Timing is Everything

"There is a time for every purpose under Heaven...a time to keep silent and a time to speak." (Eccles 3:1,7)
I was reading a book I found in the back of an old bedside table called The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian and came across a section called "Shut Up and Pray." I was immediately sucked in. Her basic point was that "there are things that are better left unsaid!" She went on to say "sometimes anything we say will only hinder the flow of what God wants to do, so it's best to, well, shut up and pray." I think this is so true not just with your spouse but with friends, coworkers, extended family and children too. Proverbs 29:11 says, "A fool vents all of his feelings, but a wise man holds them back." I think this can be so difficult at times when we feel angry, anxious, hurt or disappointed. However, I was reminded that God intends we "not be quick with (our) mouths, and not be hasty in (our) hearts to utter anything before (Him)." (Eccles 5:2) This is so important in life and as more time passes, thankfully this is coming a little easier for me. Now notice I said a "little" easier. This definitely does not come naturally to most humans but when we find ourselves upset and overwhelmed, if we immediately take it to the Lord in prayer, within no time at all, some strange kind of relief does come. My devotional the other day said, "Let (God) control your mind. The mind is the most restless, unruly part of mankind." I pray that we all will learn to think and talk things through with our Heavenly Father before striking with our tongues at those who we are commanded to love here on Earth. Remember God's timing is everything and sometimes we just need to wait and pray QUIETLY! :)

Now back to my recap of last week: Day 3 - Sunday April 17th
Well, just wanted everyone to witness the fact that boys, as insane, unpredictable and wild as they can be, are also going to be daddies someday! These are the bears Mimi (Chris' mom) gave them for Valentine's Day. They told me they were feeding them and putting them to bed. It truly touched my heart. This is a rare site for this boy mama!!!!

Pennsylvania Snoring

Day 2 - Saturday April 16th
We decided to go to Sylvania, GA which is about an hour and ten minute drive, to visit my great Aunts. Grady insisted that we were going to Pennsylvania even after I told him 5 times it was Sylvania. Davis' middle name, Sharpe, is my aunts' maiden name. They are my dad's mom's sisters. We arrived and Mom and Dad had spent the night there Friday, so they were in the backyard while Aunt Charlotte was getting ready. Mom said she would watch the boys so we could go visit. Well, I go inside and am talking to Aunt C and all of a sudden i got a text from Mom, "Help!" I laugh and wrote "Haha, I'm cracking up." She quickly returned, "Quit laughing and get out here!" I walked outside and the boys had found a ditch right next to a road that is fairly busy and were running in and out of it with dirt everywhere. Davis proceeded to run out into the road while laughing hysterically. I couldn't even catch him so William's friend ran over and grabbed him as he was halfway across the road. Mom's leg was bruised from where she fell in the ditch chasing Davis. I was gone for 5 minutes and it was craziness! Those boys are 90 to nothing. You better have on your running shoes when you are with them! Then we went to lunch and Sister joined us. Her real name is Mary, but we call her Sister.  Thankfully she has 6 children, so my two didn't bother her one bit! After a 10 minute pooping session with Grady at the restaurant and Davis crawled onto a table and then had to be taken to the car by Chris, we were on our way home! We figured Davis would fall asleep since it was right around his nap time. Well no way hose! Instead, Davis was watching his tractor movie and all of a sudden we heard snoring. It was Grady! Davis started laughing and pointed at Grady and said, "Gady oink oink!" He scrunched his nose up and made a little pig oinking sound, his impression of snoring. Chris and I were cracking up! Nothing like a two year old making fun of his big brother! I tried to video it but of course he stopped! It was priceless!

The Big Picture

Soooo I'm reading through the entire Bible right now for the first time. This is quite a challenge for me as I read at the speed of a sloth! I chose a chronological plan so of course it began in Genesis and then after chapter 11, it skipped to the book of Job, and then jumps right back into Genesis chapter 12. First off, let me say that God really knew what He was doing with the order of the books because if a non or new believer picked up the Bible and had to read Genesis 1-11 and then Job, well that right there might just be the end of that journey because boy is it a wild ride! :)
Anyway, I finished Genesis this week and read through the famous Joseph saving his brothers from the famine scene. Reading it at this point in my life there were a few things that really stuck out to me. First we know that Potiphar's wife falsely accused Joseph, and he was put in jail for at least a little over two years. Now even though "the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did," (Gen 39:23) that is still a long time to be imprisoned for something you know you didn't do. Then he helped interpret two men's dreams, and once released, "the chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him."(Gen 40:23) How disheartening to help someone in such a desperate time and have them take it for granted! After Joseph was finally free, God made sure he was redeemed. I also noticed that he was thirty years old which is ironic to me since that is the same age I will be on Friday. What a HUGE responsibility for a 30 year old! Pharoah quickly realized what a mighty man of God Joseph was and "said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.”"(Gen 41:41) Joseph used the seven years of abundance in Egypt just as God told him to; "He stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea."(Gen 41:49) Then when the famine came, Joseph was prepared. He ended up saving thousands of lives including his own brothers. This is the part that knocks my socks off: Ultimately he said the them, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."(Gen 50:20) It is truly amazing to me to think about Joseph during these years and the faith that he had. So often we look at circumstances in our lives as tragic, unfair, or devastating, but we can see through the life of Joseph that God has mighty and awe-inspiring plans. When we feel completely overwhelmed by the realities of this life, we need to remember that our Holy Father truly does hold us in His arms and will use all our pain and suffering for His glory. His Big Picture is so much better than our narrow human view! 

Last week was a great week filled with lots of funny moments. I will be sharing them over the next few days. Enjoy!!
Day 1 - Friday the 15th!
That morning the boys and I were out in the backyard when all of a sudden Hope started going nutso! She was digging and pawing and barking. To our surprise she had found a turtle. Grady named him Swimmie and we put him in a box for a few hours. Once we found him chewing his way out we put him over the fence to enjoy our neighbors garden!

Here comes the kicker! It must have just been a reptile kind of day because a friend and I were sitting on my outside sofa and our boys were all playing when all of a sudden i hear, "look what i found mama!" Now, for all you girl moms out there don't fear this phrase but boy moms, you better watch out!!!! I turned and Grady was holding something that looked a little like this:

Exept DEAD, BLOATED AND 10 INCHES LONG HANGING IN HIS HAND!!!!!!!
I began to scream like a scared little girl and gag. Grady told me that it was floating in the fountain and it was just a toy. I immediately let him know it definitely was NOT a toy and to drop it. My friend took him inside to wash his hands with LOTS of soap and i had the joyous task of picking it up with my trusty pooper scooper, while still gagging and tossing it out of my sight. Honestly it was absolutely disgusting! I'm just so thankful he didn't put it on my lap to "show me." Grady said, "Mom, dead lizards are not gross. You just have to get rid of them." You gotta love boys!!
More to come.......

Christ the Lord is Risen Today!

These are the words my dad has sung to me every Easter morning for as long as I can remember!

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!       

Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!       

Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!       

Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!  

If you would like to sing along, click on the link below:

Hymn Site 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter Sunday celebrating our risen savior who came that we might have eternal life. Enjoy His grace today as it washes over you!

Happy Easter 2011

 

What an Adventure!

Well, today was quite a day! "We went on an adventure," so Grady says. Today was Davis' two year and Grady's 4 and a quarter year photo shoot. Sarah Buck is one of my very best friends and has taken all of my boys pictures from birth until now. She and I are like sisters that somehow just don't have the same parents. The morning was HILARIOUS to say the least. We went to an old abandoned dairy in Savannah and Grady was a little leary at first, but then started to explore. The promise of a great prize helped us lure him into submission. :) Davis however was obsessed with holding Sarah's hand in between any pictures and really didn't listen to a single word we said. From start to finish, it was a battle of wills, mosquitos, and sunlight. Because Sarah and I are gluttons for punishment, after we finished at the dairy, we went to her parents dock and decided to go under for a bit of a mud bath. Grady LOVED every minute of it and Davis, well...not so much! The mud suctioning to his feet freaked him out and he of course ended up with mud all over him. We were laughing and she was clicking away! It was great. We had so much fun. I will share the link when i get them all but for now, i will leave you with my favorite sneak peaks. Oh and by the way, I bathed them as soon as we got home so tonight after church I told Grady he didn't have to have another bath. I went to get my PJs on and when i returned, he was sitting in the recliner watching an episode of How It's Made on the DVR with his legs crossed. I thought I was going to fall on the floor. Is he a little old man or what??
Nighty night! I know I will sleep tight tonight!
Love,
Elizabeth

New week

Hi there! Just wanted to say I hope everyone has a great week. Grady and I have made a commitment to start learning and memorizing some Bible verses together. We started with Ephesians 4:32, "Be kind to one another." Memorizing scripture has never come easy for me but the more time goes by the more I realize how important it is to have God's word on our minds and hearts at all times. The verse we have chosen for this week is:
"Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you." Psalm 55:22
Here are a few pics of my precious blessings being silly with their new hats.
Love,
Elizabeth

Unrealistic Expectations

I think unrealistic expectations have driven me for a very long time. Whether it was back in school thinking I could never make any grade less than an A, in my body image desiring to be a petite size 2 and being made by God to be a bigger boned girl, in my sons that they would behave in public and not be obnoxiously hyper like other little boys, that I would be able to make delicious meals every night for my family and keep my house organized all the time, that I would be able to be the daughter/friend that can always help in any situation…the list goes on and on!!!!

I am a perfectionist planner and when things don’t go the way I had thought they would, it’s not an easy adjustment for me. My devotional the other day said, “Do not let your to do list (written or mental) become an idol directing your life. Instead, ask God to guide you moment by moment.” This was quite a slap in my little planning face! I think sometimes we forget to just “Be still before the Lord.” (Zech 2:13) “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15) In my old age, I’ll be 30 the end of this month J, I’ve finally come to a clearer understanding of God’s amazing grace and that He does have expectations of us, but not unrealistic ones. They may be difficult at time, especially standing firm on His black and white truths laid out in His word in today’s “feel good” culture, but the eternal rewards are limitless. I am determined to plan a little less and spend more time on my knees asking God to show me what He desires from me to further His kingdom. I truly believe that when we focus more on God’s expectations and not those of the world and the people in it, it’s then that we will finally have realistic expectations!

I took the boys to my Aunt’s house to ride horses again yesterday. It was yet another great lesson in lowering expectations and showing others grace that the Lord so freely offers us. Grady whined and complained when he had to let Davis have a turn and whined some more when we had to leave and whined some more when we didn’t have what he wanted for lunch. It’s so frustrating to do something nice for someone and they don’t appreciate it, but think how often God feels that way about us! Despite the whining, Grady still got to trot on a horse for the first time and Davis got to ride alone for the first time and we all still had a blast!

Love,

Elizabeth

Big Boy

Well, yesterday was Davis' two year appointment and lets just say it was a doozie! He weighed in at 37.5 lbs and was 37 inches tall; >97th% for both categories!! We discussed his weight and how usually around two it starts to steady out. He gave some helpful hints like skim milk, lowering carbs and calories just in case it didn't slow down. Then we discussed the fact that anytime he plays hard or runs around, he wheezes. Hmmmm, beginning stages of "asthma" most likely so he suggested a daily allergy medicine that helps open the airways. Then came speech! He said we needed to have him evaluated for speech therapy because at two a stranger should understand 50% of what they are saying, and he really couldn't understand much Davis was saying at all. Whew, what an overwhelming 30 minutes! As I lay in my bed last night though, my mind was filled with thoughts of thankfulness for a healthy child that might have a few minor bumps in his road but nothing that will be life altering at this point. I always say he is a big boy. I just didn't know exactly how big. :)

 Birthday doughnuts made by Aunt Stacy...yummy

Mimi and Poppy gave him a tricycle....hopefully he can work off some of those carbs!

Unanswered Prayers

Yesterday was Grady's first visit to the dentist. He was hilarious asking how every little thing worked, and by the end, was telling the hygienist that he knew how to use all of the equipment and that he might be a dentist someday. I laughed and said, "Well, your daddy sure wanted to be a dentist, but God had different plans for his life that turned out so much better than he expected. You never know what you may end up being when you grow up!" Immediately the cheesy Garth Brooks song "Some of God's greatest gifts, are unanswered prayers" popped into my head. I have always like that song but hadn't really thought about it in a long time. Have you ever had a prayer that went completely unanswered and years later you were so incredibly grateful? I sure have!! We are so temporal minded here on Earth and since we can't see the "big picture," it is so hard sometimes for us to understand why things do not turn out the way we truly desire. This is when we must remember it is not ever our right to question God. After all, we wouldn’t even exist if it were not for Him breathing life into us. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.””(Hebrews 12:28-29) God is so powerful and yet at times, we sell Him so short. In my devotional this morning it said:

“When you focus on what you don’t have or on situations that displease you, your mind also becomes darkened. You take for granted life, salvation, sunshine, flowers, and countless other gifts from God. You look for what is wrong and refuse to enjoy life until it is “fixed.””

The solution of course is THANKFULNESS! So the next time you think that God has completely let your prayers go unanswered, thank Him for His plans and that He knows and wants the very best for all those that seek Him first!

Love,

Elizabeth

 Have you ever seen someone so relaxed in the dentist chair? He acted like he owned the place!

 Love that boy!

Turning Two

Today is my Davis’ second birthday! It’s funny because a friend asked me the other day if it seemed like it had been 2 years or had it seemed like it had just flown by. I was blessed with the gift of having a sibling 13 years younger than me and have seen how quickly the time really does pass, so I have been able to really savor each day with my boys. Honestly, I feel like Davis has been around forever. He is such a wonderful part of our family. He is so sweet and has an infectious smile and giggle. His beautiful blue eyes slay you the minute you see him. I feel so honored to be his mom, and boy do I know he is going to take me on quite a journey before this is all over, but it will be worth every second. If someone asked me what Davis’ favorite thing was, I would without a doubt respond, “GRADY!” He is obsessed with his big brother, and unfortunately, most of the time thinks he can do anything Grady can do. Grady is pretty coordinated so seeing Davis try to mimic him can be highly entertaining. For example, at the park on Sunday, Grady was running around the wood that lines the playground like a balance beam. Well, Davis got the wild idea to copy and a few minutes later was sprawled out on the ground. The best part is, he is one tough cookie, so he just brushes it off and goes right back at it. Chris and I could not stop laughing. He is just like a little goofball and we love him so much! He loves his choo choo yuggie(aka lovey), playing with trains, watching airplanes in the sky, driving the John Deere, vacuuming, and most of all EATING! :) He can be quite a flirt and definitely knows how to throw a good fit. He is a 36 lb ball of energy but it is energy that truly is amazing. Thank you Lord for the precious gift that Chris and I have in him. We will enjoy each moment we are given, even the crazy ones! 

Here are some of my favorite Davis pictures!

From birth, he has adored Grady!

One of his first real smiles!

Precious

 3 months old!! Look at those eyes! Thanks to Sarah Buck Photography!

 Mommy & Davis at High Hampton Inn

 6 months!

 9 months

Let the flirting begin!

1 year! This is my favorite picture ever taken of him!

Summer splashin' in the backyard

Flirting at the Greek Festival

Gorgeous spider eyes!

I absolutely love this picture of them! Davis looks so much like his daddy!

At Grady's 4th birthday party

I took this just last week at the park! I can't believe my baby is soooo big.