Eternity....

We have been back for a bit now in the USA. I love the conveniences this country offers!!! But, you know what? There are a lot of distractions here! This morning Trent and I were on our knees and praying that we would not be distracted with the conveniences we now have.



We are determined to keep our eyes on Jesus! To live for ETERNITY!!! Regardless if we are job searching in the worst time EVER to be searching for a job, or if living in America is not as amazing as we thought it was going to be.

I feel like this morning we entered the presence of the Lord and was quenched & FILLED, & touched & just the fire of God fanning us!!! I just felt led to share that whatever you are going through, refuse to live for anything less than the fullness of the life God has for you! "OH GOD! Stamp ETERNITY my eyeballs (Leonard Ravenhill said that :))Be blessed!

Looking Unto Jesus

Recently I renamed the "blog". I wasn't quite sure what to name it, but I figured I would go with my fall back for everything else in life - Looking Unto Jesus!

So, welcome to Looking Unto Jesus!

Trent has this book by Isaac Ambrose and it is titled "Looking Unto Jesus". The book has 694 pages & it is all based on the one Scripture Hebrews 12:2, "Looking Unto Jesus, the beginner and finisher of our faith"

I love the simplicity of that. I am BANKING ON THAT! I love that I do not have to have all of life figured out. I love that I don't have to have the answers. I love that all I have to do is know Him & that He does!

As for an update on our family situation! Well, quite a bit is going on..... So I will do my best to journal it out.

1. We are here and living in McKinney Texas - very happy!
2. We are looking unto Jesus about it ALL


We are praying through what God would have for us.....

We have landed in McKinney!

We have made it safely to McKinney Texas & I am loving every minute of it! It has been awhile since I have posted, so feeling a bit rusty I thought I would upload some good, light stuff! Here you go!

W.I.F.E.

I just love this picture!

I got to tell you that God is molding me every day in being a wife and mother. I am praying that God's Word would be alive and active in me - specifically in these areas, my first calling.

Reading today I came across a cute little "gem" by Elizabeth George from her book , A Wife After God's Own Heart. :

W- Warm up his life with your love
I- Improve his life as a helper
F- Follow his leadership with a willing heart
E- Esteem him highly with utmost respect

What a beautiful picture. By the power of the Holy Spirit - let it be a reality! I hope this encourages you as it does me.

-6

I am a Texan. Born and raised in Texas. I served on the mission field in Ban Nam Khem, Thailand for a couple years (tropical climate). I am temporarily living in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. My journal entry for today:

IT IS -6 Degrees outside.

I am trying to walk "in the Spirit and not in my flesh" towards this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trent said it best last night as he joked..."I am convinced that there will not only be fire in hell, but it will be cold too!"

Todays prayer: "Lord, thank You for all the years you blessed us to live in Texas"

Encouraging!

"Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift up your hands toward Him for the life of your children." - Lamentations 2:19

I came across this Scripture today & was touched deeply by it. So, I thought I would post it and pray that it is just as encouraging for any other parents out there that may stumble across this blog.

Every day being a Mother is a high calling. It doesn't always "feel" like it as we are wiping "snotty" noses, maybe changing diapers, or even settling little...disputes between the little angels.

However, it is a high call! We are shaping! We are discipling! Stand in Him and be encouraged to pour out - especially in the mundane things of life. They are life shaping moments.

Do it all unto Jesus.

My High Council

I don’t know about you, but I have the tendency to just run right to Trent and say what ever I am thinking about. Usually I have not put too much thought into those words. Probably because I know Trent loves me unconditionally – ha ha! But, being the good husband he is – he does his best to try to correct my wrong thinking, fix my problem/situation, and/or try to encourage me.

To no fault of his, most of the time- I don’t want to hear it! Unless of course, he is giving me a big FAT



I said it! It is true!!!

99% of the time my husband is right on! Rebuke and all (when needed)! But, after being corrected by the Holy Spirit on receiving a word of correction, the Lord revealed to me my real “problem”.

My real problem being that I did not come to Him first. The Holy Spirit is my High Counselor. The good news for this uninsured lady is that I have full insurance in HIM!

By going to the Lord first, even before my best friend and husband, I have the ability to allow my thoughts to come in align with His thoughts. To allow the Lord into that intimate place of High Council He longs to be. Not that there is wrong in seeking your spouse’s council, but what a beautiful intimacy to share that with the Lord.

The second part of what I feel like the Holy Spirit was sharing with me is the power in my words.

Proverbs 18:21 (New American Standard Bible)
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

By taking time out to meet with the Lord and seek Him in my thinking, opinions, and concerns – this allows me to protect myself from…..myself! Choosing words of life, rather than words of death! There is power in that!

Not to mention, I get to be the help meet to Trent he needs, instead of more work! Ha!

Fighting Home School Burnout!

Hello!

I wanted to take a minute to jot down some challenges to the call of home schooling. I often write here things dear to my heart. I pray that as the Lord guides and directs my thoughts to come in align with His, that it blesses those who might be going through something similiar.

Well, recently home schooling has been so difficult! My children are precious. I am realizing that I am not! LOL! Just kidding, but honestly my attitude toward the challenges have not been....precious! Anyway, I know a lot of mothers who are venturing out into the home school realm. I am by no means a pro as I have only been doing it 3 years now, but I do have some insight to some challenges.

Why did I want to home school.... Well, initially it was a group of reasons.
1. We were moving to the foreign mission field.
2. I wanted to be the influence in my childrens lives.
3. I see raising children more as discipleship than education alone.
4. I thought it would be fun!

I am sure there are many more that might come to mind, but those are the ones I remembered. Well, home school is just like everything else in life. There is a excitement of the curriculmn & the anticipation of what it will be like. It is still fun, but for me it grew into the reality of the discipline of it. There is also challenges as to the responses from your children. Some days I just think, "Are they getting it?!" Another difficulty is the 24/7 of child rearing. "Mother's day out programs" being something of the past at this point - I realize it for those refueling times they had been.

I see the beauty of home schooling. But! How do I avoid that burn out feeling? Feeling home school burn out , I just read was described by examples such as a lack of patience or maybe even overreacting to minor things. Well, the last 2 weeks that was me to a T! I don't know how it crept up on me, but I was in burnout. 3 years non stop homeschool, 24/7 with the kids, motherhood duties like laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc.

So, I had to reflect. I have such HIGH expectations of my kids and myself. We have had 3 moves in the past 2 years(2 being international), and lots of change. Not to mention we are moving AGAIN at the end of the month. And I am trying to find a way to finish our late started school year with the worlds calendar system.

I realize...I need to relax! I need to quit trying and let the Lord do it! Yes, I have to get up and fill up & teach, but I need to rest in the Lord. I also realize that I have to not go by the worlds standards - even to the calendar months! Of course the standards by which I hold my childrens education to is still the highest. So, today we did 1 Math class. We had fun at school today & are going to have a GREAT weekend! By taking a little break, and learning what the Lord had to show me through it - we will all be able to restart again Monday.

SO! If you ever get to the point of feeling the burn out in home school. Don't feel condemned! Take a break, give it to God, and follow the desire that took you to home schooling. For me, discipling my kids in the way they should go. That is it. If we don't finish our school year until AUGUST! There is liberty! If I feel overwhelmed to be perfect in their education, well that is a good thing, but I am learning to take a day off to get my house caught up if that needs to be done. Freedom, baby!

My brother in law Todd Pruett once said to me, "Amy, everything, every person, every situation as a child of God is to form you into the image of Christ". That 100% applies to HOME SCHOOLING!

LET LOVE REIGN in YOU!

And you know I love my kids, so here are some snapshots as we decorated Christmas cookies yesterday :)

Good Ol' days....

Have you ever thought to yourself…”Do you remember the good old days?” Well, yesterday Jackson and I were in the truck going to his follow up appointment & he was staring out the window when he asked me that very question.

I have to admit the question perplexed me as I thought of how many good OLD days he has had in his little life of 8 years! I thought it was cute & he went on to describe the beach days in Ban Nam Khem, Thailand. He went on further to describe how he wished you could pray and God would take you back in time. Now there was much more to this conversation, but I will stop there.

I kept thinking about the good old days in my mind. What were the good old days to me? Well, if you have ever tried to get something back that is already gone – well it is just impossible!

For example, I remember being so excited about coming home from Thailand the first time. I could barely wait! Now it was a good time (aside from all the warfare), but in NO WAY did we return to the way things had been. On the contrary – I was ready to go back to Thailand at that point.

Then Trent and I were talking this morning & were talking about God’s plans for us. Then he said something similar to this, “Watch out for the trend of thinking back or trying to look ahead.”

Honestly, it really irritated me! AH! Why? Well, because that is exactly what I was doing! Convicted? Yes. I am ready to get on with what God has for our family. Notice = I. I am ready. But, it really ministered to me as I thought upon that statement.

Then the Scripture came to mind, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Just as I am growing in faith of God’s provision, I need to be just as faithful in trusting God with HIS plans for our lives & in HIS timing. I am ready now, but HE has not yet moved us. Do you find yourself looking back or looking ahead? Well, don’t let the devil rob you of TODAY!
********************************************************************************* We celebrated Jackson and Bradens 8th birthday party this weekend. It was a surprise party :) Enjoy the pictures of us celebrating Star Wars style!!!

Beautiful

The heart of a child is the most precious of God's creation.
Never break it. At all costs, never break it.

-- Joseph L. Whitten


Lord help me to gently, without compromise, and completely in love guide the children YOU have given in the way they should go. To know You first and the reality of You in their lives.

Here we go again...

Well, after several days of ups and downs with Jackson's asthma - we ended back in the ER Sunday night. This time we did not have to go through all of the quarantine so that is a big PLUS!

He is doing well & breathing is better. He is having more testing done to see what these "triggers" could be. So, he should be home later today or tomorrow. Daddy is there with him. I have to report that Jackson was SO BRAVE! It can be kinda scary not breathing too well & then he had to go through SEVERAL attempts before they were able to get an IV in. He wanted me to take pictures for Braden & Trinity to show how brave he was being. So, I thought I would share them with you.

The face covers are just preventative of the spread of respiratory infections on a children's floor. No quarantine! We are believing God for a COMPLETE healing! No more asthma in Jesus Name!

Today's Thought & Challenge!

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
-Philippians 4:8 NASB

Challenge: Practice LOVE


Encouragement: Trinity thinking according to Philippians 4:8