Looking back

As a mom, days can be trying and days can be AMAZING!!!  As I look back at my time as a mother, I know I could have done a lot of things better.  As I look at my time as a wife, I know I could have done better also.  But I can change that at any time and all I need is God.  He is my strength and my guide.  He is my father and creator.  I can do anything through him who gives me strength.

I was reading some blogs last night and found two that talked about Psalm 31.  So I picked up my bible and decided to read it.  WOW!!!  This is a big wake up call for me.  I have a lot to work on as a wife, mother and most of all a child of God.  But I know God has something to teach me through all this and I'm very excited to see what it is.  After reading it twice, once to myself and once out loud to Darren, I think I actually love this passage from the bible.  What a great goal to have for yourself, to be a woman that God wants you to be. 

It means a lot of different things to me.  I read it and think, ummm yea like I am ever gonna do those things , and ummmm probably not!!  But as I think about this verse all day, I know I could do those things if I try.  Of course some of those things are not really things I can do where I live and will prob never do but the idea of it is what interests me.

I think about my job as a mother and think of things I can do different in the future.  I know I need to put them before many other things in my life and that is gonna take some work.  I'm gonna have to have it at the front of my mind always reminding myself that my kids are only little once and I need to embrace that. 

I love to look at my kids when they dont' know it and watch them.  The things they do and the things they say.  It's one of the many joys in my life and I thank God often for them.

Right now I am planning on writing a letter to each of my kids to put in their baby books to let them know how much they mean to me now and always. 

I think this passage in the bible is going to make a big difference in my life and the journey may be hard but the outcome will be glorious just as our Father is.

Bucket List

I often hear people talk about bucket lists and I have thought about doing one for myself.  I dont' think I would look at it as things I want to do before I die though, I would use it more as things I would love to experience in my lifetime.  More of an adventure list or a growing list. 

The things on this list should be things that will still help me to be me but help me to be a more rounded me.  I want each thing on my list to be something that will help me to see more of God and his beauty but I also don't want them to be selfish things.  I also want them to be things that allow me to share God and his love to other people.

Some things I would like to put on my list would be:

-skiing for the first time
-volunteer at a soup kitchen
-make a big donation to a ministry
-purchase a well for a village
-give my house to a homeless family
-go to a Nascar race

Some things I guess are selfish but I like to think of those things as the well rounded stuff.  I know my heart is def for God but knowing how to make my life go and work in that direction is the hardest part.  One day God will be me there if it's His will.

Year of New

So as I sit and think about the past few months or even the past year, I realize that this year has been a year of new things.  New things I have learned on my own, new things we have learned as a family, new roads traveled lead by God and sooo many new experiences.

The other day a lady had asked me how school was going and my answer was, we are all learning and growing through these experiences.  It has been an interesting year to say the least and it has only been 1 month since the start.  Darren and I have learned to stick together with school issues and be a parenting team and that is very important for our kids to see.  Brant has learned his own lessons through his actions and I hope that it will make him stronger one day.  Ashley is an experience of her own and that's all I can say about her hehe.

One big thing we did this year was leave our church and find a new one and that has been a journey.  I do love out new church and sometimes I want to go back to our old one but for now this is where God has us.  I know He has a plan and we will continue to listen and move with His will.

I know soo many more new things will come our way with 3 to 4 months left in the year.  I know we are going to grow and be filled with joy and I wouldn't want it any other way.