this is where it's @

I'm not quite sure why we need constant reminders of God's faithfulness. I would be devastated if my children constantly questioned my motives and love for them, but yet I am consistently doing that to my Lord. The minute I started to become discouraged this morning, I grabbed my Bible, my hot semi-warm coffee and wouldn't let myself stand up from the table until my faith was back where it needed to be. Anyone who has hung around me lately knows that I'm stuck in the book of Isaiah. Here is what it says in Isaiah 63...

"I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which He is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us..."

Isaiah 63:7

Can I just encourage you today?

It doesn't matter where you are at... whether you are loving life, or hating it.... feeling grateful or feeling overwhelmed.... harboring unforgiveness or walking in freedom...

The Lord has something to say to you TODAY.

Open His Word.

Spend time lifting up His name in worship.

Allow yourself to sink into His presence.

Talk to Him about what's on your heart.

People ask me all the time how I do it.

This is how.

It's the only thing that keeps me going.... daily reminding myself of the reason I am here in the 1st place.

non-negotiable

Chris and I both desire our kids to be COMPLETELY themselves... the way God created them... with all their talents, personality and creativity. We want to make room for them to grow and discover who they are and what part they play in this world.

BUT there are a few things in life that are non-negotiable for us.. things that we will make a priority for our kids to be and learn:

1. To know God and make Him known
2. To be mission-minded and have a heart for the people around them
3. To know how to properly throw and catch a baseball

Memorial Day 2013

Today ended up being a great day.

We BBQed, we did puzzles, we had fun fruity drinks and played baseball.

Isaac found his daddy's bike when he was a kid up in Poppy's attic and hasn't stopped riding it all day. Zoey also purchased her 1st bike from money she saved from her birthday last year. I have never seen this girl this excited!

Happy Memorial Day!

just a typical day.

Nothing special about this video, except for the fact that my kids are enjoying each other. Just doing my best to take in every moment and enjoy this season of life.

ok, Isaac, you can stay up to watch the Wings game tonight.

The kicker:
After Chris read this he asked Isaac, "what about me?" to which Isaac replied, "you are the 2nd best thing, daddy."

Best day ever.

Good Season Red Wings!

Sunday was Isaac's Playoff Championship Game.... and it was a nail-biter. They were playing a team that has been undefeated all season.... The Predators. They kept the game tied at 1 for most of the first 2 periods... the final score was 3-1 Predators, but the Red Wings played their best game yet! We were on pins and needles the entire time. So proud!

Nature Center Field Trip

On Friday Isaac's class and I traveled to the local nature center.

It was the perfect day!

Summer REACH 2013... here we come!

Every day I am looking for opportunities for my kids to think OUTWARD. It's very important to us as a family, and the summer is a great time for us to do things we don't normally have time for during the school months. Last year we started our Summer REACH mission and it was a ton of fun... so we are going to do the same thing this year. Here is a sneak peak into some of our plans....

1.) Pass out free Popsicles at the park

2.) Leave flowers on the neighbor's porch

3.) Donate coloring books and crayons to the children's hospital waiting room

4.) Pay for others to get something from the ice cream truck

5.) Write letters to persecuted Christians around the world

6.) Bless a family with free babysitting for a night

7.) Leave a surprise and encouraging note for the mailman

8.) Bring candy basket to office staff working the summer at Isaac/Zoey's school

9.) Decorate scripture cards for a family going thru a hard time

10.) Have a workday at the church to help out

We are still coming up with some more ideas of things we want to do, but the kids are excited to get started on the ones we've written down already. Bring on summer!

not your average guy.

This is the day he was coming to St. Louis to propose to me. That day changed my life forever!

There is nothing average about Chris.

He is exceptional in every way.

Sometimes I look at him and think...

"How can one person be genuinely great at so many things?"

He is the love of my life, and I am blessed beyond measure because for some reason the Lord gave him to me. He brings so much stability to our home and takes the time and effort needed to guide our family in the ways of the Lord... even when he is utterly exhausted.

I could honestly go on and on... but those that know Chris personally know that I hit the jackpot when he came into my life. Happy 35th Birthday Christopher!

our little artist

We found out that Isaac had one of his art pieces from school displayed at the Clinton-Macomb Library for the past few weeks at the annual "Festival of Arts", so we made a family night of it and went to view his masterpiece. Only a select number of students from each school in Clinton Township get chosen each year, so we were so proud of Isaac for being one of them!

to my mom.

Proverbs 1:8,9

Listen, my child...don't neglect your mother's teaching. 

What you learn will crown you with grace and clothe you with honor.

Thank you mom.

Happy Mother's Day.

Color Me Rad

 

My sisters made me do it.

It was the most fun I've had in a long time.

I loved having one of my main men by my side.

I was so proud of him.

He was so proud of me.

Now I need some Advil.

and in all things... session 45

Things I am thankful for on May 9th, 2013...

1. Psalm 136:26 
2. The Rizers...  the newest obsession in our house!
3. Playing-Outdoors & Windows-Open weather
4. The guidance of the Holy Spirit
5. Bolthouse Mocha Cappuccino Protein Drink 
6. My new-to-me laptop
7. That our truck can fit SO many people
8. My kids giggling and playing together... all by themselves
9. Each NEW day
10. Some new burdens that the Lord is placing on my heart... and the endless possibilities they bring

Field Trip: Deneweths Garden Center

Today we went on a special field trip to Deneweth's Garden Center with Zoey's Preschool Class. Despite the fact that it was during the time the boys would normally eat and nap, we made the best of their crabbiness and tried to stop and smell the roses... or the orchids... either way. It was slightly frustrating that I couldn't give my little girl some undivided attention (individualized attention is a delicacy around these parts), but I was glad that I could still be there to show her support. She got to see how all the machines run, plant her own flower and she even informed me that she saw a flower that looked like it had bones (I was chasing baby boys around the watering cans at that point). I'll tell you one thing... those flowers definitely put me in the summer spirit!

thinking functionally... and hating every minute of it.

I've finally come to the conclusion that in order for our family to survive I need to make my house a very functional home. This is both liberating and disappointing at the same time. This might not be rocket science for most, but for me, succumbing to the fact that having a "pretty" house doesn't cut it with 4 kids and a full life has been a difficult process. As much as I would love to have a beautiful lantern with tangerine scented candles on my counter, a basket full of size 3 and 5 diapers and Burt's Bee diaper cream serves me better on any average day. Beautiful throw pillows on my couch are out of the question... they would be destroyed by ninja warriors before anyone would have a chance to see them. I had to ask my self a very simple question: what is our home primarily for? The answer is easy: raising 4 gifts of God while attempting sanity for their parents. So the solution was obvious: function over beauty.

I do still have pockets of beauty strewn around my house.... I love my wall of picture frames, my glass container of tea bags and my bedroom is slowly becoming my secret get-away.

It's a season... just like everything else in my life, and I'm determined to enjoy every minute of it... even if for the time being my couch cushions have turned into wrestling mats.

Our UNFINISHED wall of picture frames I have been saving for years. We still need to put up a few more frames and then fill them... but it's starting to look the way I pictured it in my head when we moved in!

Welcome VIPs

 
Well, if you are reading this, then you are one of the newest members of my newly privatized blog! I've been asked a few times why I have decided to make it private, and the answer is simply that I'm trying to use wisdom as my kids grow older. If you know of someone who would like to be invited to view it, please leave me a comment here with their email address, or email me their information at loribunk@gmail.com.