Pretty in Pink?

Ian and I are so excited about having a new little one in the family in May! My brother and his wife are welcoming their first little love and we are so excited that it is a girl! First grandgirl in our family and the first grandchild in her family! She is bound to be spoiled rotten and we can't wait to be a part of it!! Bring on the pink!!

Tired

It is inevitable, an instant comes up every now and then. A Christian speaks out about their beliefs on certain issues and they are shut down and hated on for it! It is down right ridiculous and frankly hypocritical. In today's world, it is okay to speak up if you are of any other religion or beliefs, but if your Christian...keep your mouth shut. It is so discouraging in a world where I want to teach my son to stand up for what he believes knowing that in a few years he will catch the same or worse ridicule for simply expressing his beliefs.

Am I a die-hard Duck Dynasty fan? No, I watch the show every now and then. I enjoy recording it and watching it when I get the chance. The thing I most enjoy about the show is the number of times the members of this country family have shown that they are believers in Christ and have lived out what that means. It astounds me that the network is punishing the family for the beliefs expressed by their patron, Phil Robertson. In an interview, he basically quoted what the Bible says about sins of various kinds, including homosexuality. He, in no way, spoke of hating anybody. In fact he talked about he loved all of humanity but believes it is a sin. That is his right to believe that and for anyone who knows anything about him and his beliefs to expect him to answer in any other way would be down right naive. That is like going in someone's home and asking them how they feel about their curtains. Obviously, they like them...they picked them out! What do you expect?

I am so tired of people thinking Christians are hateful because we do not agree with the homosexual lifestyle. Do I believe homosexuality is wrong? Yes, I do. Do I hate people that practice or believe otherwise? No, I do not. I also believe murder is wrong, I do not hate murderers. I also believe stealing is wrong, I do not hate thieves. I also believe adultery is wrong, I do not hate adulterers. The list could go on. In saying all this, I also do not imply that I am perfect and without fault. I am human, therefore I am a sinner. I have sin in my life just like everyone else, so I don't hate sinners. I hate the sin of the world. I hate the sin in my own life. I usually stay pretty quiet about these kind of things but I just got overwhelmed today when I saw it happening all over again. Please do not twist the words and beliefs I and other Christians have to mean something it does not.

Wordless Wednesday

Everything goes in the mouth!

Havoc

Look who is getting into all kinds of mischief!!!

Working hard

I like hard workers around here and I start them young!

I also start educating young! Learn those ABCs!!

 Haha! Jk, obviously. The swiffer was left leaning against the cabinet after I swept and Ian took it upon himself to make sure I didn't miss any spots!

Yummy

I had time to make and decorate cookies for Thanksgiving. I don't get the chance to do it often, but I really enjoy it. I like to imagine that I could do it all the time but it takes more time than I usually have to give. In fact, I don't know if I will get around to making some for Christmas but I definitely plan on making some for Ian's birthday party! Is it sad that I am already looking forward to that? My dear sister is a party queen and maybe she rubbed off on me a bit, because I am looking forward to decorating and everything for his birthday! Yes, I will undoubtedly be one of those crazy moms who goes overboard for a one year old's birthday...you have pinterest to thank for that! :) Anyhow here are my cookies I made. I finished off the last one yesterday!!

Celebrations!

We have been busy busy lately. It seems wrong to be so busy this time of the year. It is really the time of the year we should slow down and be thankful for the blessings that have come our way. I am incredibly blessed. I have been through a lot in the last year and a half. God called me to go through more than I ever could have imagined or thought I would go through. There are times where I just sit back and think about how different my life is. In some ways I wish things were different. It is hard at times but I am compelled to remember the great things change has brought to my life. The changes of the past months have brought me closer to God than I have ever been in my life. I had the opportunity to really live out my faith in a struggle. I hope and pray that I did that well. I tried my best to glorify God through it all and I can only hope and pray that is what happened.

I am in no way looking for personal praise because I, by no means, did that on my own strength. I did things my way for a while and it was awful. I finally let go and let God work through it all and it was the best decision that could have been made. I have no idea what life will bring me next. I have hopes and dreams about what the next big chapter in my life looks like. At the very center of those hopes and dreams is my desire to grow closer to God and glorify Him.

I love the opportunity this time of year gives us to glorify Him. I love this time of year. I love all the festive lights. I love all the sparkly ornaments. I love most Christmas movies, because honestly some are just too cheesy! I love making a mug of hot cocoa, because I am not a coffee drinker. I love thinking of what I could get for a loved one that will bless their life or bring a smile to their face. I love all of that, but more than that I love the reason for this season. It sounds cliche, I know, but it is truly such a wonderful gift. God gave us the greatest gift of all and I pray that you do not let that get lost in the hustle and bustle. It is one of the reasons this nativity scene was the first thing I put up. 

We have also been celebrating birthdays. My sister-in-law celebrated her birthday and my oldest nephew will now need two hands to show how old he is! He hit the big 6 mark!! It is crazy to think I became an aunt six years ago. I still remember sitting in the waiting room, ever so patiently  anxiously awaiting to meet him. I remember holding him and how I wanted to go see him every chance I got. I have had very little to do with his upbringing. My sister and her husband get the credit for that but I am none the less proud of him! He is a smart and caring boy who loves to make you laugh. I love to watch him ooh and aah over Ian, it makes my heart melt to see his big cousin love him so much. Thankful for my Jack and the heart God has given him!

 

And of course we celebrated Thanksgiving with the family. We hosted this year and despite the let down of not having a bouncy house (yes, we were going to have a bouncy house and it would have been awesome),we had a great time visiting with family. Ian had fun showing off his crawling skills after napping through meal time. It was a wonderful time for all.