Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Story Behind "Blessings"

I posted the lyrics to Laura Story's song "Blessings" yesterday. Today, I thought I'd share her thoughts to where the lyrics to this song came from. Her testimony is amazing!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Blessings

"We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home,
It's not our home

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise"


Sung by Laura Story

Monday, March 28, 2011

Bad Girls of the Bible - Review

A friend of mine had read this book when we were in college and I've always wanted to read it so I was very excited when I saw this as one of the available books to review on Blogging for Books. Come on, you know the title grabs your attention!
Liz Curtis Higgs takes 10 bad girls of the Bible: Eve, Potiphar's Wife, Lot's Wife, The Woman at the Well, Delilah, Sapphira, Rahab, Jezebel, Michal, & The Sinful Woman. She writes a contemporary fiction, verse by verse commentary, lessons we can learn, and good girl thoughts to consider for each woman. I love Higgs very easy style of writing. She's funny, witty, and serious as well. The book was an enjoyable and easy read. I would highly recommend this book for teenage girls and adult women.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Crazy Hair

Jadyn loves to rub her head against our couch and make her hair look like this:

Sunday, March 27, 2011

How to Be God's Little Princess - Review


My daughter is almost 3 years old, so she's not quite ready for this book but I'm looking forward to reading this with her when she gets older. What a wonderful book to teach our daughter's manners and etiquette. Sheila Walsh does a great job of saturating the book in Scripture, making it fun for girls to read, and making it easy to understand. I liked that she put quizzes in the book for the reader to find out where they are in a certain area. She also includes some fun recipes and even a tie dye recipe. I think this book would be appropriate for elementary aged girls. This would be a great mother/daughter activity as well.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Friday, March 25, 2011

Our Week in Review - Adjectives, Boston Tea Party, & Fine Arts Recital



Another week down? Can we really only have one more week in March? Mj's been a busy little bee this week. Here's what he was up to this week.

Bible: Mj learned about Zacheus and Nicodemus. The focus on both lessons was on the love that Jesus showed these two men. Zacheus was hated by others because he was a tax collector and stole from the people. After he met Christ, Zacheus was changed. He gave back to the people what he had taken. Nicodemus was ashamed to meet Jesus so he came to Him at night. Jesus shared with Nicodemus the reason He came to the world - "to seek and to save that which was lost." Mj memorized II Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

English: Mj finished his short story about Nick who had a problem - he lost his skateboard. After his short story we began a unit on adjectives. Mj has learned that adjectives describe nouns. They can answer the question what kind? And adjectives can describe sight, sound, and smell.

Reading: Mj read a story based on the Bible account of Namaan. He also spent some extra reading time reading his Star Wars Lego Dictionary! =)

Math: Mj finished up his chapter on fractions. He learned how to read a circle graph. He also learned how to use fractions with time (quarter after 2, half past 3, quarter to 4).

We used our education cubes and put fractions in the cubes.
After the roll he would color in the fraction.


Heritage Studies: Mj has been learning about the colonies in the late 1700s. Last week we focused on the Stamp Act and Townshend Duties. This week we talked about the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. I've finally seen Mj get excited about History. This is definitely not his favorite subject but now that there is war coming and guns are involved he's getting more excited! Boys!!!=)

Working on his map of the route the English soldiers took when they arrived in Boston.


Science: Mj finished his chapter on the inside of the earth. We read an adaptation of Journey to the Center of the Earth. Mj had to tell me what was fact and what was fiction. He has really enjoyed this chapter in science.

A little Lego fun during the school day!=) He built a taxi without instructions.

Co-op: Tonight we attended our co-op's fine arts recital. Mj was nervous all day because he had to play a piano piece and recite his short story that he wrote in English. It was a good learning experience for him to conquer his fears. He did amazing and his Spanish class also performed a song in Spanish. So proud of our little man!!!

Mj playing his piano piece "Time to Celebrate."

Mj reciting his own original short story "Nathan's Problem."
Mj's Spanish class singing a song in Spanish.
In part of the song they had to shake hands with each other and say "Buenos Noches."

Tot School - "U"

Jadyn is 33 months old & Gabe is 13 months old.
Tot School


This week we focused on the letter "U". Jadyn sings her alphabet song all around the house. It's so fun to listen to her sing when she has no idea that you're listening! ;)


"U" is for umbrella and unicycle. As alwasy check out Tot School for these great craft ideas!



Color matching umbrella puzzles. Great printables from Confessions of a Homeschooler.

There's always fun when stickers are around!=)

More scissor fun! Jadyn's really getting a knack for using those scissors. Every morning, she comes in the school room and says, "I need paper to cut!" She loves using those scissors!


I love this magnetic fish puzzle from Melissa & Doug. Jadyn does, too!=)
Gabe loves this geometric sorter and Jadyn finally got a chance to play with it!=) She did a great job putting the shapes together.

Gabe's getting into everything! It's hard to keep him at one place for very long.=)

He loves to play with this toy. This keeps him entertained for at least 5 minutes! ;)

I pulled these rectangle shapes down for him. I wasn't sure if he'd try to put them in his mouth or not. He put them in the container and then after a couple of minutes decided he needed to put them in his mouth so maybe this will be for a couple of months down the road.
Eating his geometric sorter shapes! This kid puts everything in his mouth (yes, even dog food!)


Thursday, March 24, 2011

You Never Change

"Father of lights, Giver of gifts,
There is no shadow in You.
Author of life, Fountain of grace,
Each morning Your mercies are new.

Father of love, Source of all good,
Tower of strength and my Shield.
When You gave Your Son for those who rebelled,
Your love for the world was revealed.

Father of peace, Help of the weak,
Though mountains fall into the sea.
Though tempests may rage, the sun hid its face,
Your favor will rest upon me.


And You never change, and You never lie,
Age to age You are the same.
I will trust in You, all Your faithfulness,
For I know You never change.

Sovereign Grace Music

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Happy Blogovesary!

Happy 4th Blogoversary to my blog! I can't believe all the amazing things that have happened in our lives in 4 years. So thankful I've been able to document it all! To God be the glory!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Happy Spring!!! (a day early)

So thankful for 76 degree temperature yesterday!! We were outside enjoying the beautiful day God made. Looking forward to the first day of spring tomorrow (and free Rita's Italian ice!!)=) My husband and I were laughing how soon this kind of day will be our winter in Miami! I think I can get used to that! =)

Friday, March 18, 2011

Our Week in Review - Fractions, Stamp Act, & Volcanoes

Another week down!=) Here's what Mj did this week:

Bible: Mj learned about some of Jesus' miracles that He performed. Mj memorized Mark 4:41 "And they feared exceedingly and said one to another, 'What manner of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey Him'?"

English: Mj started writing a make-believe story. He had to plan his character, the character's problem, the solution to the problem, the setting. He wrote his first draft and revised his story so far.


Reading: Mj read a couple of stories about the ocean.

Math: Mj has been working on fractions. He loves fractions and has had no problem with them.

Heritage Studies: Mj learned about the Stamp Act and why the colonists were upset about the tax. He also learned about the Sons of Liberty.

Science: Mj learned about the inside of the earth and how scientists study the inside of the earth. He learned about the 3 parts - crust, mantle, and core.

We made our own volcano! The kids loved it!

Tot School - "T"



Jadyn is 33 months old & Gabe is 13 months old
Tot School
This week we focused on the letter T. Jadyn loved the games and crafts we had for the week!

"T" is for tractor and toothbrush. As always I got the ideas from Totally Tots.

Confessions of a Homeschooler has some great "T" theme printables - turtles!

Sorting turtles by size.
Color sorting turtles.

Coloring her "t" paper.
Playing with her Trains and Tracks.


Working on her numbers power point from 1+1+1=1. There is a membership fee for these power points, but they are great and Jadyn loves them!


Playing with the beans. She loves these things!

My little reader. She could read all day if I let her.Jadyn enjoyed joining in with Mj's science experiment - A volcano eruption!

Gabe has been learning a lot as well! He's learning that he's a pretty funny kid and he loves to make us laugh!
His newest silly thing - This: He thinks this pose is hilarious!

He just started to get interested in his puppy. He enjoys pushing the heart.


Lots of fun with his leapfrog learning table.
Reading time...
The Next American Idol?




Wednesday, March 16, 2011

COURAGEOUS Movie Trailer

I'm looking forward to seeing this movie!! The trailer brings me to tears! We loved Fireproof and I'm sure this will be a favorite as well.


Monday, March 14, 2011

Our Exciting News...

... we're moving to Miami!

Let me start at the beginning. In August, we received a phone call from our brother-in-law (who lives in Miami) to pray about a maintenance position at the church & school down there and helping out my sis-in-law and brother-in-law with the youth group at the church. (My brother-in-law is the youth pastor). So we prayed about it and decided we should probably visit. So in the end of September we packed up all 3 kids and drove to Miami. I had visited Miami a couple of times, but Mark had never been there. He hated it - the heat, the traffic, the city, pretty much everything. But by the end of the week we both felt that if the Lord was calling us here, we could do it.
Well, we came back and really we just waited. We realized all we would be giving up here (our families, our house that we've worked so hard on and have so many memories in, our church and our youth group...) But that was selfish. These are just things!!
In October, my husband was laid off from work. And we continued waiting. In December, we were really feeling a lean toward moving to Miami. So we decided we needed to visit there one more time to make our decision. So in February Mark, Gabe, and I flew to Miami for a long weekend. While we were there, we were totally comfortable. We got to tour the school, meet more staff and families, see the house that would be ours, etc. Our prayer from the beginning of this whole process was for God to give us peace and that's what He was doing.
We returned and decided to wait a week or two to make our final decision. We can truly say that God has given us peace about this over 1,000 mile move.
We know it's not going to be easy - leaving our family and church (we told our youth group yesterday and I think that was one of the toughest things we've had to do), but we know that this is God's will for our lives and that excites us!
Another change will be that Mj will go to school. The tuition is provided and the school seems amazing. I think he will do well in a school environment and Mark will be working on campus and I'll be able to be involved, too. I must say that I'm nervous, but excited about this whole new transition for Mj as well.
Looking back it's been awesome to see God's work "behind the scenes" in all of this.
We're looking at moving toward the end of May/beginning of June. We have much to do before then so prayer is appreciated!!! It's easy for us to get overwhelmed with all we have to do before then, but God is our strength!!
I feel like I have rambled on and I hope this all made sense. I just want to share what God has been doing in our lives! What an awesome God we serve and we look forward to serving Him in Miami!

Isaiah 55:8 - "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord."

This is a picture of our home in Miami - it's just waiting for it's new family to arrive. (Can I just say that I love the palm trees in the front yard!!!)

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Exciting News to Come...


And no, I'm not pregnant! Although that would be pretty exciting, too.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Our Week in Review - Daniel Boone, Double Negatives, & a Doodle Bug


Here's our week in review!

Bible: Mj finished up his unit on forgiveness with a lesson about the Prodigal Son and a lesson about Paul's letter to Philemon about his servant Onesimus. Mj memorized Matthew 6:14-15 "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
I also got the education cubes out for Mj and put in the character quality papers. He would roll a character quality, read it, and give me a Bible character who exemplified that quality.
Wow! Our school room was a disaster that day! LOL
English: Mj finished up his chapter on verbs. We finished with contractions and double negatives. Now Mj enjoys talking in double negatives and then corrects himself.

Math: Mj reviewed multiplication

Heritage Studies: Mj learned about George Washington's part in the French & Indian War. He also learned about Daniel Boone.
Mj colored a picture of Daniel Boone.
Science: Mj learned about the circulatory system. He took his pulse at rest and after exercising and noticed that his pulse was faster when exercising because his muscles need more oxygen.


Art: Mj made a doodle bug. Check out Drawing with Rich to make your own doodle bug.
We had a pretty easy week which was nice. Now to keep on keeping on....
Related Posts with Thumbnails