A Happy Heart

       Well tis the Holiday season.  We had a good Thanksgiving visiting all our family, but that 8 hour drive to Clovis is a killer.  UGH!  I am so glad to be home.  However, on the car ride home I was once again blessed my sweet little miss.  Our sermon Sunday was about putting more of Christ in Christmas and not being so caught up in our "Americanism".  Derek said in his message that we feel like we have to buy all this stuff to give our family a Christmas they will never forget and then we do it all again the next year, so is it really working?  Probably not.  So my daughter while watching Madame Blueberry boiled it all down for us.  She said, "She doesn't need all that stuff.  She needs a happy heart.  Right Mommy?"  My heart melted just a little and I said a prayer that she will always hold to that truth.
       Today, we had to go to the store because after being gone for several days we had no groceries.  Ansley sang the Madame Blueberry song the whole time we were shopping.  I feel the need to post the words here so we can keep this in mind during this hectic time of year.

     Because a thankful heart is a happy heart
     Be glad for what I have thats an easy way to start
     For the love that HE shares as HE listens to my prayers
     Thats why we say thanks everyday

Thank you Lord for the life you've chosen for me.  Help me to be ever thankful for all you do for me and all you have given to me.  I know I am entitled to nothing, but because of Christ I am an heir of the God who created everything.  May I long for more of Christ in this season and all year through.
 

Pink Eye

     Today Ansley had to leave MDO because they were afraid she had pink eye.  She woke up from her nap with red puffy eyes that were a little bit goopy.  I was SURE it was just allergies so I brought her home and gave her some allergy medicine and hoped for the best.  I kept asking Ansley if her eyes hurt or if she felt bad because she was so sad and wimpery, buy she insisted she was fine.  I finally got out of her that she was so sad because she had to leave school early and she didn't get to play with Makayla on the playground.  HA!  My child is the little socialite that is for sure.  Anyway, an hour after I gave her the medicine she said mommy I feel so much better look at my eyes now.  Well they did look better but they were still red and goopy so we went to the doctor.  He said "It is really just a guess, but my opinion is that it IS pink eye".
     We took the prescription to CVS instead of Walmart today because you get a $25 gift card for starting a new prescription.  (More to come at a later date about what I spent that gift card on)  The prescription is eye drops.  Now, you have to understand my child is SUCH a happy girl, however, she is SUCH the drama queen as well.  For example, just yesterday Ansley had a speck of glitter on her face.  I noticed while we were putting her to bed and so you know I was gonna have to get that off.  You would have thought I was trying to rip the hair out of her head because of the following meltdown.  She had in her pretty little head that the speck of glitter was gonna hurt  like the dickens to get off and during the flailing that ensued it just fell off on it's own.  You should have seen the priceless face when she realized it was off and she didn't even feel a thing.  I guess you can probably see where this story is going because now we are having to put drops in each of Ansley's eyes.  We talked really calmly to her about what was going to happen and even showed her what it would be like by me putting eye drops (not the prescription of course) in Jay's eyes.  It didn't help AT ALL!  Jay had to hold her down with her arms pinned back and I had to force her eye open enough to put a drop in them.
     All I can say is, neighbors, I promise we weren't abusing our child.  We were only trying to make the infection in her eye go away.  The exciting part is that we get to do this 4 times a day for a week. :)

Veterans Day

     In honor of Veteran's Day I want to thank everyone who has taken part in maintaing the freedom's we have in America.  Today I was reminded to do my part in protecting those freedoms by handing down my spiritual heritage.  In the past, people have thought it so important that they gave their lives for me to worship the Lord freely.  Not only do I want to honor their sacrifice but I am commanded to pass it on to my children.
    Lately, I've been really trying to think of ways to show Ansley how important walking with the Lord is.  Because Jay is a youth minister (and Ansley's MDO is there) we are at church all the time.  I don't want her to think lightly of that heritage just because it is just where we go.  I guess the best description is like comparing it to going to the grocery store (because we go there A LOT too). I don't want her to think we just have to go to church like we go to the store.  I want her to know it's a choice and to appreciate the reasons WHY we choose to always be there.  On the other hand, I am so grateful that for now my child LOVES church.  I pray that it will always be a place she desires to go and as she grows hopefully the reason for that desire will be her hunger for the Lord and a heart that longs to please Him with her life.     

    Kind of on the same note as spiritual heritage and passing things on, Ansley helped fill her first shoebox for Operation Christmas Child. She helped pick most of the items out.  When I picked things out, like soap and wash rags, it was such a cool experience to tell her why we were packing this box.  At night we pray that our family could  be a blessing to others and maybe she can understand the concept of being a blessing by helping fill this box.  She was so good about realizing these things were not for her even though she picked things that she would enjoy.  When we were finished she asked when we were going to take it to the little girl.  I loved her heart of wanting to deliver the items.  Obviously, I had to explain how we just fill the box and someone else will deliver it for us.  One cool thing Kathleen told me about today was that you can pay your shipping for your box online and it lets you print out a label that will be scanned so you can track your box.  I think we will do that so we can show Ansley on a map where our box went.  At MDO they gave the kids a page to color and include in their box.  After Ansley colored her picture of Veggietales we wrote a note on the back for the child who opens the box.  It talked about how old Ansley is and what she likes to do.  Then we talked about how the picture was of Veggietales and  Bob and Larry always say God made you special and loves you very much.  The picture above is of Ansley, her picture, and her shoebox.

Old friends

Angie and baby Colt (7 mnths) with Christin and baby Lauren (5 mnths)

Well, these friends are by no means old but rather these are friends I've had for a long time. I love them so much and it is so fun to see them. I wish we had the chance to get together more often. We went to Christmas magic in WF, and that was quite an experience with three strollers. HA! Hey and just to let you know Jay loved the famous fudge. That stuff was delicious and I didn't even really like fudge. :)

My first blog!

I decided to blog today because recently everyone keeps telling me I need to write stuff down, and I know that will never happen. Maybe if I type it I can keep up with it. Also, today the Lord was showing me some stuff and I thought a blog would be a good place to report His goodness.

We were talking about Elijah today and how he had a time of discouragement after the Mt. Caramel experience and he ran from Jezebel. I thought of so many times I could identify with Elijah's lonliness and disillusionment. What hit me most was the way Elijah snapped out of it was obviously meeting with the Lord but THEN he picked himself up and kept obeying the Lord. I can look back on times in my life when I felt discouraged and wanted to throw a pity party and say why is this happening to me, and the Lord in his gentle compassion waits for me to get all that emotion out. Then he says, if you're done, lets get back to work now. He picks me up and says just keep following me, Jamie. Remember I am with you and I am in control!

We also talked about Ahab who also experienced the Lord in a time of need, but Ahab responded with rebellion and selfishness and it ultimately caused his destruction. Seeing this contrast between the two was interesting. We have the choice to respond with obedience they way Elijah did, or respond in selfishness like Ahab. (if you want to, refer to 1 Kings 19 and 20 for the whole story)

I am so thankful that I am not at a point of discouragement right now in my life, but I have been so many times. I think writing this down will help me remember to refer back here next time. Keep your eyes focused on the Lord and not yourself and your emotions.