Busy!

Are you busy?
I am busy!
Not busy enough to write about it, though. :) HA!
We had a get-together at our house last night...most of the pastoral staff came and some of our Sunday School leaders and then a few extra special friends that we have. It was great! Dessert and coffee all around and it was fun and homey in our little apartment. Boo has a little friend who came over and boy I tell ya, the two of them...they are so hilarious! She hugs him lots and he blows her off some of the time, but then always comes running back for more hugs and smoochies. The Pastor and the little girl's daddy commented that in about 10 years we are going to have to put a wall between them and no playing in the bedroom unsupervised. Seriously. She is a pretty special girl and I would love to have Gayle and Charley as David's in-laws! :) hee hee.
So, I am swamped at work, lots of paperwork to do and I have a class to attend today. The class should be good, but in the back of mind, I am thinking about Boo. He has his party at school today, Jeremy has his party at his office today, and Boo, well, he isn't feeling all that great. He's allergic to the holidays. Every major holiday he gets sick...think there is something "they" call that??? Maybe it's because we get so busy and his little body just doesn't adjust? Maybe it's because he hasn't had a decent night sleep in 4 days....I definately know that contributes to it. I hope he is okay today and that I can get my work done and manage to take Friday off.
I am not letting my busy-ness cloud my true thoughts I'll have you know...it's Christmas and I am looking forward to spending it with my family this weekend. My new nephew is home and I can't wait to hold that little boy and give him lots of smoochies...assuming I am not sick by Saturday! :)
I have more stuff to share, but like I said, I'm BUSY!

Never to busy for you, Lord-
Karen

Updates and Pictures

(In Other Words - see below)

Please bear with me over the next week, since I am in the process of having my blog changed over to Beta Blogger...same address, no worries there, but maybe different look and something seems up with my header, so I am getting my designer, the lovely and talented, Goofy Girl, to take a look at it. That girl is in the middle of finals in med school, so say a prayer for her when you get a chance. :)

I am going ahead and posting more pictures for people to look at of our Christmas pictures. I am still in the process of sorting through them and making sure all the grandparents have what they need...cause, it's all for them. :)

These boys look deep in thought and coversation! I love the way Boo looks at his daddy...it's with awe and excitement most times. It's a special bond these two men of mine have...one with purpose and guidance, with fun and adventure, and most importantly a love for Jesus. Boo doesn't even know how special he is to have such a great daddy, but I get the feeling he's starting to learn that. Jeremy-you are an incredible father. I am amazed at the way you love our son and nurture him.

Here we are! So cuteness!!! I hope my aunt Sheila thinks we did okay with the color scheme. :) HA! She is all about that most years, and my mom thought I did good. David was a dream, seriously...he did so great and that's why we ended up with a bazillion pictures. He's only 2 once, right?

I always love the before and after shots...they really show his true personality. Can you tell here that we are getting to the end and this may be the sign of a little hungry munchkin? Yeah, it definately is. It's the total Kernie face too. He gives me that look sometimes and I can't help but giggle knowing I most definately gave my mom and dad that same look when I was little.

And then...he gives the shot of his life. This screams and oozes "I am so cutie!" His teeth look nice (bonus for the dental assistant in his life - GRANDMA!) and look at his cute little cheeks...don't you just want to squeeze and pinch em!? My aunts will totally love this picture.


There you have it...the photo session in a nutshell. I have my new pictures on my desk today, and I am overjoyed to see my little Boo staring at me. It's a constant reminder of one of the purposes of my life.

Have a great Tuesday!
In Him-
Karen

In Other Words - The Atmosphere

"I am the one holding the keys to the atmosphere in my home."
Teri Maxwell

It's fun to hold the keys...at least that's what my Boo thinks. He knows the importance and symbolism for holding the keys. We are either going somewhere or coming home from somewhere, but there is great importance in having them if you are driving your car or trying to get into your house. So, you could say the price of holding the keys is, well, valuable.

The atmosphere in my own home is equally as valuable. The way we talk to one another. The way we discipline. The way we help each other. These are all very valuable things and can easily be distorted and torn down if not taken seriously. I woudn't say it's so much ALL of my job or responsibility to keep peace in our home, but I do play a vital role. My tone of voice, the way I speak to my husband, the way I hold my tongue...all of these things are addressed in the Bible (see Psalms, Proverbs, James), so God thinks they are of exceptional importance.

Women, as emotionally created beings that God so designed us to be...we can sometimes allow the emotions to control the atmosphere of our home. I want the emotions of joy, peace, and love to be the sweet fragrance that people see and smell and taste, but it's the other emotions of anger, bitterness, and chaos...those are the emotions I want no one to get a whiff of. This statement catapults me into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Apart from Him, I can do nothing (John 15:5). Apart from Him, I can't experience TRUE joy, TRUE peace, and TRUE love, which only comes from God above.

Father- may the atmosphere of my home be found pleasing in your sight.

--Karen

Portrait Innovations

I forgot to bring my CD with me this morning, but I do have one picture of Boo and I to post. It's on my desktop and it's just the cutest. Daddy-I think you will love it, and fear not, you are getting one in the mail soon. :)

Ain't he sweet??? Oh yes, he absolutely is!! I will post more tonight if I think about when I get home. Hope you enjoy the day the Lord has made. Rejoice!

In Him-

Karen

Tags: Portrait Innovations

Boo's First Basketball Game

Recently we got the opportunity to take Boo to a Georgia Tech Basketball Game...his first EVER! He had a great time! I honestly wasn't sure if he would really sit there through the whole game, but he shocked me and proved me all wrong. I think basketball is his new favorite sport. :)


Here he is...Basketball sweatshirt and all. The smile on his face tells the whole story, seriously.


Althought he comfy chair is nice, he really preferred the aisle walkway. Not a lot of people were around us, so he enjoyed sitting there and watching the game.


Boo enjoyed a hot dog, bun included, half of MY half of the pretzel and a Sprite! I was completely amazed!!


Boo got to meet Buzz for the first time also...as much as he followed the game, he also followed with his eyes, where Buzz was all through out the game. Right before we left, Daddy flagged him down and they got to High-5. He also told him "GO Jackets!, Sting Em!" Too bad this past weekend against Georgia they didn't sting them enough. hee hee

Karen

Because He's God!

"Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God
whose ways you may not understand at the time."
~Oswald Chambers~

Can I get an AMEN? Deliberate - a synonym for PURPOSEFUL! That word deliberate is filled with purpose and my all time favorite word...intentional! I must be intentional in my faith, not just saying 'I have faith', but actually stepping out and trusting the Lord.

In my Sunday school class a few months back, we were discussing some deep issues about suffering and pain and loss, and my answer to all of that was this...Because God is God! He can do whatever He pleases. That is an answer many do not like to hear. It's hard to swallow that God is Love, yet children suffer through illness and death; that God is peace, and we battle in war over land; that God is Hope, and people die every day that don't know Him personally. The Lord says, "And without faith it is impossible to please Him..." Hebrews 11:6a, NASB The fact that having faith pleases the Lord blows my mind. People say it's not that simple...I have learned only recently that it is THAT simple. I have been reading Fresh Faith by Jim Cymbala and I was confronted by the lack of my faith. I agreed with people that having faith was simply "easier said than done." I don't agree with that any longer.

I have shared many times about the past year and I also have shared a story about a friend of mine who lost her baby earlier this year. Her statement to many was this... "If the Lord allowed all this to happen if for nothing else than for us to draw closer to Him, then wasn't it worth it?" In my book? Absolutely. I think a great deal of time is spent asking the Why? questions instead of having the faith to trust the Lord. I trust that when something happens that isn't in my plan (ha! my plan...as if I ever had a plan!), okay, let's say, in the realm of my thinking...and it seems to derail me, I know must cling to what I know...the scriptures :

Jeremiah 29:11b "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, but to give you hope and a future." NIV

2 Corinthians 13:11 "be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you." NASB

I Chronicles 28:20 "Then David said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished." NASB

My purposeful faith is not based on the circumstance that the Lord brings into my life, it's based on trusting that the Lord is who He says He is in His Word. Be found faith filled today...

In Christ-

Karen

Tags: In Other Words, CWO

Give Thanks

With a grateful heart.
Give Thanks, to the Holy One.
Give Thanks, because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son...

I love making a statement and being reminded of a song that I sang as a youth in church. That was one of my favorites. I have been thinking lately of traditions and wanting to start one in our family. We have started several small ones for the three of us and hope they will continue on as the years do. I came across a cool thing today, though, that I just had to share. On the website Faith Lifts, Katrina wrote about something they do as a family and I think I am going to start it with Boo tonight. Now, we don't have a fire place, so that part will change, but the idea is still good as gold.
I think it's important to remind children to give thanks always. We have much more to be thankful for that we testify too, mainly because of the Cross. It's often that I go days without thanking the Lord for sending His Son, but that should always be on the forefront of my mind. What He did on the cross makes me who I am today. May I not let another day go by that I don't thank you Lord for what you did.

In Christ-
Karen

P.S. - This is my 100th POST!!!

Tags: Faith Lifts, Raising Kids, Thanksgiving

The Dreaded Note

Boo's attitude about obeying have been less than stellar lately. So, I kind of wasn't surprised when I received the note home from his teacher on Friday. Boo "has been disobedient and hitting his friends recently"...hm. I have noticed the change in him only recently, maybe about 2 weeks ago. He started putting up more of a fight at bedtime and just the constant statement of NO. It's been really tiring. So....
This weekend, we decided to change our habits. Friday after school, Jeremy and I had a long talk with him about the situation at school, we also decided that evening that no TV shows would be permitted for the rest of the day, and most importantly that we would pray about this. He agreed to the above and seemed to do better that evening. We also went back to something we used to do with bed time...straight from SuperNanny. It seems to help him more and although it takes time, it's worth it if it works. After we put him in his bed, I sit next to his bed for a few minutes. We can't talk to each other, so I take this time to pray silently for him and for our family, and depending on the amount of time, I pray for whatever the Lord brings to my mind. Every few minutes, I move closer to the door, until I finally say a final goodnight and leave. Every night the distance between him and me gets bigger as I move the starting point closer to the door. Now, I must say, this works MOST OF THE TIME, but there are the nights where honestly, nothing works, and you just have to leave and trust that he will learn to get in the bed and close his eyes. Last night proved to be that night. I did the sitting by the bed, then sitting by the door, then sitting outside and yet he still wouldn't stay in there, so after30-40 minutes, it was up to him. He cried at the door for a while and then....he went to his bed by himself.
I think I don't give him enough rope at times. He is only 2 1/2, but he is also a very smart 2 1/2. Boo has just always been the kid who needed to cry it out or figure it out himself. When he was little, he would cry for several hours at night and then just all of sudden stop. That would be it, and he would be happy and go to bed and Jeremy and I would just sit there and look at each other with wonder. He's just a kid who has to learn and do it himself at times.
I guess that's the prayer I think about the most....and pray the most often. Help me, Lord, to nurture him and direct him in the straight path, but help me also to allow him to learn and do things on his own. I think that's a huge deal in today's world...some parents let kids run crazy and others don't allow them to explore on their own. Finding that happy place is a huge prayer and responsibility to me.

I hope each of you is having a blessed day in Jesus!

--Karen

Tags: Raising Kids, Prayer

Looking forward

I am having a battle of the wills lately...Boo bear's will and my will. For some mysterious reason, bedtime has taken a turn for the worst. He so thinks he is going to miss something. I mean, I guess that's what it is... He doesn't need anything, he just wants to say my name a bazillion times over and over. I actually had to laugh at it, because I imagined the Lord laughing at the situation too. I wondered (and not long) about how many times the Lord says my name and I don't even flinch! It shouldn't be that way. My spirit should be more sensitive about hearing His voice and obeying. I sometimes feel Boo bear's ears need to be more sensitive to my voice also...hee hee. (That's the funny part.)
Our statement in the house to boo is this: Boo, if you can't learn to listen and obey Mommy and Daddy (whom you see), then it will be hard to listen and obey the Lord (whom you can't see). It's a good lesson and it keeps Jeremy and I in check probably more than Boo. I am following my Dr. Dobson notes and getting down on his level, touching and holding his arms and looking him in the eye, however, all he wants to do is hug me. I am grateful for the hugs, don't get me wrong, but I am having a time to get him to look me in the eyes.

I think it's one of the most amazing things that the Lord uses my child to make an extreme point in my life. My eyes desire to be focused on the Father at all times and yet the distractions of the world are many. It can be simple stuff or complex things, but most importantly it takes the focus off Him to the circumstance, and my soul needs to be in constant communication with the Father to avoid de-railing off the path. I enjoy remembering the past and from where the Lord has brought me, but today, for only reasons He knows, my eyes are looking forward. Looking ahead. Looking for the path. Looking to Him for guidance. Searching for His will and His way. Oh, Lord, may my eyes see your glory and desire your way - the straight path. May I focus on Your face instead of my own. May I focus on Your work, instead of the circumstance. Oh, Lord, may I have Your eyes to see others as you see them....this is my prayer.

In Christ-
Karen

Tags:Children, Prayer

Rest and Relaxation

Hey! I'm back!! We had a wonderful time, thank some of you for asking and thanks for the wonderful emails I received while I was away, taking a few days to spend with my sweet husband. Callaway Gardens was beautiful and I can only imgaine what it must look like during the Spring time! I can't wait to go back there and take Boo to see the butterflies. I honestly could have stayed all day at the Butterfly Garden. We toured the sites, enjoyed the Bed and Breakfast nearby, but most importantly talked. We do normally talk, but when we go away, we have an agenda. Agendas are awesome and it gives us the opportunity to focus and concentrate. We had some spiritual time talking and sharing and I believe the Lord was pleased by the time we spent. It's good to get away to put perspective on circumstances and to pray about how to handle certain issues when we return. I would recommend every married couple to do that once a year....just get away, go and pray together, and spend quality time with each other.

It's November! Where did October go? Did anyone else feel that way??? I am glad, because I love the holidays, so I am all ready right now to get a Christmas tree! I think Jeremy feels the same way. Oh! I completely forgot to tell you...I got the most amazing gift. I have wanted one for a long time, but never really had a place for one, but my in-laws brought over the China cabinet!!! It's the only piece of furniture that I have never had in my whole life, and I was thrilled to get my mother-in-law's cabinet. It currently sits in our dining room, and we have made room for it and need to get rid of the cabinet that was there, but I can't wait to put my dishes in it!! It's my first piece of family furniture that I have. Whenever the Lord gives us a house one day, I hope to get my mother's rocking chair too. It's one of Jeremy's favorites.
That's really the biggest news around here. Work is the same - busy, but good. Boo is doing well at school, but still needs prayer on the pottying. The GBC is next week and I am attending the Minister's Wives lunch. After that, well, it's Turkey Day!!!

Have a great day in our Lord!

Karen

Tags: Callaway Gardens, GBC, Marriage