into a real relationship with Jesus.)
3. We must guide our children to fear God.  (They see what we watch and read, where we go, how we speak and the music we listen to.)
4. We must instruct our children to live God's word.  (Help them to find the will of God for their lives, obey the word of God, and walk in the ways of God.)  He made a great point here: "The home is where the next generation decides how they are going to live their life."
5. We must train our children to depend on God. 

Our homes and marriages are supposed to have a permanency to them.  They are to happy and reap God's love.  If yours is not reaping God's love, I encourage you to find a church home.  It is amazing how God uses His people to bring love into other peoples' lives.

San Antonio Road Trip
So San Antonio is one of my favorite places on Earth.  I could live there.  Some of you have heard me tell the (what CR thinks is a joke) story about me asking CR about moving to the Hill Country.  In case you haven't heard, let me enlighten you.  The conversation went like this:
We had been married about 3 or 4 months at this point
ME: CR, it would be so wonderful one day to move the Hill Country.  I know you don't like cities, so it could be on the outer sides of San Antonio.  Maybe Boerne, Comfort, something along those lines.
CR: Lauren, you can't farm there.  Too much rock and hills.
ME: OK, so maybe we could move there when we retire. 
CR: Oh dear, you have so much to learn.  Farmers don't retire, they just die.
ME: Ok, well then when you are 6 feet under I am moving to higher elevation!
You get the drift, it is an amazing place to me.  I love the drive on the Devil's Backbone between San Marcos and Boerne ... how can anyone ride on that road and deny there is a God of all creation?  The landscape is beyond description and well the shopping in San Antonio, oh the shopping.  CR says we save a ton of money not living there.  Just a note - I have been looking for this certain gray nail polish for 3 years now.  Not a specific brand, just a specific color.  A muted one.  Not sparkly or shimmery and no hints of purple.  Guess where I found it?  La Cantera.  I have also been looking for plaid, lumber jacky button down shirt - not expensive.  Guess where I found one?  San Marcos Outlet.  CR has been looking for a comfortable Aggie and Ranger cap ... guess where he found them?  La Cantera!  Kirby has been looking for a pair of shoes that she would keep on.  Guess where she found them?  San Marcos!  Successful trip I would say. 
The main reason we went up that way for our niece Eva's 3rd birthday.  We went a day early and took the kiddos to the San Antonio zoo, did some shopping for all of us, spent the night with Rob and Meg, then partied hard at Chick-Fil-A with the family.  It was a blessing to us all to just go on a whim and take a trip.  We all needed to get off the farm for a bit and, as always, being in good company just blesses you to the bone.  Here are some pictures from our adventures:

 Eva playing in the sand by the beach part of the zoo.

 Playing in the learning center.

 Feeding the huge tortoise with Daddy.

 CR says this is one of the ducks he wants on the wall.  Took his all to walk away.

 With Eva and Daddy Ray at the birthday party.

"Oh that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep my commandments, that it may be well with them and well with their children forever!"  Deuteronomy 5:29