PLEASE DO THIS!!!!!

I want to thank my sister-in-law, Sara, for two things:

1. Always encouraging me and building me up. I struggle with the changes that the Holy Spirit is making inside of me (just as I imagine most people do). I feel, at times, awkward and clumsy when it comes to sharing my heart for Jesus. But Sara always manages to make me feel like I have just the right words and like my light is shining brighter than I even know.

2. Sending me the link to the blog that is really changing me. Please, go to the link below to see the amazing things that God is doing in this world: to see the brightest light shining in the darkest place. 

NOTE: Reading these blog posts will require some time, a box of tissues, and a good long look at your own life. And I would encourage you to bookmark the blog, so you can routinely keep up with the journey that Katie is on.

The Journey

Enjoy!

God Bless,

Lindsay 

3 going on 30!

Adult-like attitude is creeping in on my 3 year old. Here are a few of my recent encounters with this ugly monster:

After telling Trey something he clearly didn't want to hear, he looked at me and said, "I'm walking away now"...and he did!  (Just as a side note: I don't do this! The only way that I can imagine that he came up with that is from me telling Luke to walk away from things when he is about to get into trouble - like touching the stereo or the blinds.)

That same night, Trey was having a hard time when bedtime rolled around (I think he was missing daddy). He was being painfully slow about eating his snack, because it would mean he had to brush his teeth and go to bed. I told him to hurry up, and he said, "you are really making me angry today!"

God help us!

Tuesday Morning Sunday School

Well, the Lord has been speaking, the Holy Spirit has been translating, and I have actually been listening for once, so here are more of my recent meditations.

I have been reading in Jeremiah, where many of us are very familiar with verse 29:11 ("For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"). But there is a verse before that that I have never seen given any attention before. 

Imagine a time and place full of sin. People who have turned from God and who worship their idols never imagining that God's wrath would be poured out on them (Oh, I tricked you, because I'm actually not talking about modern day - even thought I could be). The LORD, through His prophet, Jeremiah, told the people of Jerusalem that he would spare them from His fierce anger if they gave themselves over as captives of the Babylonians and turned from their wicked ways. Some listened, but others did not. To those who DID listen and became captives of King Nebuchadnezzar, the LORD sent this message:

"Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have CARRIED you into EXILE. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper" (29:7) (emphasis mine)

Can you imagine being handed over to someone else and being told this is the best thing for you. We are everyday. We are handed over to sickness, disease, heartache, the stress of everyday life. You have a choice, you can seek the peace and prosperity of your situation into which God has CARRIED YOU! And you can get to know Him better through it (which was His intent for the exile's of Jeremiah's day), OR you can kick, scream, whine, cry, and fight it, and never find peace and prosperity. 

Decision time.

Happy Groundhog's Day!!!!

My little groundhog popping out of his hole

Here are some of my favorite things my kids have said in the past day:

Trey-

I told him he had crazy hair one day. He replied, "that's because I'm gonna be a drummer at Church of the Highlands". (The drummer at our church is affectionately known in our neighborhood as "the curly-haired drummer".)

While pretending that we were taking a trip, Trey packed a phone in his suitcase (a big phone, not a cell phone). I said that I thought we didn't need it because the hotel would have a phone, but he assured me that we would need it by saying, "I called the hotel, and they said they don't have one".

We built a tent, and he said we needed a fire in it to "toasty us up".

He refers to adults as "growing ups" (I think this is so he can be included in this category since he technically is growing up)

He told me that he was going to have an adventure at school tomorrow and he was going to fight the bad guy at school. I asked who the bad guy was, and he promptly gave me the name of a classmate whom he not so affectionately used to refer to as the "bad boy".

Luke-

I love everything he says! These are his few words, and translations:

Mama - "mama" and "milk"

Dada -  "Dada"

Na-na - "I want that"

Tease - "Cheese" when he has a camera in his hands. He also does this big smile where he closes his eyes and scrunches up his face.

Awo - "hello" when holding a phone

Be a blindfolded horse...what????

I was thinking today (prompted by a discussion on the radio), about the verse : "We live by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). I realized that I spend a lot of my time living by "sight". I live by faith in that I believe in Christ as my savior; I believe in the living God, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life in Heaven with my savior even thought I can't see any of those things. However, an analogy popped into my head as I really thought about this verse. Growing up, I owned horses (just go with me here). Many horses (unless they have had substantial training) freak out if they see a horse trailer. Well how are you supposed to get a 1000 pound animal into a trailer when they flatly refuse. Bribing doesn't work, and pushing and pulling will only get you majorly hurt. However, blindfold that baby and into the trailer he goes. Time for the point: I don't live my life with a blindfold on. I trust the LORD, but I can see WAY too much to know where I want to go and what I want to do. My flesh usually beats my spirit. Time to try a blindfold.

The MIS-adventures of team Hagler

Wow!!!! Having kids is great, but we have recently been reminded of just how hard it can be. 

Mis-adventure 1:

My awesome friend, Katie, told us about a special promotion where we could go see 101 dalmations the musical for FREE!!!!! So, we jumped at the chance. Not thinking things through, we decided that all 4 of us should go. Luke made it through the opening song-barely. I spent the rest of the first act out in the lobby with him, and then we left. But, hey at least it was free. And the really cool thing was that my friend Wanda sat right behind us, and my other friend Shey was behind her - very coincidental.

Luke prior to the opening act

Daddy tried to take his own picture

Mis-adventure 2:

I forced Trey to eat a whole salmon patty for dinner one night, only to have the whole thing come back up! I guess he is still allergic to egg.

Mis-adventure 3:

We decided to use our McWane Science Center pass to go to Huntsville and tour the Space and Rocket Museum (it's free for those of you with McWane passes). Halfway there Luke vomits everywhere! I clean him up the best I can using ALL of the wipes I have in my diaper bag. We decide we need to stop at Wal-Mart and pick up a change of clothes for him. Back on the freeway (heading to Wal-Mart), Luke vomits AGAIN!!!! He is covered, as is his carseat. Once at Wal-Mart we clean him up and purchase new clothes, more wipes, water, and a towel for him to sit on. As I am cleaning vomit out of the carseat in the parking lot, I hear a woman trying very unsuccessfully to start her car. The all too familiar noise of a dead battery rang in my ears. My noble hubby jumped to her rescue, and two hours past our expected arrival time, we pulled into the Space Museum parking lot! 

NOTE: Luke was fine after that...must have been something he ate.

He sort of has that "I just threw up...what do you want from me?" look

Trying to successfully land a space shuttle

Saturn V

Moon Buggy

Mis-adventure 4: 

Fast forward one day from mis-adventure 3, Luke takes a fall in the kitchen busts his top lip (majorly swollen for the day) and gets a bloody nose. He REALLY needs bubble wrap. I didn't take any picture of the lip, because I didn't want any evidence that could be used against me later.

But aren't they cute?

FUN discipline

A few days ago, Trey told me a lie during his lunch. In our house, that is grounds for punishment. So, I told him he had to get a spanking, but I wanted him to finish his lunch first. Now, I try to make every effort to keep anger out of the equation during discipline (on both sides), but it doesn't usually work. Well, while Trey was finishing his lunch we were talking and just having a good time, but I reminded him of his impending spanking. He looked at me and said, "okay, but I'm still going to run from you".