they love homemade...

yesterday we went to hobby lobby on a mission to get "ruffly" fabric!!!  I LOVE making little things for my girls~ they LOVE it too~

some days I wish that I could sit for hours at the sewing machine or have a glue gun in my hand BUT that is not reality..................

soooooo we got the fabric.. and I am making them skirts for Sunday... we usually don't do "new" dresses for Easter BUT I know my girls and ANYTIME I make them something they LOVE it!...

soooo they are getting new skirts (oh and making one for myself too!)...

not putting a picture out quite yet BUT they are adorable... yes,  the girls and the skirts!!!



~~~~UPDATE~~~~~~~~~

counting the "cost"

this morning ... EARLY morning... so many things on my heart... But God had me praying for various things.... missions, surgeries, expanding families, Neglected no more race, soul bags, and the list goes on.......
as I was praying I started remembering "the cost"  to some they may say What is that??  to some they may say yeah I have heard that.... BUT what does that really mean.. I like to be reminded of the scriptures (well sometimes they hurt)... like everything else I like to get all from the scriptures so I started looking it up...

 

 

Luke 14:26-33²⁶ “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. ²⁷ And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. ²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— ²⁹ lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? ³¹ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. ³³ So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

 

then I looked up the meaning in the dictionary...

An amount paid or required in payment for a purchase; a price.

The expenditure of something, such as time or labor, necessary for the attainment of a goal

To cause to lose, suffer, or sacrifice

Regardless of the expense or effort involved

 
so what is all this... laying down MY life so that I can be His disciple... I started thinking what might this mean to the prayers that God had me praying about this morning... realizing that in our walk with God that there is a cost... what may they look like in each situation I have no idea .... missionaries.... it may cost them a child or spouse
surgeries.... it may cost them a loved one
and I could list them all one by one.....
and then I go to the cost we pay following Him... I can already say that we have many and I know that there will be more..
then he goes on to say... whoever does not forsake ALL cannot be my disciple....
so that means some... No.... a little.... No..... All..... YES!!! 
when we repent and believe there is a cost... forsaking it ALL in order to be His disciple...

 

so then my heart went to Sin.... how ugly it is!... of course the Lord reminded me of my own!.. I mourn... I hate it..... I don't want to do it...... then my heart became burdened for the sin of this world... I hate it!.. I mourn!... I remember what He went through on that cross and the pain he endured and my heart breaks.. knowing that my sin kept Him there!....

we really don't grasp the cross...

oh the truths of the scriptures.... they hurt BUT they also heal!... I am thankful for His word, even since it is a mirror for me! to look at my life and see where my life is not a reflection of Him...
thankful for Grace....

we really don't grasp that either....


so as I go through the day... I must count the cost to follow Him...

Luke 9:23
Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.












 

no sleep = a reminder from God

Last night!... doozie!....  I have been up all night..... not one wink of sleep! and soooo has Andrew... I put Him to bed about 7:30 last night, he went to bed at about 8 and so Doug and I went to bed about 10 ish... well around 10:30 ish Andrew cries out.. I go check... he is fine just needs to be covered back up... about 30 mins later I hear the pitter pats of his feet coming down the stairs.. but too tired to take him back up he gets in the bed..(which has become a habit BUT I am thankful)... then the kicking starts, flailing, and arms flapping!... so finally I decide to get up and move him to the mattress that is in our room since the stomach bug hit our house :) so I am thinking "great! sleep" ummm no... he is wide awake...  soooo I make him lay down.. by 4 this morning I am at wits end... still recovering from the bug myself I am worn thin... so Doug makes the coffee and I grab a cup...

 I log onto my facebook and I have a couple that I follow that are missionaries in Kenya they have 4 kiddos and he is a doctor at a hospital there... well last week their daughter was very sick and within 3 days she died... heartbreaking! she was 15 months old and they said she had a brain tumor and it was quick... I had logged into his last blog post on March 22 and he was writing about their flights etc and then he said what he would give to have her back, to have her grab his leg and play games....

 CONVICTION I tell you!...
God always reminds me!... and it sent me to repentance... I cried!...

I am so thankful that Andrew keeps me awake, cries out when he needs to be covered, tells me there is a snake in his bed, sings bless the Lord oh my soul, waves and smiles sooo big when I pick him up from preschool, says can I watch an episode of cailou, and I could go on!.... Thank you God for the reminder!! and as I type this... he is sleeping :)

balled up like a pretzel and thankful

As I woke this morning...........

Lane was at the foot of my bed.. so cozy comfy

and me... not so much I had my legs bent all night so she could be at the foot of the bed....

you know the past 7 months have been tough.. we have had sickness of some sort in our house... so the time the kiddos have been in our room at night has been MANY!... BUT I know it won't last long...

I can't remember the last time Alexis came in our room and needed our attention.... Caleb will only be in our room if there is an occasional MAJOR pain and he can't get rid of it!... and the time Lane is coming in our room is getting fewer and fewer....now Andrew  seems to have made this a habit :) 

They are growing up right before my eyes.. so on the mornings that I am balled up in a pretzel, stiffed necked,  back aching I am thankful!..
thankful that they need us,
thankful that security happens in our room,
thankful that they are breathing and have life!...

these days go so fast I will blink my eye and they will be having children themselves!...

the Lost get found.... praying that for her!

last month we went to Doug's parents in Florida.. we had a great time and it was nice to have ZERO laundry to do and just enjoy the lake!... as we were heading home we made our 1 stop... yes 1... the kiddos did SOOOO good!... it was in Cordele, Ga.. as we were getting back on the interstate, there was a young lady that caught our attention, she was young but also beautiful!.. Doug and I looked at each other and had the same thought... what is going to happen to her.. this is strange... where is she going..... so we got on the interstate trying to decide if we should go back... but we did not... I was heavy!...

The next morning I was on facebook and scrolling and came across a missing child and my memory went right back to this girl.. I clicked on the page and it was HER!!!!!... my heart was beating SOOOOO hard... I called Doug and ask... WHAT DO I DO???????????????  he said call the police so I did... the detective was so sweet and took all the info I had and  explained a little about the situation and my heart broke even more!... it was planned!... so as we ended our conversation I said... can you PLEASE call me when you find her... he told me he would but in the back of my mind I knew I would not hear back... as the days went on I prayed.. prayed for her, her safety, whatever car she got in, her family!...

Two nights ago my phone rang at 9:15... it  was long distance number that I did not recognize, so I was not gonna answer BUT I am glad I did...... They had FOUND her!!! she was in Miami Fl... she denied who she was, and they questioned her for hours and then she finally said she was the one missing... I was so thankful that she was alive.... my prayer for her now is knowing she does not have to run... God loves her and she can run to Him!.. He is peace, He is love, He knows her!... I was thankful that this story ended good!

this heart internally

one of the many reasons I started this blog was to record the happenings of our family but also see how God was working in my heart as well... well here you go!

restless night, searching my heart, saddened, acceptance, wondering, struggle, burdened, maybe some frustration.... these are some of the things in this heart.. no, this one will not be "published" on facebook...   I have surely been struggling.. internally... to many they may have never seen!.. I am burdened!..

I see so many needs whether it be orphans, widows, young people, family, loved ones facing cancer, unsaved, and the list could go on... I am hurting, internally....

I have never seen third world countries first hand, but non the less I ache for them... I see the needs and I ache.....I see the need in my own community and I ache.... I want to help!.. I hear of the need BUT then no action when we offer to be the help... Its heartbreaking....  the questions that FLOOD me, the answers I want... what can I do???

 I try to talk to those that have the same heart, only then see at times theres not enough time to get it all in .... I ache!

so then what.. God gently reminds me.... Angela I am all you need!... I have given you my heart and you see the GREAT need around you, I have given you a vision for the world, now go do something! ... as I meet God in His word, He reminds me of so much..

Will I continue on the quest of meeting those needs... Yes!... will I continue to be His hands and feet... Yes!...

Lane is 7!... what a blessing!

Lane had a birthday back in February!... we were out of town that weekend so we decided to have her party on one following Sunday.... It was FUN!!! we had Mustache's everywhere and had our own "photo booth" and pin the mustache on the face!... it was FULL of giggles, fun, cake, pizza, and costumes... we love Lane and the excitement she brings to our family!.. we love ALL of her!... so thankful that the Lord gave her to us! we pray the God uses the energy she has for His glory! I am BLESSED to have her call me "momma"!... enjoy some pictures from the party!

precious treasure

Last night after we left family bible study (it was at the Fredrick's this week) , we were driving down 41 about 3 to 4 miles from their house and as we were talking Doug said, "I just heard my bible!, I left it on top of the van!!!!" he was in a panic!!!... we start searching in the van BUT it was not there and we knew he had left it on the top..... we found the nearest turn around (its a 4 lane road) and started driving back... would we ever find it?? He was starting to get frazzled... I was staring on the road looking to see if I saw some type of shadow.... we finally get back to a turning lane and just as we did ...I saw it! It  was in the middle of the road on the opposite side of where we were... I see lights coming and say a quick prayer for his safety as he runs through the median :)  He grabbed it and got back in the car...

He was RELIEVED he found his bible!!!! ... it was tattered, binding had come off, BUT.... all the scriptures were there.... from Genesis to Revelation!!

we thanked God for this!...

So why was this bible so important???

Its Gods revelation of himself!
Its perfect!
Its a mirror!
It has EVERYTHING we need to live our lives pleasing to God!
and I could go on and on with the reasons....

Its a beautiful treasure and we are so blessed to have it accessible to us anytime anywhere in the US!


we are thankful God found it fit for us to find HIS bible!