Being Prepared for the Unexpected

This morning started out just as most of my Monday mornings do, at the Y. I was on the treadmill wishing 45 minutes would hurry up and pass and I decided I would read through my Judgement House script that I had in my purse. What's Judgement House you ask? Aaaahhh, I would be happy to tell you! It is a live performance that our church, Southside Baptist, puts on every other year that takes you on a journey allowing you to observe the choices that the characters make and the consequences of those choices. Ultimately, it shares the gospel and is a much needed reminder for those who know God but have just pushed him aside during this busy thing we all call life. Anyway, long story short, it is awesome and if you want to come, here is your personal invitation from me! I am a guide, so I walk groups through the performance, and let me tell you, it is absolutely amazing to see God at work through this event each time the church does it. Here is a link to the times on our church website. Judgment House - Southside Baptist
Now that you know all this, I can get on with my story. I was reading the script and got to some of my final lines that read like this, "We are never promised tomorrow, and it's more important than ever for you to know for sure, if you died tonight, where you would spend eternity." I have said these words now many times since this is I think the 4th Judgement House I have been blessed enough to be a part of, but I stopped just for a moment to think on them this morning. Over the past few years, I have seen more and more that God's plans are not always our plans and lives truly can drastically change in a day. I am so excited that I will get to share this message with people who are willing to come and listen and I know that the Lord will meet them exactly where they are, if they "open the door." Okay, so enough is enough right? Stop rambling already and get on with it! :)
After dropping Grady off at school this morning, Davis and I met Chris at JC Lewis Ford to look at a TANK Expedition EL for our growing family. Everything was going smoothly and the nice man had just started to hit us with all the numbers talk when all of a sudden it sounded like a bomb went off behind his office and the entire building shook. Everyone ran out of the building, a lady was screaming call 911, the men were running and looking for the service attendant whose office had just been completely driven into by an elderly lady. It truly was one of those moments where you were shaking and just thinking, Lord let everyone be okay. God saved a man named Tommie today. He was not in the office where he always sits at that exact moment that the accident happened! I don't know him but I hope he knows that God performed a miracle in his life today. As I drove away, my script from Judgement House was ringing in my ears. Somehow it didn't seem quite as cheesy or "over said" anymore. Somehow it seemed that it is exact truth! I am so thankful everyone was okay today but I am also thankful for an opportunity to share with all of you just how unexpected our days can be. Don't waste a minute of the precious time you have been given and make sure you know exactly where you stand with your Lord and Savior so that you will be ready no matter what!
Love to you all!

Finding Out

Well, the new blog header is up and I think it is the perfect picture of our lives right now; crazy chaos but lots of fun. This was one of those weeks that I was just about ready to raise the white flag and surrender but as I dove into good ole James Dobson's "The Strong Willed Child," I was reminded that I can do this, and that God has chosen me to do this, and I need to continue to focus on the positives each and every day! With that said, I decided to think about something really exciting...finding out the sex of the baby!
I absolutely cannot wait to find out what the new baby will be. I can honestly say I will be really excited either way. I can think of so many positives, and even a few negatives, for both so I can't wait to see what God has planned for our family. Grady is determined that it's a boy, but his grandfathers sure are rooting for a girl. It will be so much fun to know. We have our boy name picked out but still have 3 or 4 contenders for the girl. Guess we will see if we have to make a final decision. This past week, I had an ultrasound and the baby was so precious; moving all around, waving, looking towards us and then looking away. The one thing I came away from it with is this.

God is in control and I am in love. 

No matter what may be, this is the baby God meant for us to have and I am just thankful beyond measure. I have recently been to a newborn funeral, and then just a week ago, heard of another newborn who is now in the arms of Jesus. I am humbled and thankful for everyday I have been given with my sons and am just praying this baby is healthy. Now more than ever, I will not take that gift for granted! Here is a profile pic of our peanut and in a few short weeks I will let you all know whether we will be stocking up on more blue or branching out to PURPLE (my favorite color)!

Encouraging Sunday

Yesterday was "Pro-Life Sunday" and our church was blessed to have an incredible woman come and share her testimony. Her story was truly amazing and left me reminded of a few important things.
1) God's grace is the most amazing free gift we could ever receive.
2) God uses ordinary, "average Joe" people to bring glory to His kingdom everyday, and He is not concerned with the number of people but just how faithful and ready they are to serve.
3) God's big picture view makes so much more sense than our narrow bird's eye view from down here.
4) Sometimes God will ask us to step out of our comfort zone to serve Him, but if we are willing, miracles can happen.
5) Once a person turns their life over to Christ, and the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside them, then they truly can experience "joy and thankfulness in all circumstances."(1 Thess 5:16-18) This happens when they "lay aside their own plans and cooperate with God's revealed purpose, making it their own purpose."(BSF notes)
6) "God is looking for the support of His moral minority."(Dr. A Bosson, ex: Judges 7, story of Gideon's army defeating the Midionites) This is a time in our world, when Bible believing Christians must focus on God's inerrant Word and pull together with prayer and faith and commitment to fight for the Lord.

Hope you all have a great week!!

Refreshed

I'm so excited! My friend Ashley over at Ashbee Designs is making me a new blog header! It will probably be up and running later this week. I figured the thin running version of me needed to hit the road since the second trimester kicks in this week and my doctor is adamantly against running while preggers. I honestly will enjoy the 9 month hiatus, and it gives me something to look forward to in September, fitness wise that is.
I wanted to share some thoughts with you from BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) this week. It is always really good but this week it was amazing! If you have never read 1 Thessalonians, you need to, TODAY! It is so encouraging on so many different levels. We are studying Acts this year, and it was so neat to study Paul's missionary journey and then read his letter to the Thessalonians. I never really understood the context of the book, but now it really makes sense. Paul was in Athens and was "greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols."(Acts 17:16) Worried about the strength of his converts in Thessalonica, he sent Timothy back to check on them and see if their faith was standing strong under the "venomous hatred of the Thessalonian Jews." By the time Timothy returned, Paul had really reached a point of despair and loneliness. Just at that moment, God sent him the encouragement he needed with the report that the Thessalonian believers were "not only safe and well, but progressing in the Lord. Paul was refreshed, encouraged and ready to meet all troubles, knowing that in the Lord his labor was not in vain."(BSF notes) I love God's goodness and was reminded that just when we think we can't take another step, God will be there to show us His will for our lives if we are willing to listen!
Jesus loves me this I know...  :)

Untitled from Elizabeth Witherington on Vimeo.

A moment to remember

Today there was a moment that I will remember forever. I had told the boys that I would take them on a walk/bike ride in the neighborhood, so I walked to my closet and sat down to put on my shoes. Davis walked around the corner, and completely out of nowhere, walked up to me, sat down on my lap, laid a big ole kiss on my cheek, sat back and said, "Mama, you are beautiful." If it is possible for your heart to melt, I'm sure mine did. I have always felt so blessed to have two healthy sons, but in that moment, I was overwhelmed by God's love for me and knowing exactly what I need! Thank you my sweet Davis bug for making my entire year!!

Sarah Buck Photography

Live Out Loud

This year I am helping with the 3rd-5th grade choir at my church on Wednesday nights. Last "semester" the kids made banners for our Christmas day performance. I wish I had a picture because they turned out beautiful. We have some very talented kiddos at Southside. Anyway, all that to say, this semester, the ladies in charge came up with the theme Live Out Loud. Basically it is a "missions explosion" to help develop service minded children. The kids will be making lap blankets for area nursing homes and hospitals and knitting hats for patients at The Children's Hospital at Memorial to wear while going through chemotherapy.

They are also collecting:
1) Pop tops off of soda cans for our local Ronald McDonald house
2) Old ink cartridges and cell phones for Faith to Foster (a Christ centered organization intent on changing the way America does foster dare)
3) Box tops for education to benefit Juliet Low Elementary School

If you would like to start collecting any of these for us, please just shoot me an email (elizhope19@yahoo.com) and I would love to come collect them from you! I was so excited about the knitting because I used to crochet and knit when I was a little girl. This version uses a round loom and hook so it's a little easier and lots of fun. Mandi and I had fun modeling our hats on Wednesday night!

So blessed to be a part of a church that wants to help teach children to serve and love others instead of ourselves. It is the golden rule, right??

 Grady enjoyed trying the hat too! I pray that the precious one whose head it ends up on knows just how much our Lord loves them and  just how special they are!
Love to you all,

My little Davis buddy

Oh how I love this boy! He might be exhausting and he might be a strong-willed ox but his heart is truly like gold and he is such a gift to us. Thought I would share a few pics his teacher sent me Friday. Her email said, "Honestly, we had nothing to do with this!!! Proof Davis is going to be a great big brother!!" It made my whole weekend. 

Hope your week is off to a good start!!

New Year, New Surprises!!!!!

We are so excited to see what 2012 holds for our family. One thing we weren't expecting but couldn't be happier about is a new BABY! We are due August 4th and are praying for a healthy little one to join our family. The boys are very excited, especially Grady. He had been asking us for a baby for a while now, and we really had come to a place of peace that we thought our family was complete. He told me a few months ago that he had been talking to God and thought we would change our minds about having another baby and I guess God was listening! If we could all have faith like a child this world would be such an awesome place! Grady turned FIVE on Friday and it really is amazing how fast time flies. Davis will be 3 in April and although he definitely is a bit confused by the news right now, I think it will be great for him to get to be a BIG brother himself. I really don't have any grand resolutions to share but I will share this. The thought of parenting three children in this crazy world we live in is a very scary thought to me but I have faith in my Lord and I know that if He thinks I am up for the task, then I can do it with my head held high and I am sure with a whole lot of prayer. :) We videoed me telling the boys about the baby. Please excuse my nerdy excitement but enjoy their cuteness!

Love to all from the FIVE Wacky Witheringtons!! :)



Untitled from Elizabeth Witherington on Vimeo.

Wow...where has December gone?

I just noticed I haven't posted since November. That is just craziness! Where has the whole month gone? Oh yeah, that's right, it's the busiest/happiest/chalked full of activities/most expensive time of the year!! We have had a great December. Uncle William (my little brother) was in the Christmas parade downtown with his highschool. We headed down to River Street to cheer him on!

Mooma and Davis waiting to spot Uncle William

Grady and Bryce

Willy Wonka himself :)

Oh and did I mention that my alma mater won the Football State Championship!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The next day we went to see Santa, or as Grady so bluntly put it, "a man dressed up as Santa."

Lilly Gayle and Stella chessed for Santa too

And then of course, where there's a tree, there will be climbing!

Grady had a Christmas pageant at school and Mimi saved the day in the final hour by whipping up the best shepherd costume this side of Texas! They did a terrific job and were all adorable.

His grand entrance :)

Mimi and Poppy with their shepherd boy!

Grady and Mrs. Powers, the best teacher ever!

Then Allison(aka Watt) from Infertility Overachievers came to visit. We took our 4 boys to the Journey, a live nativity here in Savannah, and then she and baby Holden spent the night. It was so much fun. My boys were in hog heaven!!

Since school was out, my nephew Tate was able to come and play and boy did these monkeys have fun!

 

Christmas itself was an absolute blast. Exhausting but awesome! We had so much fun with friends and family and Santa brought the boys a fort for the backyard. I really don't know who is more excited, me or them! They are loving it and having something really fun to do outside is fantastic. Here are a few more pics to sum up the month. Hope to get back into the swing of things now that the New Year is here! Happy 2012!

All our kiddos at the annual Helton Christmas Eve breakfast!

Electric scooters from Mimi and Poppy!

Ready for Santa!

 Love the looks on their little faces on Christmas morning!

Hope got a new toy too and was obsessed and very grateful!

The new fort!

Gotta love these little men!!